1TAVY, (J. S., OPERATIONS OF. 



573 



of the guns and other property which had been 

 surrendered. Thenceforth during the year 

 Mobile was effectually cut off from external 

 commerce. 



5. Mississippi Flotilla. The most important 

 operations of this squadron during the year 

 were undertaken in connection with Gen. 

 Banks' Red Eiver campaign in the spring, and 

 will be found described at length in the history 

 of the Army Operations. The vessels composing 

 the squadron were widely scattered over the 

 vast network of waters embraced by the Mis- 

 sissippi and its main affluents, and performed 

 much important patrol and convoy service, 

 besides undertaking minor expeditions on Va^h- 



ta. Arkansas, Black, and Yazoo Rivers. 



6. Potomac Flotilla. The duties assigned 

 to this department were chiefly in the nature 

 of police service, and included the arrest of the 

 contraband trade carried on across the Potomac 

 between Virginia and the lower counties of 

 Maryland, and an occasional cooperation with 

 military movements. 



Miscellaneous. In the course of the year, says 

 the Secretary of the Xavy, " the three English- 

 built piratical cruisers which, under the rebel 

 flag, have, during the last two years, roamed the 

 seas, robbing and destroying our merchantmen, 

 shunning all armed antagonists, and have found 

 refuge and protection, and too often supplies 

 and other assistance in neutral ports, have 

 terminated their predatory career." These were 

 the Alabama, the Florida, and the Georgia the 

 first sunk off Cherbourg by the Kearsarge, the 

 second captured in Bahia harbor by the Wa- 

 chusett, and the third captured at sea, off the 

 coast of Portugal, by the Niagara. Early in 

 June the Alabama, after a prosperous career 

 among the American merchantmen in the South- 

 ern Atlantic and Indian Oceans, returned to 

 northern waters and put into Cherbourg. The 

 Kearsarge, Captain John A. Winslow, then lying 

 at Flushing, immediately sailed for Cherbourg 

 to watch the movements of the Alabama ; and 

 on June 15th her commander received a note 

 from Captain Semmes of the privateer, an- 

 nouncing his intention to fight the Kearsarge, 

 and begging Capt. Winslow not to depart until 

 the two vessels could have an opportunity to 

 measure their strength. As this was precisely 

 what the Federal commander desired, he will- 

 ingly awaited the movements of his adversary. 

 The relative proportions and armaments of the 

 two antagonists were as follows- 



Alabama. Kearsarge. 



Length over all 220 fed 214} feet 



Lensth on -water line 210 " 198} " 



Beam 32 " 83 ' 



Depth 17 " 13 " 



Horse-power, two engines of. 300 each. 400 h, power 

 Tonnage 1,150 1,030 



Armament of the Alabama. One 7-inch Blakely riflo; 

 cne 8-inch smooth-bore 6S-pounder; six 32-pounders. 



Armament of the Kearsarge. Two 11 -inch smooth bore 

 guns ; one 30-pounder rifle ; four 82-pounders. 



The Kearsarge had twenty-two officers and 

 one hundred and forty men, and the Alabama, 

 so far as can be ascertained, about one hundred 



and forty officers and men, the greater part of 

 the ship's company consisting of British sub- 

 jects. Her gunners were trained artillerists 

 from the British practice-ship Excellent. Avail- 

 ing himself of an ingenious expedient for the 

 protection of his machinery, first adopted by 

 Admiral Farragut in running past the rebel 

 forts on the Mississippi in 1862, Capt. Winslow 

 had hung all his spare anchor-cable over the 

 midship section of the Kearsarge on either side ; 

 and in order to make the addition less unsight- 

 ly, the chains were boxed over with inch deal 

 boards, forming a sort of case, which stood out 

 at right angles to the side of the vessel. 



At twenty minutes past ten on Sunday morn- 

 ing, June 19th, the Alabama was seen standing 

 out from Cherbourg harbor, accompanied by 

 the French iron-clad Couronne, and followed 

 by the steam yacht Deerhound, whose owner, 

 an Englishman named Lancaster, was on board 

 with his family, ostensibly to witness the en- 

 gagement, but really, as it subsequently ap- 

 peared, to act as a tender to the Alabama. 

 Upon seeing the Alabama approach, Capt. ^Yin- 

 slow kept out to sea a few miles, in order " that 

 the positions of the ships should be so far off 

 shore that no questions could be advanced about 

 the line of jurisdiction." Upon reaching a 

 point about seven miles from the land the 

 Kearsarge put about, and steered directly for the 

 Alabama, which first opened fire at a range of 

 about a mile. The following account of the 

 fight that ensued is given by Capt. Winslow : 



Immediately I ordered more speed ; but in two 

 minutes the Alabama had again loaded, and fired an- 

 other broadside, and following it with a third, with- 

 out damaging us except in rigging. We had now ar- 

 rived within nine hundred yards of her, and I was 

 apprehensive that another broadside nearly raking 

 as it was, would prove disastrous. Accordingly I or- 

 dered the Kearsarge sheered and opened on the Ala- 

 bama. 



The positions of the vessels were now broadside 

 to broadside, but it was soon apparent that Capt. 

 Semmes did not seek close action. I became then fear- 

 ful lest, after some fighting, that he would again make 

 for the shore. To defeat this I determined to keep 

 full speed on, and with a port helm to run under the 

 stern of the Alabama, and rake, if he did not prevent 

 it by sheering and keeping bis broadside to us. He 

 adopted this mode as a preventive, and, as a con- 

 sequence, the Alabama was forced, with a full 

 head of steam, into a circular track during the en- 

 gagement. 



The effect of this manoeuvre was such that, at tte 

 last of the action, when the Alabama would have 

 made off, she was near five miles from the shore ; and 

 had the action continued from the first in parallel 

 lines, with her head in shore, the line of jurisdiction 

 would no doubt have been reached. 



The firing of the Alabama from the first was rapid 

 and wild ; toward the close of the action her firing 

 became better. Our men, who had been cautioned 

 against rapid firing without direct aim, were much 

 more deliberate ; and the instructions given to point 

 the heavy guns below rather than above the water 

 line, and clear the deck with the lighter ones, were 

 fully observed. I had endeavored with a port helm 

 to close in with the Alabama, but it was not until 

 just before the close of the action that we were in a 

 position to use grape; this was avoided, however, by 

 her surrender. The effect of the training of our men 

 was evident ; nearly every shot from our guns w 



