New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-16
Thc Action Between the ht"'s"rGo nm"
Alabama - Capt. Eins'ewh Ome'n'
Report.


Tie Boston Journal is indebted 70 Mr.. s. c.
Hartwcll, Capt; Winslovs clerk. for q COPY OF Capt
wm.,ov's official report 10 the Navy Department Of
NE action between IRE KeaTsarge and Alabama M"
published for the irst Oc BY permission Of the secro
tary OF the Navy:
Us. cns,Y.a KTARsARGy, IsGIlsB CBANSyL !
" " JAY 80 1854. {
S,q. In obcdrroe TO instructions of the Department
rqy, thc honor ~ make the following sIppencntnrl
rcport of tle aCil0n between Tie Kears9fse ana la
hnflu. ON the morning OF the tyth ult tue Gay plhy
1ge with hay am, phcre. wind moder0te from th'
westward with rle the position o. the koaiso ge
az en- q. ocs near the buoy whob makes tne Tue
o. sho4ls 10 the eastward Of CheTb0ufR aud dist NJ
about three miles fum tho eastern entrance, when
bore 80 .Le togthw2r and westward. II twenty MN
u.ts altr ten O'Clock the Alabama vas discovered
COMING ont II the western entrance, accompanied ny
tlo Couronne Cron clads had. IN an Interview win
g., Admiral assured lin, In tho event Of - acton
occurring with The Alabama that the rnslnrs Oh we
81 .hoaid be far OG shore HAT 40 Questions coNld
%, ,d' eDoei about the line ofiurisdlehon.
Accordingly. to perfect t,iis object and with The
double purpose Of drawing The Alabama 80 aT on shore
thrt 4 t.subt1 shc coua rot return. directed mo
ships head seoward and cleared Tor action. with ias
battery pivoied 20 starboard.
Having attained point ah0rt seven miits fr'fa tAe
shore Tie D rl of TIE sarge ws tlrncd short rOu1d
md tie ship stored Ttfly for The Alabama my lr-
paee being 10 her down. or II circumstances d. not
warrant ~, to close in with her Hardly had the kcr
ssgc round before the Alabama shoereG presented
her stsiboard battery and slowed her engines On up
llit Htf ~ IOus range nf HhOut mile iHi
her mi hrcadsde the shot cutting Of our rigging
AID going over and along ide u ~.
Immediately ordered more srccd; bn; in two min
ufcs The Alabama bad again loaded aud fred another
nfogdtde aud following II With third wiibou, dam
aging us except IA rigging. We had arrived with
81 apc hundred yards II her. ard apprehcnsiye
that ofher hruadsidc nearly raliug was. Wur1
Prove disastrous Accordingly ! ordered TIE Ke,J
sarge shc.r-d and opened On he Alabama.
Tue positions Q. the vessels was now broadsdc %
hroelside bat Il vas soon apparent that Captain
Semmes Gid rot seek close sc ion. became thca fear
Get after some lighting that he would again make
f,r Tho shore 10 defeat this de.Crmircd O. Keep iu
speed or an with port helm e. under tie q m
81 ie A'abams and fake, u BE- did not prevent 10 by
Snoring 4Hd socpng h Oroadfidr % u. We adopted
ffis mode eveniye and. rs cons Quencc. the
Alab'uo vas forced With full bead OF steam, into
circular track dnIing the engagement.
Tho cfot 81 this hanover was such That ~ the 1851
Il tue action when the Alabama would bHve made OF,
=, y.s urer Eve miles from rhe shore. and I'D the
., ton continued oa4 the first ~ parallel Ices, With
her head IN shore. the line d Jurisdiction would no
doubt 1Ire been reached.
Inc t.i.g Of tie Alabama from the first was rapid
and wi g. toward 'ha close Of the notOh her firing he
came better our men, who has been cautioned against
rauid GIirg without direct aim were much more de-
libcrar and tbe distractions given 10 point tie heavy
hciow rather 'n above The water hne ani clear
ID do.A IN tie lighter ones "ere ials uussr'ed
had cuicly ofsd viii port holm 20 close 10 With the
Aillrra BIT Z was not until Just before the close %
The action that ia position ~ use grspe. this
avoided however, by her surrender The ehee' OF
The training OF OFT men was evident, nearly every tio
from our guns was telling arfuly on 'he Alabama,
and on the seventh rotation he circular track sie
wiud,d setting fore ~ sL and Two Jb., with hetd N
shore.
Her speed we now retarded end by winding her
port brJad.de presented o with only two guns
herring not having neen able. n learned afterward,
10 shit over 5ut one. saw noN ihst the rs az "r
mercy. and low more guns, Wen directed hinlgn'
down hcr de-. Wa- nina ic 10 ascertain Whether iry
% ID been lalird Gown slCt aVay. bit white uag
having been display c over the Stern. followed by two
guns tired 10 l-cWaid our fire wa- reserved lsso
minutes had not more thsn elapsed before nc aysh
. to- fNs uasFf I'D
drew fire again. and ~" kcalserse wns immediate
" steamed llo.d md lay across her boHs for raking
The white deg We SUI iynf and our hrc v % .sIin
reserved Shorty after tis hj p"hts were seen u Dc
lowering nnd officer one Of them came alongside
ara Informed tic ship had surrendered and vas iaSt
sinking IN twenty minutes from TINS time tie \ IA
hama went down her malumhsi which had re- 'iFel
shoi beal lnC the head, a. -le SUNK fnd her bow
rising hlgt oui Of the waer or seTn RAPIDLY settled
me ire OF the Aiubam ma although II l. stated she ia
charged 30 or more tlcA and shot. lot OF serons
mage ~ the kclrsaTge. some thirteen or urte"- OF
Al g had ta.ea ec IN aud all. NJ the bull and sixteen
or seventeen about tie waste ana rigging
The casualties were small. only three parsons having
hfen wounded; vet Z j. matter OF surprise thni ~
NV ye4c Injured Coz silng no number 81 lr'lec'ur'
r. came ntosrd. Two rnOts pissed through tne pofs
IN wiichfhe s placed With mea tuickiy stst"he
around thefo one taking effect IN the hammock net
TIM, ,ud tie other going through Inc pr 81 tho "lo
alto side vet no one ~ hit tie captain 81 OF The
guns b.r. only Knocked down by the wind % the shot,
il .pl9sed Tho fire ~ the koarshge, arh0nyh
only ~ proiee'iles had been discharged according "
hhd kiled and wounded eighteen men oLd Gir.oed me
guns another had entered the cos bankers exploding
ana completely blocked up the engine room; GId Capt.
semues states shot and shei had taken effect in tAc
SIDE ~ lis voss tearing large holes by explosion and
bis men ere everywhere knocked down.
OF the casualties on The Alabama correct account
can be- given one hundred aud fifteen pcrsons reached
tie shore either 10 England France Git< tie action.
IL Is known thst tbs Alabama carried crew oiors
nen Of about 30 into Cherbourg and that while IN
southern Ocean. Ter complement Was about 100 but
oeseT li0Lr hrd reduced this complement.
Tho prisoners state Egt number - men came on board
Cherbnur AID the night before the action boats were
going and fro and ~ the morning strange men were
seen VII, wore stationed pans Of the guns Among
these three was Lieutenant Colnclh) WHO loined
bcI ~ CAerb0nre.
Tie Alabama had been FIVE days;n preparation. Size
had taken in $50 tuus Of coal which trodht her doa
IN The water. The Ktarearco Ind only 40 uns IN. hut
al Offset 10 This her sheet chains EoHed OFT
side stopped up aud down, additional preventive
and protection 20 her more empty bunkeIs. The mum
Der OF the Of the henTsarge including officers and
lex men l6 aLd her battery numbered seven guns
Two ll-inch. oO.pounder rfe. und foul hsnt j.
Founder guns
Tie battery Of the Alabama numbered eight guns
One heavy " oi 90 Dr. one 10 pounder rife and I'll
brevy s2TonndeT guns.
H. the cngag elneut the Alabama fought seven g7ns-
ard The kcsfssrge five both exercising ibe stanford
battery Until Che Alabama wndcd ns.ng Lef port bat
terv with one Fuu Dad another sliated over.
The collateral events connected With this ectlon have
already been laid before tbe Department.
incosc diagram showing TIC truck which wss
described during the eng !gemeD, by thc IoS course
offLo vessels. have the honor to De-.
Very respectfully
our opedieui servant
mo 4. WINSTON. Captain.
Hou GiDsos WELLS, Secretary 0; the Navy. wL-h.
4Dgt0n ID. {.