Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-03-24

the Alaban9, by the Kersarge. On
the Coast of France, Outside Of
Cherbourg Harbor, in 1854, In Each
of Which Conflicts Lieutenant
Hege Bore . Prominent Fart.
The lamentable and regretted death
OF the late Frank L. Hoge, Ensign in
the United States navy before the out
break of hostilities between the States,
and afterwards, and until the close Of
the war Lieutenant in the navy of
the Confederate States, recalls to the
writer two stirring scenes of the rebel
lion, in both of which the dead officer
borea prominentandd distinguished part.
The first was the cutting out and
capture of the United States ship I'm
derwriter, near New Berne, N. c., Feb
ruary Q, 1864, and the second the cap
ture and sinking of the Confederate
States privateer Alabama, of the
French port of Cherbourg, June IA,
1864. Both combats were of the most
desperate nature, and in neither was
there any reflection upon the valor
shown on either side.
The Underwater was a side-wheel
steamer of 81 tons, purchased by the
government for naval purposes in
1861, rendering much good service.
While lying near the mouths of the
Neuse and Trent rivers. not far from
New Berne, the Confederates deter
mined capture her by boarding in a
night attack, and Commander Wood. of
the Confederate navy, was selected as
the head of the expedition, with Lieu
tenants Hoge, Kerr, Porcher, Gardner,
Roby, Wilkinson and Gift, with Engi-
neer Gill. Midshipman Saunders, and
some minor officers, all veterans in SER
vice. General Pickett co-operated with
Commander Wood to the extent OF
making lano diversion to distract at
tentlon from the actual demonstration,
for which the force detailed were care
fully drilled and prepared, this work
extending over several days. At half
past eleven at night Commander Wood
and his force approached the ship, but
were early discovered and hailed, with
threat of shot, this being followed
by volley from small arms from those
on board the ship. The boarders push
ed on, in the face of this fire, and were
soon on board, where desperate bat
tie ensued upon the decks in the dark
ness, with heavy loss upon both sides
but the sailors of the Union were
worsted, and surrendered. With the
fact Of capture accomplished the I'm
ion batteries on the shore, three in
number, opened fire on the vessel,
and while Lieutenant Hoge responded
on the nearest battery the remainder
OF the force fired the ship and took to
their small boats, the vessel being
burned to the waters edge, and with
her were consumed the killed lying
upon her decks and many of lie
wounded.
The other action in which Lieuten-
ant Hoge bore conspicuous part was
of worldwide Importance, and its
fame was heralded around the globe.
This was the capture of the Alabama,
Confederate, by the Kersearge, Union.
The story has been told countless
times, and is worthy of the telling, for
it was gallant fight, not strictly be-
tween Americans, however, since a
majority of the crew of the Confeder-
ate privateer were English, the people
OF which country were then in warm
sympathy with the Confederate cause.
The Kersearge went into commits
sion January, 1862, and was at once
sent under command of Captain
Charles W. Pickering in search of the
Confederate privateer Sumpter. He
found her in the port of Algeciras, on
the African shore, across from Gibral-
tar. Captain Pickering cruised outside
until September 20, 1862, but the Stump
ter declined to come out. Then Cap
tain Pickering learned that the Ala
bama was off the Azores, playing ha-
voc with American merchantmen, and
he went after her, but the Alabama
had departed no one knew where, and
Captain Pickering returned to the
blockade of the Sumpter. The officers
of that vessel finally sold her, and the
game was up.
1t was two years later that the Ker-
SCARCE caught up with the Alabama,
the former then commanded by Cap
tain John A. Winslow, while the CON-
mander of the Alabama was Captain
Raphael Semmes. This was at the
port of Cherbourg, where Captain
Semmes had gone to refit and repair
Captain Winslow anchored his ship of
Cherbourg early in June, determined
to wait for his rival. Up to that time
the Alabama had avoided armed ships
but had captured and destroyed many
merchantmen, with a total loss esti-
mated at fifteen million dollars.
There was very little difference in
the two ships, the Kersarge being OF
1851 tons and the Alabama 1,15O. The
Alabama carried eight guns and the
Kersarge seven, but two of the latter
were of larger calibre than those of the
Alabama. The Kersarge had a crew
of 165 men, and the Alabama $50.
On June Ia Captain Semmes, deter
mined to fight, sent word to Captain
Winslow through the American con-
sui to wait a few days, until he could
complete reftting. He spent the ensu-
ing four days In completing his prepa-
rations, and aoout ten O'Clock Sunday
morning, June 10. 1854, the Alabama
appeared, attended by the French war
ship Couronne, the latter remaining
close at hand until Lae Confederate
vessel had passed the three mile limit
from shore and was on the high seas.
Near by was the English steam yacht
Deerhound, with some English friends
of Captain Semmes on board The
Kersarge steamed out until a distance
of seven miles from shore had been