The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-28

seemed to be with the Federal ship. Within fifteen minutes after the first gun, the Alabama lodged an eight-inch shell near the rudder of the Kearsarge which failed to explode. and Is now shown in Washington as q trophy of taken from that fated ship. Had 1t exploded, 1t Is most probable that the Kearsarge would have been disabled in her steering apparatus and the re- suit of the battle reversed.
 But at length, the Alabama re- ceived her death blow. Her flag was lowered in token of defeat, but not be- ing seen by wtnslow, his ship contin- ued to Are. Who can withhold his ad- miration of the splendid discipline of the Alabama's crew? They stood to their posts until their guns were awash; until they, felt the snip sink ing under them. down to her ocean grave. and never blanched or moved until they received the last order ever issued from her Quarter-deck, All hands. save yourselves!
 "Semmes and his executive officer, Lieutenant Kell. were the last to leave her. Casting his sword Into the sea and quickly following 1t. he swan un- til rescued by . boat from the pleasure yacht Deerhound. owned by Mir. John l<duCdbLcEs An Efuk kitoh 8ohtAoMeht "hSs with his family, had witnessed the en- gagement from her deck. He had been severely wounded in the fight and was weak from the loss of blood. but the anguish of soul he must have endured when he saw his noble ship go down. is beyond human language to describe or mortal sympathy to assuage.
 "on board the Deerhoupd he and many of his officers and men were treated with the tenderest care and kindness, and were soon landed at Ply
 mouth. safe and free on the soil of England. The casualties of the Ala hama were nine killed. twenty wound ed, and twelve drowned: forty-one out of a crew of 140--or nearly 30 per cent. This devoted crew. with It's peerless commander, had lost the battle. and seen the ship. which for two years had been their only home. sink be-
 heath the waves: but they had saved their country's honor, as dear to them as to their brethren of the army at
 Franklin and the Wilderness. or at Charleston and Mobile. sa Touchfng Incident.
 There is beautiful and touching incident connected with the presence of the Deerhound on the csere of the battle that I must relate. Mir. Lan- caster, with his wife, children and tho governess of his only daughter. had been on summer cruise and had just put into Cherbourg when the Aiaban,p and the Kearsarge arrived. Rumors of the impending fight were in the air and soon ripened into certainty that 1t
 would take place on the 18th of June. At the breakfast table that morntnr- MT. Lancaster left 1t to a vote of the party as to whether or not they would steam out of the harbor and witness | kk k.
 votes in all to determine this ques- tion.
 Beginning with himself. he kept the tally-she until the sixth vote was recorded, showing three for and three against the proposition. He then cal'- ed on his little daughter. Catherine
 just 9 years of age. to break the dead- lock by her vote. Withont hesitation she decided the question in the afirm- ative, and thus 1t was that the Deer hound was near when the Alabarna sank and was the means of saving her commander and about fifty of his of ficers and men from drowning l have never learned her subsequent career.
 "If living, she Is now and well des serves to be a good and happy woman; if dead. and you seek, the companion-; ship of the true and good, you know where to find her. Wherever she is. or whatever her fate. in behalf of all son- erous hearts in this assemblage, Iwaft the tribute of love and gratitude to Catherine Lancaster.
 sFor this incident am indebted
 to my friend. Lieut.. Arthur Sinclair. who was an officer of the Alabama dur the vote of the darling little English girl. from whose lips he first heard the story. "After several months rest in Eng land as the guest of Mir Gladstone and other great men of that day. Semmes made his way to the Confederate States via Havana and Matamoras While In England, q great number of military and naval men, as we'll as distinguished statesmen, united in presenting him with a magnificent sword, to replace the one he had worn so gloriously and lost so nobiy. s
 ''Pass sing through Texas. he first re- alized how famous he had become among his own people. and with as- tonished delight he heard the rough riders of the Texas plains cheering the "Oid Pirate" with affectionate admira- tion and welcome. It is lovely trait in human nature, that when opprobri- ous epithets are unjustly applied. they become expressions of praise and honor in the mouths of the brave and gen. erous
 "Fie dallied not at home, but went at once to Richmond in search of act i've work in his eountry's defense. The Confederate states Congress created the office of Rear Admiral in the South ern Navy, and Semmes was the first to receive that rank and emblem of high naval command Most gloriously he had won the glittering prize and most gladly his grateful countrymen award- ed it to him.
 'fIe was assigned to the iron-clad fleet in James River and commanded it until the evacuation of Richmond, April 2. 1865. Forming the crews of his ships into a brigade of infantry he marched promptly to the army of Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina. too late to be of service. but in time to be included in It's surrender to Sher- man, which took place few days af- ter his arrival. Under the terms of Johnston's surrender, Semmes was pa- Yoled ana guaranteed the protection of the United States Government as long as he refrained from acts of hostility to 1t, and obeyed the laws in the place of his residence. He was very careful to have himself fully described in the parole as Rear Admiral of the Con- federate States Navy. serving tempo rarily in Johnston'g army as a Major General, so that there could be no mis- take or misunderstanding as to his identity.
 "The following winter he was ar- rested at his home in Mobile. conveyed under guard to Washington and there imprisoned under the charge of piracy. This was a fragrant violation of the terms of his parole, which he demon strated in a letter to PrF Sident John son so clear in its statement of facts