Alabama v Kearsarge

290 Foundation 

VERBATIM 

 

  Painting by W.G, Mitchell

No account of the engagement between the Alabama and Kearsarge is more concise than the testimony of her Captain,  Raphael Semmes, acknowledged by everyone who knew him for his honesty. It is absent of any of the many conjectures or hypothesis put forward at a later date, or by those who might have a reason to attempt to discredit a great ship, its Captain and crew.

" Sir:-- I have the honor to inform you, that, in accordance with my intention as previously announced to you, I steamed out of the harbor of Cherbourg between nine and ten o'clock on the morning of the 19th of June, for the purpose of engaging the enemy's steamer Kearsarge, which had been lying off, and on the port, for several days previously. After clearing the harbor, we descried the enemy, with his head off shore, at the distance of about seven miles. We were three quarters of an hour in coming up with him. I had previously pivotted my guns to starboard, and made all preparations for engaging the enemy on that side. When within about a mile and a quarter of the enemy, he suddenly wheeled, and, bringing his head in shore, presented his starboard battery to me.

 By this time, we were distant about one mile from each other, when I opened on him with solid shot, to which he replied in a few minutes, and the action became active on both sides. The enemy now pressed his ship under a full head of steam, and to prevent our passing each other too speedily, and to keep our respective broadsides bearing, it became necessary to fight in a circle; the two ships steaming around a common centre, and preserving a distance from each other of from three quarters to half a mile. 

When we got within good shell range, we opened up on him with shell. Some ten or fifteen minutes after the commencement of the action, our spanker-gaff was shot away, and our ensign came down by the run. This was immediately replaced by another at the mizzen-masthead. The firing now became very hot, and the enemy's shot, and shell soon began to tell upon our hull, knocking down, killing, and disabling a number of men, at the same time, in different parts of the ship. Perceiving that our shell, though apparently exploding against the enemy's sides, were doing him but little damage, I returned to solid-shot firing, and from this time onward alternated with shot, and shell.

After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes, our ship was ascertained to be in a sinking condition, the enemy's shell having exploded in our side, and between decks, opening large apertures through which water rushed with great rapidity. For some few minutes I had hopes of being able to reach the French coast, for which I gave the ship all steam, and set such of the fore-and--aft sails as were available. The ship filled so rapidly, however, that before we had made much progress, the fires were extinguished in the furnaces, and we were evidently on the point of sinking. I now hauled down my colors, to prevent the further destruction of life, and dispatched a boat to inform the enemy of our condition. Although we were now but 400 yards from each other, the enemy fired upon me five times after my colors had been struck. 

It is charitable to suppose that a ship of war of a Christian nation could not have done this, intentionally. We now directed all our exertions toward saving the wounded, and such of the boys of the ship as were unable to swim. These were dispatched in my quarter-boats, the only boats remaining to me; the waist-boats having been torn to pieces. Some twenty minutes after my furnace-fires had been extinguished, and when the ship was on the point of settling, every man, in obedience to a previous order which had been given the crew, jumped overboard, and endeavored to save himself. There was no appearance of any boat coming to me from the enemy, until after my ship went down. Fortunately, however, the steam-yacht Deerhound, owned by a gentleman of Lancashire--Mr. John Lancaster--who was himself on board, steamed up in the midst of my drowning men and rescued a number of both Officers and men from the water. I was fortunate enough myself thus to escape to the shelter of the neutral flag, together with about forty others all told. About this time, the Kearsarge sent one, and then, tardily, another boat. 

Accompanying, you will find lists of the killed and wounded, and of those who were picked up by the Deerhound; the remainder, there is reason to hope, were picked up by her enemy and a couple of French pilot boats, which were also fortunately near the scene of action. At the end of the engagement, it was discovered by those of our officers who went alongside of the enemy's ship, with the wounded, that her mid-ship section, on both sides, was thoroughly iron-coated; this having been done with chains, constructed for the purpose, placed perpendicularly, form the rail to the water's edge, the whole covered over by a thin outer planking, which gave no indication of the armor beneath. 

This planking had been ripped off, in every direction, by our shot and shell, the chain broken, and indented in many places, and forced partly into the ship's side. She was effectually guarded, however, in this section, from penetration. The enemy was much damaged, in other parts, but to what extent it is now impossible to say. It is believed he is badly crippled. My officers and men behaved steadily and gallantly, and though they have lost their ship, they have not lost honor. Where all behaved so well, it would be invidious to particularize, but I cannot deny myself the pleasure of saying that Mr. Kell, my first lieutenant, deserves great credit for the fine condition in which the ship went into action, with regard to her battery, magazine and shell-rooms, and that he rendered me great assistance, by his coolness, and judgement, as the fight proceeded. The enemy was heavier than myself, both in ship, battery, and crew; but I did not know until the action was over, that she was also ironclad. Our total loss in killed and wounded, is 30, to wit: 9 killed, and 21 wounded."

            It is also useful to recall the content of John Lancaster's letter to the Times with subjoined extract from the log kept on board the Deerhound. Lancaster's account in reality differed little if any from Semmes; but his observations do confirm the unequal status of both combatants.

             'Sunday, June 10, 9 A.M. -- Got up steam and proceeded out of Cherbourg harbor. 10:30. -- Observed the Alabama steaming out of the harbor toward the Federal steamer Kearsarge. 11:10. -- The Alabama commenced firing with her starboard battery, the distance between the contending vessels being about one mile. The Kearsarge immediately replied with her starboard guns; a very sharp, spirited firing was then kept up, shot being sometimes varied by shells. In the manoeuvring both vessels made seven complete circles at a distance of from a quarter to a half a mile. At 12 a slight intermission was observed in the Alabama's firing, the Alabama making head sail and shaping her course for the land, distant about nine miles. At 12:30 observed the Alabama to be disabled and in a sinking state. We immediately made toward her, and on passing the Kearsarge were requested to assist in saving the Alabama's crew. At 12:50 when within a distance of 200 yards, the Alabama sank. We then lowered our two boats, and, with the assistance of the Alabama's whale boat and dingy, succeeded in saving about forty men, including Capt. Semmes and thirteen officers. At 1 P.M. we steered for Southampton.'
 

Many other accounts been written about the CSS Alabama’s final encounter with the USS Kearsarge and arguments persist arguments as to why the battle ended as it did, in the sinking of the Confederate ship. We now know that the Kearsarge's hull had extra armoured protection from a blanket of heavy iron chain; and that many of the shots fired from Alabama's guns fell short as a result of depleted powder; but there remains, one 'what if' factor that still generates much discussion and speculation by many. This of course is the third shot fired from the Alabama's forward 7-inch (178 mm) Blakely pivot rifle in the early stages of the battle. The 56 pound rifled shell is known to have struck a support beam, before lodging firmly in the Kearsarge’s vulnerable stern post, its impact binding the ship's rudder badly.

The Alabama’s shot however, failed to explode. Had it done so, the outcome of the battle might have been completely different. The resulting explosion would almost certainly have seriously disabled Kearsarge's steering and rendered her more vulnerable to attack, or at best, caused sufficient damage to sink the Union’s warship, and ended the contest there and then.

The preserved stern-post section with shell.

(Courtesy of the Navy Memorial Museum, Washington)