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1864.

PEOPLE OF ATLANTA REMOVED.

will be studied as an example in the art of war. At this stage of our game, our enemies, dissatisfied with their old and skilful commander, selected one more bold and rash. New tactics were adopted. Hood first boldly and rapidly, on the 20th of July, fell on our right at Peachtree Creek, and lost. Again, on the 22d, he struck our extreme left, and was severely punished; and finally again, on the 28th, he repeated the attempt on our right, and that time must have been satisfied, for since that date he has remained on the defensive. We slowly and gradually drew our lines from Atlanta, feeling for the railroads which supplied the rebel army and made Atlanta a place of importance. We must concede to our enemy that he met these efforts patiently and skilfully, but at last he made the mistake we had waited for so long, and sent his cavalry to our rear, far beyond the reach of recall. Instantly our cavalry was on his only remaining road, and we followed quickly with our principal army, and Atlanta fell into our possession as the fruit of well concerted measures, backed by a brave and confident army. This completed the grand task which had been assigned us by our government, and your general again repeats his personal and official thanks to all the officers and men composing this army, for the indomitable courage and perseverance which alone could give success. We have beaten our enemy on every ground he has chosen, and have wrested from him his own Gate City, where were located his foundries, arsenals, and workshops, deemed secure

475

on account of their distance from our base, and the seemingly impregnable obstacles supervening. Nothing is impossible to an army like this, deter mined to vindicate a government which has rights wherever our flag has once floated, and is resolved to maintain them at any and all costs."

Gen. Sherman, in view of the exigencies of the case, determined to remove the citizens of Atlanta, and garrison it strictly as a military post. Situated in the heart of the enemy's country, and valuable only as a base of further operations, he could not consent that it should be occupied by a doubtful or disaffected population, composed largely of families many of whose members were in the rebel service. He accord ingly announced to Gen. Hood his in tention of removing the remaining in habitants, offering to them the choice of going North or South; and in order to give them the opportunity of doing so, he proposed a cessation of hostilities for ten days. Servants or negro slaves allowed, if they wished to do so, to accompany their masters or mistresses; otherwise, to be sent away or employed by the quartermaster. Hood accepted the proposition as a matter of necessity, but protested, “in the name of the God of humanity, against the expulsion of the people of Atlanta from their firesides," declaring, while he agreed to the truce, that Gen. Sherman's purpose 66 transcended the studied and ungenerous cruelty of acts ever before brought to the attention of mankind, even in the darkest history of war."

were to be

Sherman, whose pen had a point to

1864.

it quite equal in its way to that of his sword, replied to Hood, under date of September 10th. The whole letter is worth reading; we give only a single extract: "In the name of common sense, I ask you not to appeal to a just God in such a sacrilegious manner you who, in the midst of peace and prosperity, have plunged a nation into civil war, 'dark and cruel war,' who dared and badgered us to battle, insulted our flag, seized our arsenals and forts that were left in the honorable custody of a peaceful ordnance serjeant, seized and made prisoners of war the very garrisons sent to protect your people against negroes and Indians, long before any overt act was committed by the (to you) hateful Lincoln government, tried to force Kentucky and Missouri into the rebellion in spite of themselves, falsified the vote of Louisiana, turned loose your privateers to plunder unarmed ships, expelled Union families by the thousand, burned their houses, and declared by act of your Congress the confisca tion of all debts due northern men for goods had and received. Talk thus to the marines, but not to me, who have seen these things, and who will this day make as much sacrifice for the peace and honor of the South, as the best born Southerner among you. If we must be enemies, let us be men, and fight it out as we propose to-day, and not deal in such hypocritical appeals to God and humanity. God will judge us in due time, and He will pronounce whether it be more humane to fight with a town full of women and the families of a brave people' at our back,

or to remove them in time to places of safety among their own friends and people."

The city authorities of Atlanta also made an appeal to Gen. Sherman; but his purpose was fixed, and in his reply to Mayor Calhoun he reiterated some home truths for the benefit of the insurgents generally. Transportation was furnished south as far as Rough and Ready, and north as far as Chattanooga. Great complaints were made of cruelty to the exiles, and that they had been "robbed of everything before being sent into the rebel lines," which complaints were distinctly and pointedly denounced by Gen. Sherman as with out any foundation. Atlanta was henceforth occupied simply and exclusively for warlike purposes, in accord ance with Sherman's order of September 14th.

It may be noted here, that, at the end of May, the notorious raider, J. H. Morgan, with his guerrillas, some 2,000 or 3,000 in number, invaded Kentucky. Passing through Pound Gap, he moved on, robbing wherever he could, and destroying railroads and bridges as much as possible. Hobson, at Cynthiana, was captured, June 11th, with 1,600 men; but Gen. Burbridge, who was in pursuit, came upon Morgan at Cynthiana and routed him completely. Morgan escaped, with a part of his fol lowers, into Tennessee; but at the beginning of September, he was surprised at Greenville by Union troops under Gen. Gillem, and in attempting to get away Morgan was killed, and his guerrilla career brought to an inglorious end.

CH. XIV.]

THE REBEL PRIVATEER ALABAMA.

477

CHAPTER XIV.

1864.

NAVAL OPERATIONS: KEARSARGE AND ALABAMA: FARRAGUT AND MOBILE BAY.

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The famous cruiser "290" or Alabama - Her career of destruction Arrives at Cherbourg - The Kearsarge looks after her - Semmes says he wishes to fight - Winslow's course- - Account of the battle Alabama sunk Semmes's dishonorable conduct - Effect of the contest -Other cruisers captured - The Florida taken in Bahia, Bay of San Salvador Position of Mobile and its defences Determination to attack them - Farragut's fleet, and the attack, August 5th - The ram Tennessee captured - Fort Powell evacu ated-Fort Gaines reduced — Attack on Fort Morgan - Surrendered- Unmanly behavior - Effect of these successes - National salutes ordered - President's congratulatory order on this occasion.

1864.

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THE noted piratical cruiser, the "290" | English friends, in every way in their or Alabama, who had been so exceed- power, Semmes managed to escape the ingly successful in preying upon the various ships sent to seek after and commerce of the loyal states (see p. catch him, and after a prosperous cruise 396), met, at last, with a de- in the Southern Atlantic and Indian served fate, in June of the pre- Oceans, returned to northern waters sent year. Semmes, her commander, early in the summer of 1864. The after destroying the Hatteras (p. 278), Alabama put into Cherbourg, expectmade his way across the Atlantic, and ing to refit and start anew on her mispassing beyond the Cape of Good Hope, sion of robbery and ruin. Mr. Dayton, continued his depredations with very at Paris, having remonstrated against great effect upon American commerce this use of a French harbor, Semmes in the eastern seas. From time to time was notified that he must leave so soon he found refuge in sympathizing British as he had taken on board coal and proharbors, whence, refitted and supplied visions. Outside the port was the U. S. anew, he sallied forth to plunder and steamer Kearsarge, Capt. J. A. Winsdestroy; and as the "Confederacy" had low, arrived, June 14th, from Holland, no port into which to take his prizes in the hope of meeting with the Alafor legal adjudication, Semmes set up bama. Semmes, desirous, apparently, an admiralty court on the deck of his of putting himself on a respectable footown ship, and setting fire to the mering, and aware that he could not with chant vessels, he took the crews prisoners and put them ashore at any place most convenient in his roving career. By his activity and shrewdness, aided, as he was, by our professedly "neutral"

any decency escape a contest, sent word
to Capt. Winslow, begging him not to
depart, as he intended to fight the Kear-
sarge within a day or two.

As this was what Winslow especi

ו.

ally desired, he very gladly awaited some fighting, that he would again the further action of Semmes. Accord- make for the shore. To defeat this I ingly, on Sunday morning, June 19th, determined to keep full speed on, and the Alabama ventured out to meet something else than defenceless merchant vessels.* She was accompanied by the French iron-clad Couronne, some five miles out to sea, and was followed by a steam yacht, Deerhound, belong ing to a person named Lancaster, osten sibly as a looker on, but in reality to act as a tender to the Alabama. Capt. Winslow, on discovering the approach of the privateer, steamed further out, so as to avoid any possibility as to be ing within the line of jurisdiction. When about seven miles from the Cherbourg breakwater, the Kearsarge was rounded to, and steered directly for the Alabama, who opened fire at a mile range. "Immediately," says Captain Winslow, "I ordered more speed; but in two minutes the Alabama had again loaded, and fired another broadside, and following it with others, without damaging us except in rigging. We had now arrived within 900 yards of her, and I was apprehensive that another broadside, nearly raking as it was, would prove disastrous. I accordingly ordered the Kearsarge sheered, and opened on the Alabama. 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 fearful lest, after

* Semmes, with a sort of consciousness that he might find the Kearsarge too much for him, took care to de

posit in Cherbourg, in a place of safekeeping, not only whatever personal property he was honestly possessed of, but also between sixty and 100 chronometers, the

fruits of his thieving and pilfering of merchant vessels on the high seas.

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with a port helm to run under the steru
of the Alabama and rake, if he did not
prevent it, by sheering and keeping
his broadside to us. He adopted this
mode as a preventive, and, as a conse
quence, the Alabama was forced with
a full head of steam, into a circular
track, during the engagement. The
effect of this manoeuvre was such that,
at the last of the action, when the Ala-
bama would have made off, she was
nearly five miles from the shore; and
had the action continued from the first
in parallel lines, with her head to shore,
the line of jurisdiction would no doubt
have been reached.
The effect
of the training of our men was evident;
nearly every shot from our guns was
telling fearfully on the Alabama, and
on the seventh rotation on the circular
track, she winded, setting foretrysail
and two jibs, with head in shore." No
doubt, Semmes would have been only
too glad to get off in this way, but his
vessel was now at the mercy of the
Kearsarge, and a few more shots settled
the affair. A white flag was run up;
an officer came on board the Kearsarge
and said the Alabama was sinking;
Winslow ordered instant aid to save
life, and begged Lancaster, who had
come alongside in the Deerhound, to
take part in the same work of human-
ity; and in fifteen or twenty minutes,
the noted cruiser went down to her
ignoble grave. To Capt. Winslow's
astonishment and disgust, the Deer-
hound, having picked up Semmes and
some forty of the crew, sneaked away

CH. XIV.]

DESTRUCTION OF THE ALABAMA AND FLORIDA.

to the English coast before she could be prevented. The course of Semmes in throwing his sword into the sea after his surrender of the Alabama, and his meanly running away as he did, fixed upon him an indelible stigma, which can never be effaced.*

479

The battle was so brief, the victory so
decisive, and the comparative results so
striking, that the country will be re-
minded of the brilliant actions of our
infant navy, which have been repeated
and illustrated in this engagement."
We
may mention, in this connection,
that two other piratical cruisers, which
had given much trouble and done great
injury to our commerce, were soon after
captured and disposed of. One of these,
the Georgia, after cruising about with
various success, was taken into Liver-
pool, where a change of ownership was
effected, and her armament removed.
Setting out thence for Lisbon, she was
overhauled by the Niagara, Commo-
dore Craven, taken possession of as a
prize, August 15th, and sent to the
United States for adjudication. The
other, the Florida, originally named
Oreto, sailed from England to Nassau,
where by the efforts of the American
consul, she was brought before the
court as a rebel cruiser. The authori

This remarkable contest, so brief and so decisive, produced a profound impression abroad as well as at home, and it afforded a significant warning to such as might at any time be disposed to trespass upon the rights and immunities of the United States. Capt. Winslow received the especial thanks of the navy department, under date of July 6th: "I congratulate you," said the secretary, "on your good fortune in meeting this vessel, which had so long avoided the fastest ships, and some of the most vigilant and intelligent offi. cers of the service; and for the ability displayed in this combat you have the thanks of the department. You will please express to the officers and crew of the Kearsarge the satisfacties decided in her favor, and proceedtion of the government at the ing to Green Bay, where she took on victory over a vessel superior in ton-board her armament, she ran into nage, superior in number of guns, and superior in the number of her crew.

1864.

* Secretary Welles's remarks are worth quoting here: "When beaten and compelled to surrender, Semmes threw overboard the sword that was no longer his

own, and abusing the generous confidence of his brave

antagonist, he stole away in the English tender, whose owner proved himself, by his conduct, a fit companion for the dishonored and beaten corsair. Having sur

rendered, he cannot relieve himself of his obligations,

Mobile, changed her name to Florida, and was subsequently very successful not only in eluding our ships of war, but in destroying our merchant vessels. In February, 1864, availing herself of a dark night, she escaped from Brest, eluding the Kearsarge, which was off that port. In June, she visited the

as a prisoner of war, until he shall be regularly ex-neutral port of St. George's, Bermuda, changed. He, and each of his surviving officers and crew, whether received upon the Kearsarge or the

Deerhound, are, and will be, held to be prisoners of war, and amenable to the laws which govern civilized nations, as well as those of his own country, at defiance,

communities. A predatory rover may set the laws of

but in doing so he must abide the consequences."

and remained there nine days, receiv ing all the coal and supplies necessary for a long piratical cruise. Leaving St. George's on the 27th of that month, she remained outside, but in sight, for

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