Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-06-29
The Fight Between the Alabama and
Hatteras off Galveston.


the account of Captain Semmes, himself
Captain of the Alabama, of the fight between
that vessel and the Hatteras off Galveston,
Sunday evening, January II, 1868.
The Alabama had gone around near this
port, in the hope of destroying Gen. Banks
expedition, which was expected to rendezvous
here in January, 1862. On arriving Admi.
raj Semmes found General Banks absent but
discovered that there were FIVE Federal ships
of war in the harbor. He had promised his men
some ''spOrt," but to Tun'a>muck into five war
ships, of which the least vas nearly his equal,
hardly came under the category. Happily
one of the enemy's vessels decided that ques-
ton for him by going out in pursuit Of him.
We give the rest as told by the Admiral in
his book, ''The Sumpter'aDd the Alabama"
"The Alabama was still under sail, though
of course, being so near the enemy, the water
was still WARM in the boilers, and in a coudi-
tion to get up steam in ten minutes. To carry
out my design of decoying the enemy, now
wore ship as though were fleeing from his
pursuit. This, no doubt, encouraged him,
though; it would seem, the captain of the
pursuing ship pretty soon began to smell
rat, as the readers will see by his report of
the engagement. now lowered my propel-
Ter, still holding on to my sails, however, and
gave the ship small head of steam, to pre-
vent the stranger from overhauling me too
rapidly. We were still too close to the feet
to think of engaging him. thus decoyed
him on, little by little, now turning my pro-
peller over slowly, and stopping altogether
In the meantime night set IN before Ie could
get a distinct view of our pursuer. She was
evidently large steamer, but we knew from
her build and rig, that she belonged neither
to the same class of old steam frigates nor that
of the new sloops, and we were quite willing
to try our strength with any of the other class.
At length, when judged that | had drawn
the stranger out about twenty miles from his
feet. [ furled nay sails, beat Iay quarters,
prepared my ship for action, and wheeled to
meet him. The two ships now approached
each other rapidly. AS we came within
speaking distance we simultaneously stopped
our engines, the ships being about one hun
dred yards apart The enemy was the first to
hail. "Wbat ship is that p cried he. "This
is her Britahnic Majesty's steamer Petrel,"
we replied. We now hailed in turn and de-
maDded to know who he was. The reply not
coming to us very distinctly, we repeated our
question, when we heard the5words "This is
the United States ship" the name of the
ship being lost to ts. But we heard enough.
All we wanted to know was that the stranger
United States ship, and therefore our
enemy y pause now ensued-a rather awk~
ward pause as the reader may suppose. Pres
emily the stranger hailed again and said, eff
you please, | will send a boat on beard of
you" His object was, of course, to verify or
discredit the answer we had given him that
we were one of her Britannia Majesty's cruis-
ers. We replied, ''certanly, we shall be hap
70
boatswan's nate call away u boat, and we
could hear the creaking of the tackles as she
was lowered into the water.
Things were now come to crisis, and it
being useless to delay our engagement any
longer with the enemy l turned to my first
lieutenant and said, Il suppose you are all
ready for action ?" "Wc are" he replied,
'the men are eager to begin, and are only
waiting for the word" then said to him,
tell the enemy who we are, for we must not
strike him in disguise, aud when you have
done so, give him the broadside" Kell now
sang out in his powerful clarion voice, through
his trumpet, 'Ths is the Confederate States
steamer Alabama aud turning to his creg,
who were all standing at their guns-the
gunners with their sights on the enemy. and
lock strings in hand-gave the order Fire! -
Away went the broadside in an instant. our
little ship feeling perceptibly the recOil of her
guns. The night was clear, there was no
moon, but sufficient starlight to enable the
two ships to see each other quite distinctly at
the distance of half mile or more, and
state of the atmosphere highly favorable to
the cOnduction of sound. The wind, besides,
was blowing in the direction of the enemy's
fleet. AS matter ofcourse, our guns awakened
the echoes of the coast far and near, annOunc-
ing very distinctly to the Federal Admiral
Bell, Southern man, who had gone over to
the enemy-that the ship which he had sent
out to chase the strange bail had fight on her
hands. He Immediately as we afterwards
learned got under way with the Brooklyn, his
flag ship, and two others of lis steamers, and
came out to the rescue.
Our broadside was returned instantly the
enemy, like ourselves having been on his
guard, with his men standing at their guns.
The two ships when the action commenced,
had swerved in such way that they were
now headed in the same direction, the Alabama
lighting her starboard brOadside, and her
antagonist her port broaGside. Each ship, as
she delivered her broadside, put herself under
steam, and the action became a running fight
in parallel lines, or nearly so, the ships now
nearing, and now separating little from each
other. Ny men handled their pieces with
great spirit aud commendable GOODNESS and the
action was sharp and exciting while it lasted,
which, however was not very long, for in
thirteen minutes after firing the first gun, the
enemy hoisted light, fired an off gun, as a
signal that he had been beaten. We at once
withheld our FIRE. and such cheer went up
from the brazen threats of my fellows as must
have astozished even Texan-if he had |
heardit.
We now steamed up quite close to the
beaten steamer, and asked her captain, formal |
IL if kn haA sr,r-anIo-nL He renlied that |