The Confederate Captain’s Report Ends

Today’s installment concludes The USS Kearsarge Versus the CSS Alabama,
the name of our combined selection from John Ancrum Winslow and Raphael Semmes. The concluding installment, by Raphael Semmes is from his Official Report.

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Previously in The USS Kearsarge Versus the CSS Alabama.

Time: June 19, 1864
Place: English Channel off Cherborg, France

Captain Semmes had great confidence in the power of his Blakeley rifled gun, and we believe it is a confidence not shaken by its failure to win the day for him. He wished to get within easy range of his enemy, that he might try this weapon effectively; but any attempt on his part to come to closer quarters was construed by the Kearsarge as a design to bring the engagement between the ships to a hand-to-hand conflict between the men. Having the speed, she chose her distance, and made all thought of boarding hopeless. It was part of the plan of Captain Semmes to board, if possible, at some period of the day, supposing that he could not quickly decide the battle with artillery. It was evidently Captain Winslow’s determination to avoid the old-fashioned form of a naval encounter, and to fight altogether in the new style; his superior steam-power gave him the option. When the Alabama took her death-wound she was helpless.

The crew of the Alabama, seamen and officers, were in high spirits throughout the engagement, though very early the slaughter set in and the decks were covered with blood. Their fire was rapid and admirable. It has been said in the House of Lords by no less a person than the Duke of Somerset that her firing was positively bad and that she hit the Kearsarge only three times during the action. By Captain Winslow’s own admission the Kearsarge was hit twenty-eight times by shot and shell —- or once to every fifth discharge. No seaman knowing anything of an actual engagement on the deep will object to the accuracy of such an aim. Had the Kearsarge shown the same blank sides as the Alabama another tale might have been told. Captain Semmes, however, perceived that his shell rebounded after striking her, and exploded harmlessly. This led him to rely upon solid shot. The Alabama, not being thus or in any way shielded, was pierced with shell, and soon showed vast rents in her afterpart. Her pivot-gun was a distinct mark for the enemy, and a single shell exploding near it killed and wounded half the number of men by whom it was worked. Each ship fought her starboard broad side and steamed in a circle to keep that side to the enemy. So for an hour this, to a distant spectator, monotonous maneuver continued, without perceptibly narrowing the range. Captain Semmes was standing on the quarter-deck when the chief engineer sent word to say that the ship was endangered by leakage. The first lieutenant, Mr. Kell, was sent below to inspect the dam age. He returned with word that the ship was sinking. Captain Semmes at once ordered the ship to be put about and steered toward shore. But the water was rising in her: the fires were speedily extinguished. The Alabama’s shot, from slackening, had now ceased. It was evident to all on board that she was doomed. Captain Semmes’s thoughts were directed toward saving the lives of his crew. He gave command for the Confederate flag to be hauled down. The flag came down quietly and decorously. All on board perceived that there was no help for it, and that it would be a shocking breach of humanity to imperil the lives of the wounded men.

The general detestation of the Yankee was yet more strongly instanced when the men were struggling for life in the water. The head of every man was pointed away, as if instinctively, from the vessel that stood nearest to rescue him. One who was hailed from the Kearsarge with the offer of a rescue, declined it civilly, and made his way for the neutral flag. The men swam as if they had still an enemy behind them, and not one that was ready to save. Tardy as were the boats of the Kearsarge in descending to perform this office, they found many of the poor fellows still pain fully supporting themselves above the surface. Of these, both men and officers, when, after being hauled into the boats, they had dashed the blinding salt water from their eyes and discovered among whom they were, many sprang overboard again, prefer ring any risk to the shelter of the Federalists. Hatred to the flag of the old Union and love of their Captain appear to have been their chief active passions. When taken on board the Deerhound, the question as to the safety of Captain Semmes was foremost in every mouth.

Captain Semmes asserts that shots were fired at the Alabama after the signal of surrender. We will not attempt to substantiate a charge like this: but French officers maintain it to be an un deniable fact that, after the Confederate flag had been lowered, the Kearsarge fired no less than five shots into her. We believe that Captain Winslow does not deny the charge; but asserts that he was unaware of the act of surrender.

The master’s mate of the Alabama, Mr. Fullam, was dispatched in the dingey to the Kearsarge with a request that assistance might immediately be given in rescuing the lives of the wounded men. During Mr. Fullam’s absence the Alabama had gone down stern foremost. All the wounded had been stretched in the whale-boat for transmission to the Kearsarge. The surgeon of the Alabama, an Englishman, Mr. David Herbert Llewellyn, was offered a place in this boat. He refused it, saying that he would not imperil the wounded men, and he sank with the Alabama. The rest of the crew, with their captain, were already in the waves. Mr. Lancaster meantime had steamed up to the Kearsarge, requesting permission to assist in saving life, and he was soon among them, throwing lines from the yacht, and picking up many exhausted men in his boats. The loss of men by drowning was nineteen, including an officer (Mr. Llewellyn), carpenter, and assistant engineer. The loss in killed or wounded was twenty-eight, of whom seven were killed. Not a wrack of the Alabama was secured by the victors in this memorable sea fight. The captain and his officers dropped their swords into the deep; the men drove their oars into the bottoms of the boats. Not a man who was able to support himself in the water swam toward the Kearsarge.

This ends our selections on The USS Kearsarge Versus the CSS Alabama by two of the most important authorities of this topic:

• The Official Report by John Ancrum Winslow captain of the Kearsarge.
• The Official Report by Raphael Semmes captain of the Alabama.

John Ancrum Winslow began here. Raphael Semmes began here.

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