Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
WASOF THE KEARSARCE CREW
Omaha Man Who Mourns the Loss Of the
Brave Old Vessel.
WAS ONE WHO FOUGHT UPON HER DECKS
lie Describes the Famous Battle with the
Alabama on the Coast of France
Determination of Her Men Their
Welcome Home,

'N' - h'Ah'' VI ~ WV " NH~ 5000
Kearsarge during the engagement between
that vessel and the confederate ship Ala
bama. He enlisted in the navy in December,
1861. and was assigned to duty as assistant
paymaster on the Kearsarge. He continued
to be a member of the crew until mustered
out in January. 1865, after all the active
naval work of the war was over. The Kear-
sarge was sent out for the express purpose
of capturing or destroying the confederate
cruisers Sumpter, Alabama and Florida,
Mr.. Sargent says that when he heard of
the wreck of the famous old ship he was
affected very much as a man would be who
had just heard of the burning of the old
homestead where the happy days Of child
hood had been passed. Clustering around
the vessel were the memories of trying times
and glorious accomplishments. The old ship
which had so nobly met the shock of naval
warfare at last had to succumb to the ele-
ments, leaving behind nothing but the record
of her great achievements.
Mr.. Sargent says that the memory of that
cruise is as fresh in his mind as il it had
occurred but yesterday. When they started
out in search Of the confederate cruisers
they first touched at the islands of Madeira
and from there they proceeded to Cadiz,
Spain; from there to Gibraltar, and here
they fell in with the Sumpter, one Of the
three ships that had been preying upon
American commerce.. Being in a friendly
port they could not assail it there, but pro-
ceeded to watch the vessel until they could
get a chance at ii in the open sea, but no
such good fortune was to be theirs. Captain
Semmes, who afterward commanded the
Alabama, was then in command of her, and
realizing that his ship was no match for the
Kearsarge he sold her to private parties and
she was dismantled of her armament and
turned into a merchantmen. Captain Semmes
and his officers went to England and subse-
quently went aboard the Alabama.
Their next meeting with any of the con-
federate cruisers was also in the port of a
friendly power, and this time they were not
so fortunate in ending its career. At Brest.
France, lay the Florida, and they watched
her until compelled to go back to Cadiz for
fuel and supplies. The commandant of the
Florida thought discretion the better part of
valor and during this interval got out of the
way.
TIL TIME IT WAS DIFFERENT.
Their next meeting with the confederatcs
was the one which made the old ship
famous. The Alabama had been built in
England and taken to the Azore islands by
Captain Semmes, and here a transport had
brought her arms and equipments, which
were transferred to her. She Immediately
commenced her career as a commerce de-
stroyer which made her the terror of the
seas. After a long cruise in the East Indies
she returned to Europe for repairs to her
machinery, which were made at the port
of Cherbourg, France. The Kearsarge at
this time was lying at Flushing, =
point a little further up the chan
mel. Captain Winslow, her commander. was
notified and at once set out {. try conclu-
sions with her. This notice was received on
Sunday, and one week from that date the
dread. Alabama was at the bottom of the sea
under forty fathoms of water. The Kear-
sarge ran in close on arriving at the harbor
of Cherbourg, but did not come to anchor.
The French admiral came on board and re-
quested that no overt act be committed in
the friendly port, but that the conflict,
which all knew was a certainty, should take
place outside the three-mile init. The
Kearsarge steamed out of the harbor and
cruised up and down in the vicinity waiting
for an opportunity to get at the adversary.
This opportunity came on Sunday morning,
June 10, 1864. On that morning the Alabama
steamed out to meet them and so confident
of success was her commander that all the
preparations had been made for a banquet
that was to be held on shore to celebrate
their victory, which never came.
HOW THE FIGHT BEGAN
On seeing the Alabama approach Captain
Winslow put out to sea, for the double pur-
pose of getting outside the three-mile limit
and of being so far from port that should the
Alabama be disabled she would not be able
to get back to port and thus escape him.
Mr.. Sargent says that they were no less
confident of a victory than were the con-
federates, but the fortunes of war are I'M
certain and when the sanding of the decks
and other preparations for the conflict were
being carried on they caused solemn thoughts
to come to all. They all knew that the two
vessels were as evenly matched as 1t was
possible for them to be and that IL a victory
was to be won it must be by the superior
efforts of the crew of the Kearsarge.
AS an incident of the determination Of
the crew a fact may be cited that Mr.. Sar-
gent is confident has never yet appeared
in print. Fred Graham, one of his mess
mates, told him after the battle was over
that contrary to the regulations he had
taken Il revolver with him into the powder
magazine of which he had charge, and that
1t was his firm determination to blow up
the ship rather than have it fall into the
hands of the enemy in case the fortunes
of battle should go against them, In view of
the apparent equality of the contest they none
of them expected to come out of it With the
comparatively insignificant loss TINT they
actually suffered. Mr.. Sargent describes
as is told in another place in this issue.
The circles in which the ships Travelled
were at first about q mile in diameter, grad
ually growing smaller until they were not
more than half as large.
The men on board the Kcarsarge worked
their guns with the utmost GOODNESS and the
accuracy of their aim was evident by the
way the Alabama was riddled. When the
AltDulnu ITSl snONeu lHc Nlllt HuE u WAS
evident to those on board the Kearsarge that
she was sinking from the settling of the
stern, and great was their surprise when her
guns again opened fire on them,
ENEMY'S SHIP WAS SINKING.
The Alabama was then headed for the har-
Dor under sail. her engines being disabled,
The Kearsarge ran across her bows and the
confederRtes realized that the game was up
and a boat from her came alongside and said
she was sinking. The second cutter was
lowered and MIR, Sargent was put in COM
mand OF It, and they rescued a number OF
the Alabama's crew from the water, the yes
sci having gone down before the boat could
get alongside. Among those picked up was
the chief engineer, who had no clothing on
but his undergarmcnts Mr.. Sargent states
that the hills at Cherbourg were completely
covered with people who were anxious to see
the fight, and among the relies of the con-
fict which he has In his possession Is a
photograph of the fight taken from the blufs
surrounding the harbor.
Mr.. Sargent says that OF the twenty-siX
shots that struck the Kearsarge almost all
were in the rigging, and only one struck
where II could have possibly done any sc