ma's whale-boat and dingey, succeeded in saving about forty men, including Captain Semmes and thirteen officers. At one P.M., we steered for Southampton."

were saved in the Deerhound's boats; and when it was ascertained that the water was clear of every one that had life left, and that no more help could be rendered, the yacht steamed away for Cowes, and thence to this port.

The Kearsarge, it is known, has for some time past been in hot pursuit of the Alabama, which vessel Captain Winslow was determined to follow everywhere till he overtook his enemy. Very recently she chased and came up with one of the vessels of the Chinese expeditionary force returning to England, and ran alongside with her guns pointed and crew at quarters, before she could be convinced of her mistake, for the expeditionary vessel was very like the celebrated confeder

as likely to prove a formidable overmatch for the Alabama, having higher steam-power and rate of speed, a crew "nearly double" that under Captain Semmes, and, unlike her sister ship, the Tuscarora, carrying ten, instead of eight, very heavy eleven-inch shell guns, the so-called columbiads of the American navy. The Alabama, on the contray, is stated to have had only two heavy rifled guns and six broadside thirty-two pounders. The confederate, too, after a long cruise, was sorely in need of a refit. Part of her copper, it is said, was off, and her bottom was covered with long weeds.

One of the officers of the Alabama names the same hour, namely, ten minutes past eleven as the commencement of the action, and forty minutes past twelve as the period of its cessation, making its duration an hour and a half, while the time observed on board the Deerhound, which is most likely to be accurate, (that vessel being free from the excitement and confusion necessarily existing on board the Alabama,) limited the action to an hour, the last shot being fired at ten minutes past twelve. The distance between the two contending vessels, when the Alabama open-ate cruiser. The Kearsarge was then described ed fire, was estimated on board the Deerhound at about a mile, while the Alabama's officer tells me that she was a mile and a half away from the Kearsarge when she fired the first shot. Be this as it may, it is certain that the Alabama commenced the firing, and as it is known that her guns were pointed for a range of two thousand yards, and that the second shot she fired, in about half a minute after the first, went right into the Kearsarge, that may be taken as the real distance between the two ships. The firing became general from both vessels at the distance of a little under a mile, and was well sustained on both sides, Mr. Lancaster's impression being that at no time during the action were they less than a quarter of a mile from each other. Seven complete circles were made in the period over which the fight lasted. It was estimated on board the Deerhound that the Alabama fired in all about one hundred and fifty rounds, some single guns, and some in broadsides of three or four, and the Kearsarge about one hundred, the majority of which were eleven-inch shells; the Alabama's were principally Blakeley's pivot-guns. In the early part of the action, the relative firing was about three from the Alabama to one from the Kearsarge, but as it progressed, the latter gained the advantage, having apparently a much greater power of steam. She appeared to have an advantage over the Alabama of about three knots an hour, and steam was seen rushing out of her blow-pipe all through the action, while the Alabaina seemed to have very little steam on.

At length the Alabama's rudder was disabled by one of her opponent's heavy shells, and they hoisted sails, but it was soon reported to Captain Semmes by one of his officers that his ship was sinking. With great bravery, the guns were kept ported till they were actually under water, and the last shot from the doomed ship was fired as she was settling down. When her stern was completely under water, Captain Semmes gave orders for the men to save themselves as best they could, and every one jumped into the sea and swam to the boats which had put off to their rescue. Those of them who were wounded were ordered by Captain Semmes to be placed in the Alabama's boats and taken on board the KearSarge, which was, as far as possible, obeyed.

Captain Semmes, and those above mentioned,

The crew of the Alabama comprised in all about one hundred and fifty, when she left Cherbourg; of these, ten or twelve were killed during the action, and a number were known to be drowned, the difference between these and the number brought home by the Deerhound being, it is hoped, saved by the boats of the Kearsarge, or some French pilot-boats which were in the vicinity. The French war-vessel Couronne did not come out beyond three miles. The surgeon of the Alabama was an Englishman, and as nothing has been heard of him since he went below to dress the wounds of some of the sufferers, it is feared that he went down with the ship.

The wounded men on board the Deerhound were carefully attended to until her arrival here, when they were taken to the Sailors' Home, in the Canute road. Several of the men are more or less scarred, but they are all about the town to-day, and the only noticeable case is that of a man who was wounded in the groin, and that but slightly.

Captain Semmes and his First Lieutenant, Mr. J. M. Kill, are staying at Kelway's Hotel, in Queen's Terrace, where the gallant commander is under the care of Dr. Ware, a medical gentle man of this town, his right hand being slightly splintered by a shell.

When the men came on board the Deerhound, they had nothing on but their drawers and shirts, having been stripped to fight; and one of the men, with a sailor's devotedness, insisted on seeing his captain, who was then lying in Mr. Lancaster's cabin in a very exhausted state, as he had been intrusted by Captain Semmes with the ship's papers, and to no one else would he give them up. The men were all very anxious about their cap

tain, and were rejoiced to find that he had been saved. They appeared to be a set of first-rate fellows, and to act well together in perfect union under the most trying circumstances.

the Alabama, during the action, was shown by the gunners, who had been trained on board the Excellent, in Portsmouth harbor.

The spectacle presented during the combat is The captain of the forecastle on board the Ala- described by those who witnessed it from the bama, a Norwegian, says that when he was in Deerhound as magnificent, and thus the extraorthe water he was hailed by a boat from the Kear-nary career of the Alabama has come to a grand sarge, "Come here, old man, and we'll save you," and appropriate termination. to which he replied: "Never mind me, I can keep a half an hour yet; look after some who are nearer drowning than I am." He then made away for the Deerhound, thanking God that he was under English colors.

The presence of the Deerhound on the scene was a providential circumstance, as in all probability the men saved by her would otherwise have been drowned, and a lamentable addition would thus have been made to the number of lives lost on the occasion.

all other respects, the Kearsarge is a sister ship. The Tuscarora will be remembered as the Federal ship-of-war that some two years and a half ago lay at this port watching the Nashville; several of the Alabama's officers now here were attached to the Nashville on that occasion.

The Alabama's chronometers, specie, and all the bills of ransomed vessels are saved, having been handed over to a gentleman at Cherbourg before she left that port.

Throughout the action, the Deerhound kept about a mile to windward of the combatants, and Nothing is known here respecting the Kearwas enabled to witness the whole of it. The sarge, or her subsequent movements. She was Kearsarge was burning Newcastle coals, and the in command of Captain John Winslow, and had Alabama Welsh coals, the difference in the smoke about the same number of officers and crew as (the north country coal yielding so much more) the Alabama. The last official American navy enabling the movements of each ship to be dis-list describes her as one thousand and thirty-one tinctly traced. Mr. Lancaster is clearly of opin-tons register, and carrying eight guns, being two ion that it was the Kearsarge's eleven-inch shells guns less than the Tuscarora mounts, to which, in which gave her the advantage, and that, after what he has witnessed on this occasion, wooden ships stand no chance whatever against shells. Both vessels fired well into each other's hull, and the yards and masts were not much damaged. The mainmast of the Alabama had been struck by shot, and, as the vessel was sinking, broke off and fell into the sea, throwing some men who were in the maintop into the water. Some tremendous gaps were visible in the bulwarks of the Kearsarge, and it was believed that some of Mr. Mason, the confederate agent, Captain Bulher boats were disabled; she appeared to be tem-lock, and the Rev. Mr. Tremlett arrived by the porarily plated with iron chains, etc. As far as four o'clock train this afternoon, from London, could be seen, every thing appeared to be well and proceeded to Kelway's Hotel, to meet Capplanned and ready on board the Kearsarge for tain Semmes. the action. It was apparent that Captain Semmes Captain Semmes and all the men are now intended to fight at a long-range, and the fact placed under the care of Mr. J. Wiblin, for such that the Kearsarge did not reply till the two ves-medical attendance as may be required. sels got nearer together, showed that they preferred the short-range, and the superior steaming power of the latter enabled this to be accomplished. It is remarkable that no attempt was made were coming down to breakfast, an awful SunOn Sunday morning, just as all good people by the Kearsarge to close and board the Alabama, day morning's work was preparing within sight and when the Alabama hoisted sails and made of the British isles, if among these isles we may as if for the shore, the Kearsarge moved away in include the barren rock upon which a million has another direction, as though her rudder or screw been spent to make it a sentry-box to watch the was damaged and out of control. Great pluck was shown on both sides during the action. On about nine o'clock, there issued the Alabama, the port of Cherbourg. From the latter port, just board the Alabama all the hammocks were let ship that for two years has struck terror into the loose, and arrangements had been made for sink-heart of the most confident and almost the stronging her rather than that she should be captured. As far as is known, not a relic of the Alabama is in the possession of her successful rival. When she was sinking, Captain Semmes dropped his own sword into the sea, to prevent the possibility of its getting into their hands, and the gunner made a hole in one of the Alabama's boats, and sank her, for the same reason.

Before leaving the Deerhound, Captain Semmes presented to Mr. Lancaster's son one of his officers' swords and a pistol, in remembrance of the occerrence, and the kind treatment he and his

received on board the yacht. The men

the best practice generally on board

EDITORIAL FROM LONDON "TIMES."*

est naval power in the world. More than a hundred times over the very name of the Alabama, thundered through a speaking-trumpet, has brought down the rival flag as if by magic, and compelled the luckless crew to submit to the inglorious process of examination, surrender, spo-liation, and imprisonment, to see their ship plunchronometers and other valuables, the Alabama dered and sent to the bottom. In the shape of carried the spolia opima of a whole mercantile fleet. This time, however, it was not to order a merchantman to lie-to while his papers were examined

June 21, 1864.

that this scourge of the Federal navy came out of Cherbourg. It is not in our power to say why Captain Semmes, who has gained so much glory and so unquestionable a reputation for courage that he could afford to be prudent, came out with a ship just returned from a long voyage, and much in want of repair, to encounter a foe larger, better manned, better armed, provided, as it turned out, with some special contrivances for protection, and quite as likely to be as well handled as his own ship. For many months, we have heard of the Kearsarge as a foe worthy of the Alabama, should she have the luck to catch her; indeed, the Captain of the Kearsarge had assumed that if they met there could be only one possible result. Why, then, did not Captain Semmes see that this was an occasion for the exercise of that discretion or that ingenuity which the greatest generals have thought rather an addition to their fame? Did his prudence give way, as they say a brave man's courage will sometimes? Was he wearied with a warfare upon the defenceless? Did conscience or self-respect suggest that the destroyer of a hundred unarmed merchantmen had need to prove his courage and to redeem his name from piracy? It is simply said he had been challenged, and that he had accepted the challenge, not without some forecasts of the result. As an ordinary duellist hands his watch and his pocket-book to a friend, Captain Semmes sent on shore his sixty chronometers-the mementoes of so many easier conflicts-his money, and the bills of ransomed vessels. He then steamed nine miles out to sea, and entered into mortal combat with the enemy, first exchanging shots at the distance of little more than a mileout of all distance, our fathers would have called it; not so now.

of rescue took place off Cherbourg-the gradual sinking of the Alabama, the picking up of the drowning seamen, and the final departure of the Deerhound, with Captain Semmes, his surviving officers, and some of the crew. The men were all true to the last; they only ceased firing when the water came into the muzzles of their guns; and as they swam for life, all they cared for was that their commander should not fall into Federal hands. He reports that he owes his best men to the training they received on board the Excellent. To all appearance, the superiority of the Kearsarge lay partly in her guns, and, of course, somewhat in her more numerous crew, but not less in her more powerful machinery, which enabled her to move quicker and manœuvre more easily.

We are becoming accustomed to scenes that only four years ago would have been thought appalling, horrible, and portentous. Think of a quiet gentleman, with wife, niece, and family, perhaps governess and maid-servants, having witnessed at their ease, on Sunday morning, a fight, not between two cocks or two dogs, but two men-of-war, a few hours' sail from Southampton. In fact, they and the survivors of the ship destroyed were walking about Southampton and shopping on Monday morning. There appears to have been a very respectable allowance of killed, wounded, and missing; and among the latter is an English surgeon, who is supposed to have gone to the bottom in the midst of his bleeding patients. We shall know very shortly whether the chains hung outside the Kearsarge saved her men. To all appearance, they did not; and but for the melancholy fact that some of the Alabama's wounded must have gone down with her, the loss would probably have been As it happened, and as it frequently happens nearly the same on both sides. Is there not on such occasions, an English yacht was in the something ominous in such an encounter within harbor, and its owner, Mr. Lancaster, thought our own seas? Such a contest, so brief, so hard the view of one of the most important naval en- fought, and so decisive, is even more terrible gagements likely to occur in his time, was worth than the hand-to-hand tussle, and the mere game the risk of a stray shot. His wife, niece, and of fisticuffs that our old fleets used to indulge in family were on board; but, no doubt, they shared with a thousand pop-guns on either side. True, his interest in the spectacle. The firing began there was damage done at last, but sometimes just as we Londoners had got to the first lesson in very little damage to speak of; and a big ship the morning service. As the guns of the Ala- might receive many hundred shots only to have bama had been pointed for two thousand yards, the glory of showing the shot-holes to the popuand the second shot went right through the lace of Portsmouth. It is not so now. At the Kearsarge, that was probably the distance at first; distance of a mile, never less than a quarter of a and we are told the ships were never nearer than mile, a formidable ship, the terror of American a quarter of a mile. The Alabama fired quicker, commerce, well armed, well manned, well handin all, about one hundred and fifty rounds; the led, is sent to the bottom in an hour. Exactly an Kearsarge fired about one hundred, chiefly eleven-hour elapsed from the first shot to the moment inch shells. One of these shells broke the Ala- when it became obvious that the vessel was sinkbama's rudder and compelled her to hoist sail.ing, when, indeed, the rudder was broken, and By this time, however, after about an hour's the fires were put out. That is the pace at which work, the Alabama was sinking, and could only our naval engagements will be fought for the make the best of her way in the direction of future. In this instance the pace was all the Cherbourg. Pursuing our comparative chronology, this brings us to the beginning of the sermon; and it was at the very time that our congregations were listening, as well as they could, to the arguments or the eloquence of our preachers, that the very moving incidents of death and

quicker because the guns had start of the ships, the guns being the new artillery, the ships wooden, excepting the chains of the Kearsarge, if they constitute an exception. The next duel in the British Channel will probably be between two vessels of the Warrior class; and he must

be a bold man who can be sure that it will last as long as a Sunday morning service, or be less decisive than the last Sunday's.

LIVERPOOL "COURIER" ACCOUNT.

When the meagre telegrams from Cherbourg were received on Sunday night, stating that an engagement was reported to have taken place between the Alabama and the Kearsarge, and that the confederate vessel had been sunk, the statement was regarded as an idle rumor without the slightest foundation in fact. Indeed, Liverpool people were very reluctant to give credence to the report, and the baldness of the telegrams almost justified their rejection. The first impulse, therefore, was to regard the alleged fight as altogether mythical. But as people began to arrive in town for business yesterday morning, the second edition of the Daily Courier informed them that the Alabama and the Kearsarge had really met in stubborn conflict, that the confederate cruiser had proved unequal to her adversary in strength of hull and weight of armament, and that gallantly fighting until their vessel was half engulfed, Captain Semmes and the remnant of his crew were at length constrained to jump into the sea to avoid being carried to the bottom in their sinking craft.

The telegraph company's express from Southampton was to the following effect. It contains the account furnished to the newspapers by Mr. John Lancaster, of the steam-yacht Deerhound, which, by the way, is one of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club vessels:

Southampton, June twentieth.-The steamyacht Deerhound has arrived off Cowes with Captain Semmes and the crew of the confederate steamer Alabama. The following are the details of the engagement, which took place yesterday: "At half-past ten, the Alabama was observed steaming out of Cherbourg harbor toward the Federal steamer Kearsarge. At ten minutes past eleven, the Alabama commenced the action by firing with her starboard battery at a distance of about one mile. The Kearsarge also opened fire immediately with her starboard guns, and a sharp engagement, with rapid firing from both ships, was kept up, both shot and shell being discharged. In the manoeuvring, both vessels made seven complete circles at a distance of from a quarter to half a mile. At twelve o'clock, the firing from the Alabama was observed to slacken, and she appeared to be making head-sail and shaping her course for land, which was distant about nine miles. At half-past twelve, the confederate vessel was in a disabled and sinking state. The Deerhound immediately made toward her, and on passing the Kearsarge, was requested to assist in saving the crew of the Alabama. When the Deerhound was still at a distance of two hundred yards the Alabama sank, and the Deerhound then lowered her boats, and with the assistance of those from the sinking vessel, succeeded in saving about forty men, including Captain Semmes and thirteen officers.

"The Kearsarge was apparently very much disabled.

The naval duel between the Alabama and the Kearsarge is not one of the least brilliant incidents in the American war. Even prejudiced Federalists will not deny Captain Semmes credit for almost romantic gallantry in the struggle. He accepted a challenge from a far more powerful adversary; he knew his antagonist was in good repair and better armed, and he also knew that his own vessel was in a wretched state of dilapidation, the inevitable result of a world-wide cruise. Under such circumstances, it is no disgrace to Captain Semmes that he was worsted. Preponderance of force, not superior bravery or skill, was the cause of failure, and this was beyond his control. All persons may not be disposed to concur in the propriety of the mission in which Captain Semmes was employed, but "The Kearsarge's boats were lowered, and, after reading the account of Sunday's encounter, with the assistance of the French pilot, succeedthey must feel convinced that he is a chivalroused in picking up the remainder of the crew." officer, on whose fame the term "pirate" is a foul aspersion.

"The Alabama's loss in killed and wounded is as follows: Drowned, one officer and one man; killed, six men; wounded, one officer and sixteen men. Captain Semmes is slightly wounded in the hand.

Southampton, June twentieth.-From further particulars received here of yesterday's engage ment, it appears that Captain Semmes accepted the challenge of the Kearsarge to fight, although aware that his adversary carried fifty more men than his own vessel, and was a larger ship with heavier guns. Captain Semmes was not, however, aware that the Kearsarge was chain-plated under her outside planking. Shortly after the

The accounts of the fight are still somewhat meagre, but we must wait until some of those on board the vessels have had an opportunity of supplying the details. These will be looked forward to with considerable interest, and in the mean time the particulars which we are able to publish, will, no doubt, be eagerly read. The following telegrams were received at the Liver-action commenced, a shot from the Kearsarge pool underwriters' rooms from Lloyd's agent at Cherbourg :

Cherbourg, Sunday, ten minutes past twelve P.M.-The Alabama left this morning, and is now engaged with the Kearsarge. A brisk cannon ade is heard.

Forty minutes past one P.M.-The Kearsarge has just sunk the Alabama. An English yacht has saved the crew.

killed three men on board the Alabama, cutting them to pieces, and a second shot wounded three more men and killed another, while a third shot carried away the blade of the Alabama's fan and part of the rudder, on her deck disabling a gun, and causing much damage below and forward. Her compartments were all carried away, and the fire-room was filled with water.

The Alabama fought under sail, first using her

THE ALABAMA AND THE KEARSARGE.

To the Editor of the Times:

SIR: I send herewith a copy of the official report of Captain Semmes of his late engagement with the United States ship Kearsarge, which you may, perhaps, think worthy a place in your

Another account from Southampton says the Kearsarge had a chain-cable triced along her sides to break the force of the Alabama's shot. The Alabama was almost one thousand yards from the Kearsarge when she fired the first shot at half-past ten; being the fastest ship, she was able to steam round her antagonist in continually inaccuracies in the letter of your correspondent, I avail myself of the occasion to note one or two narrowing circles, but when within five hundred dated at Southampton on Monday, and published yards of the Kearsarge the rudder and screw of in the Times of Tuesday. The crew of the Alathe Alabama were shot away and she was ren-bama is there stated at one hundred and fifty dered helpless. Her colors were shot away.

Again, as to her armament; that of the KearSIR: Herewith I send you a copy of my log sarge may be correctly given by your correspondrespecting the engagement between the confede-ent. I do not know what it was. rate steamer Alabama and the federal steamer Kearsarge:

ma had one seven-inch Blakeley rifled gun, one
eight-inch smooth-bore pivot-gun, and six thirty-
two-pounders, smooth-bore, in broadside.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
J. M. MASON.
servant,

24 UPPER SEYMOUR STREET, June 22.

"SOUTHAMPTON, June 21, 1864. "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 nineteenth of June, for the purpose of engaging the enemy's steamer Kearsarge, which had been lying off and on the port for sev