The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-22
The Destruction of the Alabama
Capt. Semmes Official Report
OFFICIAL REPORT OF CAPT. sEMMEs.

Capt. Semmes Official Report.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF CAPT. sEMMES.
Mason. the rebel Minister (unrecognized by
the European governmental sends copies of
the following official report, by the pirate
Semmes. of the fight between the Kearsarge
and Alabama, to the English papers, and states
that the Alabama had only crew of one hun
| dred and twenty, all told. AS to her arma-
| ment the Alabama had one Finch Blakely
rifed gun, one 8inch smooth-bore pivot gun,
and six 23-pounders, smooth-bore, in broad
side: .. sl...-s
SOUTHAMPTON, June 81.
SIR: have the honor to inform you that, in
accordance with my mention. as previously
announced to you, steamed out of the harbor
of Cherbourg between and 10 o'clock on the
morning of June 10, for the purpose of engag.
ing the enemy's steamer Kearsarge, which had
been lying off and on the port for several days
previously. After clearing the harbor we de-
serted the enemy with his head off shore, at
distance of about nine miles. We were three.
quarters of an hour in coming up with him. 1
had previously pivoted my guns to starbOard,
and made all my preparations for engaging the
enemy on that side. When within about
mile and quarter of the enemy he suddenly
wheeled. and. bringing bis head in shore. pre-
scented his starbOard battery to me. By this
time we were distant about one mile from each
| other, when opened on him with solid shot,
| to which he rep led in few minutes, and the
| engagement became active on both side.
| The enemy now pressed his ship under full
| head of steam. and to prevent our passing each
other too speedily. and to keep our respective
| broad, ides bearing, it became necessary to
| fight in circle. the two ships steaming around
| a common centre, and preserving distance
from each other of from quarter to half
mile. When we got within good shell range
we opened upon him with shell. Some ten or
| fifteen minutes after the commencement of
| the action, our spanker gait was shot away
aud our ensign came down by the run. This
was Immediately replaced by another at the
mizzenu asst head. The firing now became
very hot, and the enemy's shot and shall be-
| gan to tell upon our hull, knocking down. kill
ing and disabling number of men in different
parts of the ship. Perceiving that our shell
though apparently exploding against the enc
turned to solid shot firing, and from this time
a1terward alternated with shot and shell.
After the lapse of about an hour and ten
minutes our ship was ascertained to be in q
sinking condition, the enemy's shell having
exploded in our sides and between decks,
| opening large aperlures, through which the
water rushed with great rapidity.
For some few minutes had hopes of being
able to reach the French coast, for which pur-
pose gave the ship all steam, and set such of
the fore and aft sails as were available. The
ship filled SO rapidly, however, that before we
had made much progress the fires were extin-
guished in the furnaces, and we were evidently
on the point Of sinking. now hauled down
my colOrs to prevent the further destruction of
| life, and dispatched boat to inform the enemy
of our condition. ..
Although we were now but 400 yards from
each other, the enemy fired upon me five times
after my colors had been struck, dangerously
wOunding several of my men. 1t is charita
bic to suppose that a ship of war of a Chris
tian nation could not have done this inten-
| tiOnally.
We now turned all our exertions toward the
wounded, and such Of the boys of the ship as
were unable to swim. These were dispatched
| in my Quarter bOals, the only boats remaining
to me, the waist boats having been torn to
pieces. .s..
Some twenty minutes after my furnace fires
had been extingushed, and the ship being on
the point of settling, every man, in obedience
to previous order which had been given to
the crew, jumped overheard and endeavored
| to save himself
There was no appearance of any boat CON-
ing to me from the enemy until after the ship
went down. Fortunately, however. the steam
| yacht DeerhOund, owned by o gentleman OF
Lancashire. England, Mr.. John Lancaster who
was himself on board, steamed up in the midst
| of my drowning men. and rescued number
of both officers and men from the water.
| was fortunate myself thus to escape to the
shelter of the neutral flag, together with
about forty officers and men, all told.
About this time the kearsarge sent one, and
| then, tardily, another boat.
| Accompanying you will find lists ofthe kill
ed and wounded, and of those who were pick
ed up by the DeerhOund. The remainder,
flaro 10 min ko1,r hv hn
enemy and by couple of French pilot boats,
which were also fortunately near the scene of
action.
At the end of the engagement it was discov-
cred by those Of our officers who went along
side the enemy's ship with the wounded, that
her midship section on both sides was thor
Oughly iron coated; this having been done
with chains constructed for the purpose, placed
perpendicularly from the rail to the waters
edge-the whole covered over by q thin outer
panking which gave no indication of the ar
NOR beneath. .u.
This planking had been ripped off in every
direction by our shot and shell, the chain bro
ken and indented in many pieces, and forced
partly into the ships side she was most eff
fectually guarded, however, in this section,
| from penetration. The enemy was much dam
aged in other parts, but 10 what extent it is
now impossible to tell; it is believed he was
badly crippled. utH.
Wy OuccrS anu moQ UcLaVcu SIttuily anu
gailantly, and though they have lost their ship
thev have not lost honor.
where all behaved SO well it would be invid-
ious TO particularize; but cannot deny myself
the pleasure of saying that Mr. Kell my first
lieutenant deserves great credit for the fine
condltlon In which the ship went into action.
with regard to her battery, magazine and
smell rooms also that he rendered me great
assistance oy his GOODNESS and judgment as the
fight proceeded. ~.
The enemy was heavier than myself both in
ship, battery and crew, but I did not know,
until the action was over, that she was also
iron clad. $500
Our total loss in kill and wounded ia aO-to
wit: 8 killed and 81 wounded.
have the honor to be, very respectfully.
your obedient servant, -,
Wilmer g. Smiths European Times of the
25th ultimo says that on the day Of the publ.
cation in London of Capt. Semmes' report, a
counter statement froma Federal gentleman in
an official position Id Liverpool declared en-
| phaficallv that the Alabama. instead of BEING