1«95.] J 1" [Potts. 



wrote to ]iim for advice and instructions, in the new and trying situation 

 they found tlie rebellion liad placed them. The mass of correspondence 

 alone, without mentioning the other work which this situation occasioned, 

 18 evidenced by a simple statement of the fact. The following interest- 

 ing letter to Mr. Dudley from Captain Winslow, of the Kearsarge, 

 describing the combat with" the Alabama, was a fulfillment of the hopes 

 of the little band of patriots resident in Liverpool, as well as of the 

 American people. The engagement took place on June the 19th : 



"U.S. Kearsarge, Cherbour, June 24, '64. 



" JJy Dear Sir : — Your letter conveying congratulations with many of 

 the same kind has been received. I thank you in behalf of my crew and 

 officers, for this evidence of the estimate you put upon the destruction of 

 the Alabama. I think you will ere this reaches you find full particulars 

 in the Daily News as Morse and the London Legation have written for 

 them and a Herald correspondent has been on board. 



"You know I could not challenge the Alabama without violating 

 orders. I however got one from Semmes to wait until he was read}' (a 

 quite unnecessary request since he knew that was my business). The 

 Kearsarge carried into action 160 men, 7 guns, 2 Dahlgren's eleven inch, 

 1 light rifle twenty eight pounder and four thirty-twos. The Alabama 

 had eight, one more than the Kearsarge, consisting of 100 pounder rifle and 

 heavy sixty-eight ditto, six thirty-two pounder guns. The Alabama had 

 the coal bunkers filled, the Kearsarge was partly empty and her sides for 

 twenty feet opposite the bunkers were hung with chains, stopped to eye 

 bolts. This was done on board and the cliains belonged to the sheet 

 anchors and were put there as a sort of protection when the bunkers 

 were out of coal. 



" The Kearsarge steamed several miles seaward to prevent the Alabama's 

 getting back and dispose of all questions of jurisdiction. Turning she 

 started for close quarters with the Alabama and coming down received 

 three broadsides of the Alabama, nearly raking [her] which it was neces- 

 sary to get, to close in with her. No shot came on deck from this firing. 

 The action lasted one hour and two minutes, when [the] Alabama struck, 

 and it was well for her, for she would have been most destructively 

 raked. 



" The Kearsarge had some 28 or 29 shot above and below, some 5 or 6 

 aft mainmast which were the best two shells in her chains on the side 

 which were of no importance. One shot of 100 lbs, in her stern post 

 remaining (bad shot this). The Deerhound ran oflTwith prisoners, which 

 I could not believe any cur dog could have been guilty of under the cir- 

 cumstances, hence I did not open on him. 



"We landed of Alabama, G3 men, 3 dead, 17 wounded. Have 5 ofli- 

 cers prisoners. 



" All twaddle about Alabama's firing going down. The vessel they 

 say was a slaughter house, and when some of the men ran aft to prevent 



