Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-01


the grandcst feat in modern sea fighting
and then ended her career like Il common
merchantman-goinc down upon "A reef.
At the time of the Washington encamp-
ment of the Grand Army the Kearsarge
was on exhibition in the Potomac. At
indianapolis, in 1898. they had u counter
felt Kearsnrge, AID writing of that event
] suggested that the original he laid up
permanently az naval museum, But
now ~ is too late.
On Sunday June 10, ! 1874. the Kear-
sarge lay in the river Scheldt, Holland,
when a telegram from Paris arrived stat
ing that the notorious Confederate cruiser
Alabama w8s at the port of Cherbourg,
France. From that moment the commerce
destroyer was a doomed ship. The Kear-
sarge bounded her remorsclessly until she
was beneath the waves. One can fancy
the grim captain of the Yankee ship say
ing to himself, morning noon and night :
"You Internal sea devil, the day of reck-
oning is at hand. You have driven half
our merchant men TO The flag Of an alien;
the lights OF your burning prizes have
made blazing pathway through the heav-
ems from the orient to the shutdown seas
No more of this until you have put my
ship under water. and, by the shades of
Lawrence Hull and Decatur, that boast
shall never be yours.
Orders were given at once to sail, an
announcement which the crow received
with cheers. The vessel reached Cher
bour0 on Tuesday, and the Alabama was
seen lying behind the hreakwatcr in the
harbor. The kearsarge drew near enough
10 look her over and then set up cease
less watch over her. On Wednesday word
came to the Kearsarge that the Ala
bama would fight. Captain Winslow dis
cussed the matter with his officers and re-
solved to accept the challenge. The ship
was put in order for battle. Thursday
passed, and Friday, and no Ala bama APP
peared, The French pilots who came out
of the port told the people OF the Kear-
sarge that the Alabama was preparing.
On Saturday the Yankees began to think
there would he no fight but that night, at
n banquet among sympathizing friends.
Captain Semmes of the Ala bama declared
positively that he would 90 out next day
-Sunday-and "sink the Yankee ship or
gain a new corsair.
The Alabama was built especially for
the Confederate service and was a ship
for speed rather than for battle. She car
ried eight guns-one 100 FOUNDER pivot
forward, and two 8 inch solid shot pivot
guns aft and six 30 Founders in broadside.
Her crew nun bered 30 officers and men.
Semmes was an old officer Of the regular
United States navy. The executive officer
of the ship, Mcintosh kell was also n vet
eran Of 20 years experience in the United
States navy. The crew was II composite
ono, including many English and Ameri-
cans. 1t had been the custom of the Ala
bama during her first captures to put all
the prise ers, including the officers, in
irons After many protests that was aban-
doned unless the prisoners were so nlmer-
ous as to be dangerous But the reputa-
ton chung TO her, and she was bitterly
hated by the Union seamen. After giving
orders to sail ont in search Of the kear-
sarge. Semmes made speech to his crew,
standing upon n gun carriage, with the
kearsarge in full view. Said he:
"OfiCers and seamen of the Alabama
you have at length another opportunity
Of meeting the cnemy-the first that has
been presented to you since you sank the
Hatteras. In the meantime you have been
all over the world, and it is not too much
TO say that you have destroyed and driv-
en- for protection under neutral flags one
half of the enemy's commerce which. at
the beginning of the war, covered every
sen. This is an achievement of which you
may well be prouda and II grateful coun-
try will not he unmindful of it, The name
of your ship has become "A household
word wherever civilization stands. Shall
that name be furnished by defeat? The
thing is impossible! Remember that you
are in the English channel, the theater OF