An Englishman's View of the Battle between the Alabama and the Kearsarge: An Account of the Naval Engagement in the British Channel, on Sunday June 19th, 1864Edge, Frederick Milnes
History
An Englishman's View of the Battle between the Alabama and the Kearsarge: An Account of the Naval Engagement in the British Channel, on Sunday June 19th, 1864
Edge, Frederick Milnes
Alabama (Screw sloop); Kearsarge (Sloop); United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Naval operations
Mr. Lancaster does not inform us why an English gentleman should choose a
Sunday morning, of all days in the week, to cruise about at an early hour
with ladies on board, nor does he supply the public with information as to
the movements of the Deerhound during the hour and a half which elapsed
between his exit from the harbour and the appearance of the Alabama. The
preceding paragraph, however, supplies the omission.
THE ENGAGEMENT.
At length the Alabama made her appearance in company with the Couronne,
the latter vessel conveying her outside the limit of French waters. Here
let me pay a tribute to the careful neutrality of the French authorities.
No sooner was the limit of jurisdiction reached, than the Couronne put
down her helm, and without any delay, steamed back into port, not even
lingering outside the breakwater to witness the fight. Curiosity, if not
worse, anchored the English vessel in handy vicinity to the combatants.
Her presence proved to be of much utility, for she picked up no less than
fourteen of the Alabama's officers, and among them the redoubtable Semmes
himself.
So soon as the Alabama was made out, the Kearsarge immediately headed
seaward and steamed off the coast, the object being to get a sufficient
distance from the land so as to obviate any possible infringement of
French jurisdiction; and, secondly, that in case of the battle going
against the Alabama, the latter could not retreat into port. When this was
accomplished, the Kearsarge was turned shortly round and steered
immediately for the Alabama, Captain Winslow desiring to get within close
range, as his guns were shotted with five-seconds shell. The interval
between the two vessels being reduced to a mile, or thereabouts, the
Alabama sheered and discharged a broadside, nearly a raking fire, at the
Kearsarge. More speed was given to the latter to shorten the distance, and
a slight sheer to prevent raking. The Alabama fired a second broadside and
part of a third while her antagonist was closing; and at the expiration of
ten or twelve minutes from the Alabama's opening shot, the Kearsarge
discharged her first broadside. The action henceforward continued in a
circle, the distance between the two vessels being about seven hundred
yards; this, at all events, is the opinion of the Federal commander and
his officers, for their guns were sighted at that range, and their shell
burst in and over the privateer. The speed of the two vessels during the
engagement did not exceed eight knots the hour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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