Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-13

ty-three vessels. One clipper ship he con-
yerted into a Confederate cruiser and
turned loose to prey upon American COM
merce. This vessel. the name of which
had been the Conrad. he rechristened the
Tuscaloosa
When his depredations in the Brazilian
field had started another squadron of
warships after him he turned east and
off Africa burned two American ships.
Then he went up into the China sea and
burned two American vessels I'm the
Straits of Sunda. His appearance in the
Tar east forced nearly all the American
vessels in Chinese waters to lay up.
1t is remarkable that the Alabama es-
capped capture in the Straits of Sunda.
The United States warship Wyoming was
not far distant when SemmeS burned the
ships there. but somehow the Wyoming
missed him.
The game In the far east was not worth
the candle. Semmes thought. and after
back and made for the. Cape of Good
Hope. From there he turned north to-
ward Europe. and after burning two yes
sells. the Tycoon and Rockingham. lie
anchored, June II. 1864. at Cherbourg.
France. In his cruise thus far he had
destroyed sixty-three ships.
The Alabama was in bad condition Her
engines needed overhauling. her bottom
was foul and the copper was dropping
from her hull in sheets. The arrival OF
the famous commerce destroyer created
great sensation in France. 1t created
another sensation that was not good for
Semmes In tie harbor OF Flushing was
the United States steamship Kearsarge
Capt. Winslow. The day after the Ala
bama arrived at Cherbourg the Kear-
sarge was hurrying from Flushing, Capt.
Winslow having received advices of the
arrival Of the priyateer On the 14th the
kearsarge appeared off Cherbourg, Can't
WinSlOw being careful not to 60 inside
as that would permit the Alabama when
she departed to have twenty-four hours
start
The Alabama was trihe smaller than
the kearsarge. but the two boats were
near enough in tonnage and armament
TO make them practically equal, and
Semmes was perfectly willing to fight
Promptly on the arrival of the Kearsarce
he announced his intention OF engaging
that vessel. and little after 10 O'Clock
on the morning of Sunday June 10. he
sailed out to battle.
Never. perhaps, was there a sea fight
more remarkable than that between the
Alabama and the Kearsarge. Special
trains brought thousands of sigltseers
from Paris and the country around, while
practically all the population of Cher
bourg gathered on the heights above the
town or in the upper stories of houses
comma nding view of the sea Dozens
of vessels We're crowded with persons
who wanted closer view of the contest
The French warship Couronne followed
lish yacht. the Deerhound, just behind
the Couronne.
The kearsarge was lying about seven
miles off shore, and when at 1870 the
two rivals We're within a mile OF each
other the Ala bama opened the battle with
a brOadsde. The two ships circled grad
ually drawing nearer and nearer. Seven
times they made the circle. The fire Of
the kearSarge was slower. but more eff
fective than that of the Alabama Early
in the action shell from the Alabama
struck the kearsarge in a vulnerable
spot. but failed to explode. The shells
of the Kearsarge did heavy execution
One entered the port of the Alabama
eight-inch gun and killed a portion of the
crew. Another entered the wardroom
where the surgeon was operating on a
wounded man. exploded and blew a hole
through the ship. For one hour and ten
minutes the two vessels fought. Then
wher the Alabama was sinking. Semmes
struck his colors
The Alabama Went down by the stern
a few minutes before she sank Semmes
hurled his sword into the sea and jumped
in himself. He was picked ND by the
people on the Deerhound. OF the officers
and crew of the Ala bama, nineteen were
killed in action or drowned and twenty
one wounded. In addition to Cant
Semmes the Deerhound picked M forty
one men. The rest were picked M by
the kearsarge and French pilot boat
That was the last Of the famous COM
merce destroyer. Semmes was taken 20
England and got welcome as il he
We're a conauering hero. After short
stay in London he proceeded to Mexico
made his way to the southern states
and was appointed rear admiral OF the
James river squadron. He guarded the
approaches to Richmond until the
evacuation and then went south sur
with Gen. Johnston's army.
When the war closed he practiced law
in Mobile. He was arrested December
lb, 1865, as traitor. but owing to the
President Johnson had
with Congress he was not tried In
May. 1866. he was elected probate judge
II Mobile. but the President nuilifed
his election. Next he edited a news
paper in Mobile. but gave this up TO
become a professor in the Military In
stitute of Louisiana Later he resumed
MS law practice in Mobile and in 1877
ne died.
In all the strange story of Semmes
and his two ships nothing is stranger
han this: Not long after the Alabama
sank in the ocean off Cherbourg mod
est freighter that once had been the
commerce destroyer SUM-
er came steaming along the coast or
France. She had been sold in Gibraltar.
urned back once more to the line ~
rade and now was known az the Glib
altar. As she steamed along up the
coast storm arose. The farther she
vent the heavier were the seas on
III erbourg, not far from where the
wreck Of the Alabama was lying, the
waves ineulfed her and she went to
he bottom to join her famous sister,
he most noted privateer the world has
ever known. The bones OF the Sumter
md the Alabama rest together or the
,ed of the sea off France.
.con. riri,t h. Iicha.a SriIlauul