The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-07-27
THE ALABAMA'S LAST FIGHT.
Famous Confederate Raider Was
Sunk 81 Years Ago.

For two years during the civil war
the Confederate privateer, Alabama,
was the terror of the merchant ships
bearing the United States flag. 1t
is estimated that she destroyed one
half of the American merchant ma
rine, up to that time second in ton
mage only to that of Great Britain
among the nations.
The Alabama was built at Birken-
head, England, by the Lairds, under
contract with the Confederate States,
at a cost of s25O,O00, and was sent
to sea in the spring of 1852 as No.
290, in spite of the protest of Charles
Francis Adams, United States minis
ter to Great Britain, against the sail
ing of the ship. The privateer sailed
to the Azores under command of a
British captain, and there was turn
ed over to Capt. Raphael Semmes
and twenty-four young naval officers
from the Confederacy. After her
armament, which had been sent to the
same rendezvous, had been placed
aboard the privateer ran up the Con
federate colors, took her name as or
dered by the Confederate government
and started out on her career as de-
etrovor If oommprce
The Alabama continued her work
of plundering and destroying United
States vessels until June II, 1854,
when she put into the harbor of
Cherbourg, France, for repairs. The
news Of her arrival spread over the
land, and soon Capt. John A. Wins
low, commander of the U. S. S. Kear-
sarge, then at Flushing, was ap-
prised of the fact. He sailed his
ship into Cherbourg harbor and out
again without coming to anchor, and
Semmes rightly construed this con-
duct as a challenge to combat. On
June 19 Semmes sailed out Of the
harbor to fight the Kearsarge, &C
companied by a French frigate to
a point beyond the territorial waters
of France. The Alabama had l49
men and eight guns to the 163 men
and seven guns of her antagonist, but
the metal carried by the Kearsarge
guns was heavier than that thrown
by the Alabama.
At a distance of seven miles from
the Cherbourg breakwater the Kear-
sarge made for the privateer, and
when within 1900 yards the Alabama
opened fire, the Kearsarge replying
with telling effect.
They fought for an hour, both YES
sells moving in a circle, and then the
Alabama, being at the mercy of her
opponent, displayed white flag. Re-
specting this, Winslow ceased firing,
but two minutes later the Alabama
fired two guns at the Kearsarge and
attempted an escape to neutral wa
ters, not more than three miles dis
tant. Winslow again opened fire, and
soon afterward a message came from
the Alabama announcing that she
surrendered and was sinking. An
English pleasure yacht, the Deer
hound, came near and was requested
by Winslow to aid in saving the crew
of the Alabama, which in twenty
minutes went to the bottom of the
sea. The Kearsarge rescued sixty
five of the crew, while the Deerhound
picked up Semmes, his officers and
a few marines and carried them away
from the lawful custody of Winslow
to England, where Semmes was re-
ceived with great honor. As a result
of the depredations of the Alabama
and other Confederate ships built in
England the British government
eventually paid.an indemnity of s15,-
100000 to Americans who had suf-
fered losses. Washington Post.