exhausted, I managed to reach the shore, but was too weak to crawl out of the water until just at daylight, when I managed to creep into the swamp. close to the fort. While hiding a few feet from the path, two of the Albemarle's officers passed, and I judged from their conversation that the ship was destroyed. Some hours' travelling in the swamp served to bring me out well below the town, when I sent a negro in to gain information, and found that the ram was truly sunk. Proceeding through another swamp, I came to a creek and captured a skiff belonging to a picket of the enemy, and with this, by eleven o'clock the next night, had made my way out to the Valley City."

Only one other of the party succeeded in escaping, the rest being either killed, captured, or drowned. A detachment of naval vessels occupied Plymouth a few days later, and found the Albemarle lying near her wharf, completely submerged. In the succeeding year, however, she was raised and converted into a useful war vessel. With this event military operations were practically ended in the inland waters of North Carolina.

During the year 1864, the three English-built, equipped, and manned cruisers, the Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, whose depredations upon. unarmed merchantmen had almost paralyzed the American carrying trade, terminated their piratical career. Early in June, the Alabama, Captain Raphael Semmes, after an unusually prosperous career in the Southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans, arrived in the harbor of Cherbourg. At that time the United States corvette Kearsarge, Captain John A. Winslow, was lying at Flushing, and her commander, upon hearing of the return of the Alabama to Northern waters, at once repaired to Cherbourg to watch her movements. Semmes, ashamed possibly of his inglorious career against defenceless vessels, and desirous to show that he was not afraid to meet an antagonist of equal strength with his own ship, immediately sent word to Captain Winslow that he was desirous of meeting him in combat outside the harbor of Cherbourg, and would feel obliged if the Union commander would wait until the Alabama was put in fighting trim. This proposition was willingly accepted by Captain Winslow, and the Kearsarge was held in readiness for the expected fight. The two vessels thus about to measure their strength were as nearly equally matched as any ocean combatants could be, their relative proportions being as follows:

The Alabama was a bark-rigged screw propeller, and the heaviness of her rig, and, above all, the greater size and height of her masts, gave her the appearance of a much larger vessel than her antagonist. The masts of the latter were disproportionately low and small; she never carried more than topsail yards, and depended for her speed upon her machinery alone. Ships of war, however, whatever may be their tonnage, are nothing more than platforms for carrying artillery. The only mode by which to judge of the strength of two vessels is in com

paring their armaments; and herein we find the equality of the antago nists as fully exemplified as in the respective proportions of their hulls and steam power. The armaments of the Alabama and Kearsarge

were as follows:

Armament of the Alabama.-One 7-inch Blakely rifle; one 8-inch smooth-bore 68-pounder; six 32-pounders.

Armament of the Kearsarge.-Two 11-inch smooth-bore guns; one 30-pounder rifle; four 32-pounders.

It will, therefore, be seen that the Alabama had the advantage of the Kearsarge-at all events, in the number of her guns-while the weight of the latter's broadside was only some twenty per cent. greater than her own.

To protect the boilers of the Kearsarge, Captain Winslow had adopted the simple expedient of hanging her spare anchor cable over the midship section on either side. This had first been adopted by Farragut, in running with his fleet past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, on the Mississippi. The operation took just three days, without other assistance than the crew could afford, and in order to make the addition less unsightly, the chains were boxed over with inch deal boards, forming a case or box, which stood out at right angles with the vessel's sides. This was the whole foundation for the absurd stories circulated by rebel sympathizers, and which Semmes himself gave publicity to, that the Kearsarge was a formidable iron-clad, and consequently of vastly greater strength than her opponent. This method of employ ing the anchor cable was perfectly well known to the rebel com mander. He, however, preferred to protect his own boilers by taking on board one hundred and fifty tons of coal, which, in addition to two hundred tons already in his bunkers, brought his vessel pretty low in the water, while the Kearsarge, on the contrary, was deficient in coal, having taken on board barely sufficient for her immediate wants.

Five days sufficed to complete Semmes's preparations, and on Sunday morning, June 19th, the Alabama, in "prime condition," according to his own statement, sallied forth to meet the Union cruiser. So much publicity had been given to the announcement that the Union and rebel war steamers were about to contend in sight of the French coast, that the appointed day found the shores thronged with spectators, to whom a genuine sea-fight was a thing rather of the past than the present day. Fifty years had elapsed since the navies of England and France had contended in the same waters. Special excursion trains brought thousands of persons from Paris, and many had even come over from England. The efficiency of modern ordnance was now about to be tested by skilful hands, and the gunners of the Alabama, who had mostly been trained on the British practice-ship Excellent, were expected to show the superiority of the Blakely guns over those carried by the Kearsarge. The latter depended principally upon her eleven-inch Dahlgrens, and her gunners, taken mostly from the merchantmen, were without other instruction than that acquired during the year or two they had been in the National service. Singularly enough, too, although the greater part of European ships of war were steam propelled, no single combat between vessels of this class, similar to those

so often recorded in naval history, had ever taken place in European waters, and curiosity was greatly excited as to the probable result of such a contest. The day was clear and beautiful, just enough of a breeze prevailing to ruffle the surface of the water, and as the Alabama weighed and stood out of Cherbourg harbor on her mission of death and destruction, the church bells on either coast were summoning worshippers to the house of God.

Shortly after ten o'clock the officers of the Kearsarge descried their antagonist coming out of the western entrance of the harbor, accompanied by the French iron-clad frigate Couronne, which had been ordered to convoy her outside the limits of French waters. No sooner was the limit of jurisdiction reached than the Couronne put down her helm, and steamed back into port. Immediately preceding the Alabama was a three-masted steam yacht, the Deerhound, belonging to a Mr. Lancaster, an Englishman, who was on board with his family, ostensibly to witness the contest, but really, as it afterwards proved, to act the part of a tender to the rebel steamer. For the purpose of avoiding any infraction of French jurisdiction, and also of drawing the Alabama so far off from shore that, if disabled, she could not return to port, Captain Winslow put out to sea, and at once cleared for action. Having reached a point seven miles from shore, he turned the head of his ship short around, and steered for the Alabama, intending to run her down, or, if that were not practicable, to close in with her. The following is his graphic account of the action which followed:

"Hardly had the Kearsarge come round before the Alabama sheered, presented her starboard battery, and slowed her engines. On approaching her at long range of about a mile, she opened her full broadside, the shot cutting some of our rigging, and going over and alongside of us. Immediately I ordered more speed; but in two minutes the Alabama had loaded and again fired another broadside, and followed it with a third, without damaging us except in rigging. We had now arrived within about nine hundred yards of her, and I was apprehensive that another broadside-nearly raking as it was—would prove disastrous. Accordingly I ordered the Kearsarge sheered, and opened on the Alabama. The position of the vessels was now broadside and broadside; but it was soon apparent that Captain Semmes did not seek close action. I became then fearful 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 her, if he did not prevent it by sheering and keeping his broadside to us. He adopted this mode as a preventive, and as a consequence 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 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; towards 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 waterline, and clear the deck with the lighter ones, was 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 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 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. Her speed was now retarded, and by winding, her port broadside was presented to us, with only two guns bearing, not having been able, as I learned afterwards, to shift over but one. I saw now that she was at our mercy, and a few more

guns, well directed, brought down her flag. I was unable to ascertain whether it had been hauled down or shot away; but a white flag having been displayed over the stern, our fire was reserved. Two minutes had not more than elapsed before she again opened on us with two guns on the port side. This drew our fire again, and the Kearsarge was immediately steamed ahead, and laid across her bows for raking. The white flag was still flying, and our fire was again reserved. Shortly after this her boats were seen to be lowering, and an officer in one of them came alongside, and informed us the ship had surrendered, and was fast sinking. In twenty minutes from this time the Alabama went down, her mainmast, which had been shot, breaking near the head as she sank, and her bow rising high out of the water as her stern rapidly settled.”

In allusion to what occurred after the surrender of the Alabama, Captain Winslow reports as follows:

"It was seen shortly afterwards that the Alabama was lowering her boats, and an officer came alongside in one of them, to say that they had surrendered, and were fast sinking, and begging that boats would be dispatched immediately for saving of life. The two boats not disabled were at once lowered, and, as it was apparent the Alabaza was settling, this officer was permitted to leave in his boat to afford assistance. An English yacht, the Deerhound, had approached near the Kearsarge at this time, when I hailed and begged the commander to run down to the Alabama, as she was fast sinking, and we had but two boats, and assist in picking up the men. He answered affirmatively, and steamed towards the Alabama, but the latter sank almost immediately. The Deerhound. however, sent her boats, and was actively engaged, aided by several others, which had come from shore. These boats were busy in bringing the wounded and others to the Kearsarge, whom we were trying to make as comfortable as possible, when it was reported to me that the Deerhound was moving off. I could not believe that the commander of that vessel could be guilty of so disgraceful an act as taking our prisoners off, and therefore took no means to prevent it, but continued to keep our boats at work rescuing the men in the water. I am sorry to say that I was mistaken; the Deerhound made off with Captain Semmes and others, and also the very officer who had come on board to surrender. I learnt subsequently that the Deerhound was a consort of the Alabama, and that she received on board all the valuable personal effects of Captain Semmes the night before the engagement."

The Alabama, which fought seven guns to the Kearsarge's five, is reported to have discharged three hundred and seventy or more shot and shell in this engagement, but inflicted no serious damage on the Kearsarge. Thirteen or fourteen took effect in and about the hull of the latter, and sixteen or seventeen about the masts and rigging. The Kearsarge fired one hundred and seventy-three projectiles, of which one alone killed and wounded eighteen of the crew of the Alabama, and disabled one of her guns. Three persons were wounded on the Kearsarge. The number of killed and wounded on the Alabama is unknown. Seventeen of the wounded, two of them in a dying condition, were brought on board the Kearsarge. One hundred and fifteen officers and men of the Alabama's crew reached the shores of England and France, of whom six officers and sixty-four men were taken on board the Kearsarge. The Deerhound carried off fifteen officers, including Semmes, who was slightly wounded, and twenty-seven men. The total ship's company of the Alabama, so far as can be ascertained, amounted to about one hundred and fifty, the majority being British subjects, of whom probably more than thirty were killed or drowned. The officers and crew of the Kearsarge numbered one hundred and sixty-three. The conduct of Semmes in throwing overboard his sword after surrendering, and allowing himself to be conveyed to England,

was severely commented upon, and it was directed by the United States Government that he should be considered a prisoner of war until properly exchanged.

The Florida originally sailed from England under the name of Oreto, and under that name she was, on reaching Nassau, brought before the court through the efforts of the American consul, who was satisfied that she was in the rebel interest and intended as a rebel cruiser. The neutral authorities decided in favor of the vessel, which was permitted to proceed. Leaving Nassau, she went to Green Cay, where she received on board the armament sent out for her from England, ran into Mobile, changed her name to Florida, and subsequently fleeing from all naval vessels, carried on predatory war on American commerce, capturing and destroying unarmed merchantmen, without ever sending in a vessel for adjudication. 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 neutral port of St. George's, Bermuda, and remained there nine days, receiving 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 three or four days, boarding all vessels that approached the island. On the 10th of July she captured the Electric Spark, near our coast, while several vessels were cruising for her, but she escaped, and was next heard from at Teneriffe, on the 4th of August. Subsequently, entering the bay of San Salvador, Brazil, she encountered the steamer Wachusett, commanded by Commander Collins, who, taking advantage of the absence of Captain Morris and about half the crew of the Florida on shore, quietly raised anchor and drove his ship straight into the rebel, who at once surrendered. A hawser was then attached to the captured vessel, and the Wachusett steamed out of the harbor at full speed, having her prize in tow. The harbor fortifications opened upon her as she passed out, and she was followed by two Brazilian men-of-war, which, however, failed to overtake her. The Florida was finally brought in a leaky and dilapidated condition to Hampton Roads. Here, while at anchor, and pending the settlement of the questions of international law which her capture in a neutral port involved, an army transport came in collision with the shattered vessel, which sank a few days after, near the wreck of the Cumberland.

The Georgia, another English-built naval vessel which cruised under the rebel flag, repaired to Cherbourg in February, 1864, and thence 'proceeded to the Mersey, where she changed owners. Her armament was removed from her, and she left Liverpool for Lisbon. On the 15th of August, Commodore T. T. Craven, of the Niagara, fell in with her in latitude 39° 16' north, longitude 9° 39' west, sailing under the English flag. Commodore Craven took possession of the vessel as a lawful prize, and, putting a prize crew on board of her, he sent her to the United States.