REBEL PRIVATEERS—THE ALABAMA, THE FLORIDA, AND THE SHENANDOAH.
On the 19th of June, 1864, the steamship Alabama, a rebel privateer, built, equipped, and manned in Great Britain, but commanded by a Confederate officer, was brought to bay in the harbor of Cherbourg, France, by the United States sloop-of-war Kearsarge, Captain Winslow. For nearly two years the Alabama had been roaming the seas unmolested, avoiding a conflict with United States vessels of war on numerous occasions where opportunities were offered to meet an antagonist on equal terms, but committing serious depredations among merchant vessels, destroying property of the value of nearly ten millions of dollars. For these acts her commander, Captain Semmes, was feted and lauded by leading English journals and merchants as a hero. The Alabama was launched, armed and delivered to her Confederate commander in British waters, with the full knowledge of the government authorities, and in face of the protest of Mr. Adams, the American Minister at the Court of St. James. Her crew were nearly to a man British subjects, recruited in British ports, and her gunners were trained in Her Majesty’s practice-ship Excellent. Her battery consisted of eight guns—one one-hundred-pounder rifle, one sixty-eight-pounder rifle, and six thirty-two-pounders. She was rated as a third-class sloop-of-war, and was considered a model of beauty and speed. Her commander and crew were received with warm welcome and flattering honors at numerous British and French ports, and every facility afforded the vessel for supplies and repairs. Great anxiety was felt and expressed among naval officers of England and France, that Captain Semmes should avail himself of one of the many opportunities afforded of meeting a Federal cruiser of equal power in fair and honorable combat. This test of skill and courage was carefully avoided by the Confederate commander, till on the date above named, after submitting to a blockade of five days in the harbor of Cherbourg by the United States sloop-of-war Kearsage, a vessel of equal armament and tonnage, Captain Semmes, seeing there was no escape, reluctantly assented to the combat.
The battery of the Kearsarge consisted of seven guns—two eleven-inch Dahlgrens, throwing shell or shot of one hundred and thirty-eight pounds, four thirty-two-pounders, and one twenty-eight-pounder rifle.
The conflict took place within sight of the harbor of Cherbourg, and was witnessed by thousands of the inhabitants. At twenty minutes past ten A. M., Sunday, June 19, the Alabama was discovered standing out, accompanied by a French iron-clad steamer. When the Alabama was descried the Kearsarge was about three miles from the entrance of the harbor, and to avoid any question as to the line of jurisdiction, as well as to draw the Alabama off shore, so that if disabled she could not flee in for protection, the Kearsarge stood to seaward until she had attained the distance of about seven miles from the shore. At fifty minutes past ten she came quick about and approached the Alabama, and at fifty-seven minutes past ten the Alabama commenced the action with her starboard broadside at one thousand yards’ range. At eleven the fire was returned by the Kearsarge, and the vessels came fairly into action at about nine hundred yards’ distance.
Captain Winslow says it was soon apparent that Semmes did not seek close action, and fears were entertained that after some fighting he would make for the shore. To defeat this Captain Winslow determined to keep full steam on, run under the stern of the Alabama, and rake; but the Alabama, by sheering and keeping her broadside to the Kearsarge, was forced with a full head of steam into a circular track.
On the seventh rotation the Alabama headed for the shore, disabled and at the mercy of the Kearsarge. A few well directed shots brought down her flag, a white one was displayed, and the fire of the Kearsarge was reserved. In about two minutes the Alabama again opened fire. The Kearsarge replied, steamed ahead and laid across the bows of the Alabama for raking. The fire of the Kearsarge being again reserved, boats were lowered and an officer in one of them came alongside at ten minutes past twelve o’clock and surrendered the Alabama. Six officers and sixty-four men were brought on board the Kearsarge. At ten minutes past three o’clock the Kearsarge let go her anchor in seven fathoms water.
In an engagement of one hour and ten minutes, the great superiority of the American vessel and gunnery was evinced, and the British corsair struck her colors while in a sinking condition, and went down in the waves of the British channel. The crew of the Alabama had suffered serious loss in the combat, and the wounded were engulfed with the vessel, while some eighty or ninety of the survivors, among whom was Captain Semmes, were left struggling in the waves.
The Alabama was accompanied from Cherbourg by an English private yacht, the Deerhound, owned and sailed by Mr. John Lancaster, a warm friend and sympathizer with Semmes. When the Alabama lowered her flag the boats of the Kearsarge were immediately put out to save the survivors, and Captain Winslow signalled to the yacht and two French pilot boats to assist in this work of humanity. Lancaster picked up Semmes and several others of the officers and crew, and, regardless of the neutrality of his country, steamed off to Cowes, and set them at liberty. One hundred and fifteen of the crew reached the shores of England and France.
The Alabama is reported to have discharged three hundred and seventy or more shot and shell in this engagement, but inflicted no serious damage on the Kearsarge. Thirteen or fourteen took effect in and about the hull, and sixteen or seventeen about the masts and rigging.
The Kearsarge fired one hundred and seventy-three projectiles, of which one alone killed and wounded eighteen of the crew of the Alabama, and disabled one of her guns.
Three persons were wounded on the Kearsarge.
The rebel privateer Florida was captured in the port of Bahia, Brazil, on the 7th of October, 1864, by the United States war-steamer Wachusett, Captain N. Collins. The particulars of that capture may be briefly detailed.
The Florida arrived at Bahia on the night of the 6th of October. Bahia is in the bay of San Salvador, on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, eight hundred miles northeast from Rio Janeiro. The Florida came there to get coal and provisions, and to repair her engine. Mr. Wilson, U. S. Consul at Bahia, protested to the Brazilian Government against the Florida’s admission to the port, and asked that a penalty should be exacted from her for burning a United States vessel within Brazilian waters, near the Island of Fernando de Norenha. The Government answered the protest respectfully, but decreed that the Florida was rightfully in a neutral port. The Wachusett was also in port at that time. Captain Collins challenged the Florida to go out and fight, but the challenge was declined. Thereupon he determined to capture the rebel steamer and carry her away. This design was put into execution on the night of October 7th, at which time Captain Morris, of the Florida, and many of the crew were on shore. The Wachusett ran into the Florida, striking her on the quarter, and at the same time carrying away her mizen-mast and mainyard. Little or no resistance was offered to the capture. A hawser from the Wachusett was made fast to the Florida, and so the latter was towed to sea. Twelve officers and fifty-eight seamen were captured with her.
From Bahia she was taken to St. Thomas, where several of the prisoners were transferred to the U. S. sloop-of-war Kearsarge, Captain Winslow, for transportation to Boston. The Florida, meanwhile, furnished with a crew of loyal Americans, sailed from St. Thomas to Fortress Monroe, where, on the 28th of the same month, she was accidentally run into by an army transport, and sunk in nine fathoms of water.
The Florida was built in England for the Italian Government—it was said—but was purchased by rebel agents in Liverpool, and surreptitiously sent to sea in the rebel service in March, 1862. She was about seven hundred and fifty tons burthen, carrying three masts and two smoke stacks.
The most formidable, and also the most destructive of all the rebel privateers during the rebellion, was an iron-clad steamer of great speed, known as the Shenandoah, built and fitted out for the rebels in a British port. She was more than a match for the majority of American war-vessels, and roamed the ocean undisputed, at one time destroying the whaling and fishing vessels by scores in the North Atlantic, and again intercepting the richly laden China and India merchant vessels, carrying on her devastation for months after the surrender of the rebel armies, and the destruction of all semblance of a Confederate government. She was finally surrendered by her commander to the British authorities and delivered to the United States Consul at Liverpool in November, 1865.