Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-27
THE ALABAMA" IN ACTION,

From an acclllnt of"Life on the Alabama,' u
by one ol he sailors, in the April Century,
we quote .he following:
I'VE got everything ship-shupe and left
Cherbourg for our last cruise on bright
Sunday morning, June 10Th. We were es.
| corted by a French armored vessel, and
| aud Wien we got outside we could see the
| hemSargc awaiting us, about four miles
away Captain Semmes made US short
speech which was we'll received, though
il seemed odd to me that an American should
appeal TO an Englishmans love of glory to
animate him to fight the speakers own
countrymen. But we cheered, and the
French ship leaving us we steamed straight
for the Kedrsdrgc. There is no doubt that
Semmcs was i1urried and commenced firing
too soou. We were, should say, nearly q
mile away and do not think single shot
| told The enemy circled around us and did
not return our fire until within seven or
eight hundred yards and then she let US
have it, The first shot that struck US made
the ship reel and shake all over. | was
| serving on one Of the thirty-two Founders,
and my sponger was an old man o. wars
man, who remarked, after look out of the
port, we might as we'll Gre batter puddens
as these pop-guns q few more biffs like
that last and we may tnrn turtle He had
scarcely spoken when shell burst under
our pivot-gun, tilting it out of range and kill
ing five of the crew What is wrong with the
rifle gum was asked. we don't seem to
be doing the enemy any harnl,' while with
slow precision came the crash Of the heavy
she'll of the Yankee. One missile that
seemed as big rs 4 haystack whiZZed over
our heads, taking section of the port bull
warks away, fortunately missing man
that was handling shot. He only remarked
that he believed the Yankee was firing
steam blers' at us. Another shell struck
us amidships, causing the ship to list to port
so that our gun weighing three tons raced
in, pinnng ono poor fellow against the port
sill. He died before we could get him clear.
This was the missile that sunk the Alabama.
She's going down. was the cry, and all was
confusion. Another shell struck about the
water-lne, and the vessel reeled like
drunken man. The dead and wounded
| were lying about the deck, which was red
with blood. Our officers did their duty and
the men at once began 10 get up the wound.
| ed. The cutter aud launch were in the
| water, and the officers were trying to keep
| the men back till the wounded were all in;
but certainly many Of them were left, for
/ saw several on the aerili-dccli when went
| below, and the boats were hen full and
pushing OIL. When it WAS certain that the
| ship was sinking, all order was at an end.
| had t10 and a watch in locker between
| decks, and ran below, but they were gone.
! "'Al hand5 on decl: = ships going down!
WAS called, and had jus. got on the upper
step Of the forward mpauion-way when
| the water, entering tno berth.deck ports,
| forced the air up and alnost carried me off
my legs. cast my eyes around for mo-
ment. Old Gill, with has head crushed un-
der the carriage Of the eigbtinch gun, was
! lying there, his brawny hands clinching the
breast of his jumper. Just as the water
came over the stern | went over the port
bulwarks. / was a good swimmer, and had
| not been in the water five minutes when a
French pilot boat came running past, and
| braWny fellow in petticoats and top boots
| dragged me out of the water"
From the account the second officer in
command of the alabama gives of the cruise
and combats Of that vessel, also in the Cen
tury for April, we quote the following:
"Among the many prizes we captured
| and destroyed, We necessarily saw many
varieties of the genus homo ip the guise of
the Yankee skipper. While taking the
burning Of their ships very philosophically
as among the fortunes of war, some clung
to creature comforts regardless of heavier
losses. Upon one occasion. going aboard q
| fine ship, told the captain he might bring
away his personal effects He made most
ludicrous scene by earnestly appealing to
me TO grant him one request that he
geons Sermons" and keg of very fine
whisky The sermons I granted, but
told him the whisky must 60 overheard.
The prisoners on board of the alabama
as general practice were not put in irons,
but were simply confined 20 an allotted
space with guard over them. The prison
ers of the first half-doZen prizes taken were
put in irons, including the captains and
mates, at which tho captains were very in
dignant, and demonstrated with Captain
| Semmes that their position should entitle
them to different treatment. Captain
Semmes replied that he confined them in
irons in retaliation for the manner in which
the agents of the Z. S. Government had
treated the purser of the c. S. steamer
Sumter. The purser, under orders, was en-
route from Gibraltar to Cadiz in a French
merchant steamer Stopping at Tangier to
put off and take on passengers and cargo,
the purser walked on shore, and was there,
in neutral country, seized by the U. >.
consul at the head of an armed force OF
| Moorish soldiers, and brutally imprisoned,
with heavy manacles. From there be was
taken in irons by the q. S. armed vessel mo,
and finally sent to New York in irons. The
purser vas a gentleman of unimpeachable
character and high position. Again, there
we're occasions during the cruise when the
number of prisoners warranted placing some
in irons, but never were captains put 10
irons after that Erst mnasura of rataliatinn J,