Nebraska advertiser., 1869-07-15

and received from England her sup
plies, arms, and ammunition. Here
came Capt. Semmes on the Bahama,
and here began his depFedatioRs.
The Alabama carried eight guns,
and was thus held by her gallant
officers and crew to be a match for
Nantucket Whalers and Maine lum-
bermen. SteamingOutside the marine
league, the chieftain, whose words
are battles, summoned his crew, in
formed them that they were in the
presence of a bold buccaneer, end that
enlistmentunder him meantunIimited
grOg, glory, and greenbacks, wrung
from the OppressOr. Eighty out of
ninety sailors enlisted, and then the
tender father of his men disappeared
in the roman leader. When I wanted
a man to do any thing after this,
writes the stern moralist, "I did not
talk to him about 'natiOnalities' and
liberties and double wages > but I
gave him rather a sharp order, and if
the order was not Obeyed in 'duble-
quick the delinquent found himself
in limbo" And there rose up migrate
full men, who safe onshOre denounced
him as a har and bully.
From the 5th of September to the
18th of october the Alabama, always
hOistnig false %cOlors, always stealing
whatever she could use or store,
almost without exception, burning
her captives in mid-Ocean, seized
twenty-one United States ships.
Once or twice moved by their beauty,
or by the appeal of their officers, the
stern patriot would have dropped a
tear, t'but there were too.many white
cravated, long haired fellows bawling
from the NeW-England pulpits, and
too many hOuse-burners, and p~ilferers
inundating our Eatherland," to per-
nit him that tender diffusion, and for
tears he substituted TRADES. From
November to January, cruising about
the West Indies, the Alabama seized
five ships. Jamaica had the largest
hospitality for the peivateer, the Off
GERS of the British squadron at anchor
establishing at once the most cordial
relations with her officers, and Gov.
Eyre extending aid and service. Off
Brazil and thence to the Cape of
Good Hope she captured nearly two
score more of valuable prizes, selling
a rich bark just off Cape Town, and
II found it IS much as / could do"
protests the modest and courtly COM
mander, ito write autographs, and
answer the pretty little perfumed
billets that came off to me-" The
ladies! Heaven bless 'em Siman's
Town We'd with Cape Town in kind
ness, the English naval officers, dis
carding all the ridiculous nonsense
about our not being recognized, and
extending to us official as well as
private eivf4ities. Shipping English
seamen to FIREPLACE desertefs, the Alaba-
ma steams to the Indian Ocean, cap
pilaging on her way. But
game wag scarce trade having long
since taken the alarm and trans
fered itself}t to neutral bottoms, and in
six months the Alabama bagged but
seven irst-class prizes. Table Bay
proving a friendly halfway house on
her new voyage to European waters,
the privateer repaired, refitted,f and
pr%Ovisioned there and then made for
CherbOurg, Selling whatever Yankee
ships she saw. Three days after she
dropped anchor on the 18th of June,
1864, the United States gunbOat
KeOrsarge appeared in the harbOF.
Semmes finding himself thus
blOckaded, and reminding himself
that he carried one more gun than the
enemy, for the first time and only
decided to fight an armed ship. /
But simple IS IagO he too cries out
TO be direct and honest is not safe.
The Puritan miscTeant, Capt WinslOw
in command of the Kearsarge, had
the Yankee meanness to protect his
vessel amidships by. hanging over
his sides what anchor cable he
could spare. Not happening to
have thought in season of a similar
lrmOr for himself, Capt. Semmes is
mis- dastardly foe. In an hour and
minutes 'front.' the firing of the first
shot, the flag of the Alabama was
struck and that vessel found to be
The Kearsarge secured
some prisnOrs, and an English yacht
up the rest, the TedOubtable
captain among them, safe from pur-
'uit on English soil. The Royal
Squadron thanked their COM
'ade for his act, and officers of the
Army and Navy united in
subscribing a sword for the despoiIed
nero to replace his drowned and Stain
ess sword blade. While he remained
n England, gentlemen and gentle
woman crowded to do him honor, and
are left to infer that, when he
fed her chalky cliffs, a fearful
nation mourned his loss.
This then is the story of the Alaba-
ma, as set down i'm the Pirate's own
Book. She was in effect a British
built by British contractors in
British port whose British officers
we're amply informed of her character
md destination, recruiting men at
British ports, receiving her armament,
,oal, and provisions by q British yes
from a British port, deeoying her
by hosting a British flag,
aided, and sustained by a i
British sympathy and assistance in
he Colonies. Her warfare. was thS1'
of a bullyo on i~nOffensiye chill
lren whose dinner-pail he eovets. 1t
vas the assault of a rough on helpless
whose rings he wants. She
lever fred a gun in anger, she never
net an enemy on equal terms. She
destroyed millions of property and
deprived commerce of millions of I
eYenne, which but for her would /
ave enriched it. She prolonged the !
var, and largely augmented its ex- I
Hense. England has not always {
acknowledged a responsibility CON- !
erning the Alabama, and Indignantly I
epudiates the testimony of her calm r
Idge NJ. Sumner. :