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nobly as long as they bad a plank to stand upon. Were it not for thetimely presence of the kind-hearted Englishman and the two French pilot-boats, who can tell the number of us that would have rested with our gallantlittle ship beneath the waters of the English Channel ? I quote the followingfrom Mr. John Lancaster’s letter to the London “Daily News”: “I presumeit was because he [Captain Winslow] would not or could not save them him-self. The fact is that if the captain and crew of the Alabama had dependedfor safety altogether upon Captain Winslow, not one-half of them wouldhave been saved.”
When Mr. Lancaster approached Captain Semmes, and said, “ I think everyman has been picked up ; where shall I land you 1 ” Captain Semmes replied,“ I am now under the English colors, and the sooner you put me with myofficers and men on English soil, the better.” The little yacht moved rapidly
&Iil his report of June 21st, 1864, CaptainWinslow said:
“ It was seen shortly afterward that the Alabama waslowering her boats, and an officer came alongside in oneof them to say- that they had surrendered and were fastsinking, and begging that boats would be dispatched im-mediately for the saving of life. The two boats not dis-abled were at once lowered, and as it was apparent theAlabama was settling, this officer was permitted to leavein his boat to afford assistance. An English yacht, theDeerhound, had approached near the Kcarsargc at thistime, when I hailed and begged the commander to rundown to the Alabama , as she was fast sinking and wehad but two boats, and assist in picking up the men. Heanswered affirmatively, and steamed toward the Ala-bama , but the latter sank almost immediately.”
The following is an extract from Mr. John Lan-caster’s log, dated “Steam-yacht Deerhound, offCowes ”:
“Sunday, June 19th, 9 a. m. Got up steam, and pro-
ceeded out of Cherbourg harbor. Half-past ten, observedthe Alabama steaming out of the harbor toward the Fed-eral steamer Eearsargc. Ten minutes past eleven, theAlabama commenced firing with her starboard battery,the distance between the contending vessels being aboutone mile. The Kearsarge immediately replied with herstarboard guns. A very sharp, spirited fire was keptup, shot sometimes being varied by shells. In manoeu-vring, both vessels made seven complete circles at adistance of from a quarter to half a mile. At 12 a slightintermission was observed in the Alabama 's firing, theAlabama making head-sail, and shaping her course forthe land, distant about nine miles. At 12:30, observedthe Alabama to be disabled and in a sinking state. Weimmediately made toward her, and in passing the Kear-sarge were requested to assist in saving the Alabama 'screw. At 12:50, when within a distance of two hundredyards, the Alabama sunk. We then lowered our twoboats, and with the assistance of the Alabama 's whale-boat and dingey, succeeded in saving about forty men,including Captain Semmes and thirteen officers. At 1p. m. we started for Southampton.” Editors.
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