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The wounded of the survivors were "brought onboard the Kearsarge for surgical attendance.Seventy men, including live officers (Surgeon F.L. Galt, acting paymaster, Second Lieutenant J.
SEAMAN WILLIAM GOUIN, MORTALLY WOUNDEDON THE “ KEARSARGE.”
D. Wilson, First Assistant-Engineer M. J. Free-man, Third Assistant-Engineer Pundt, and Boat-swain McCloskey), were saved by the Kearsarge'sboats and a French pilot-boat. Another pilot-boat saved Second Lieutenant Armstrong and somemen, who were landed at Cherbourg. LieutenantWilson was the only officer who delivered uphis sword. He refused to go on board theDeerhound, and because of his honorable conductCaptain Winslow on taking his parole gave him aletter of recommendation. Our crew fraternizedwith their prisoners, and shared their clothes,supper, and grog with them. The conduct of the
fore, the latter committed uo hreacli of neutrality iu tailing theprisoners on hoard. Once on board the English yacht, how-ever, they were as free as air. So far from its being the obliga-tion of the Deerhound to surrender them, the obligation wasexactly the other way. Tlieir surrender would have been asgross a violation of neutrality toward the Confederates astheir unauthorized rescue would have been toward the UnionGovernment. Captain Winslow was therefore perfectly rightin refusing to detain the Deerhound, since the conduct ofthe yacht was the necessary and logical consequence of his
Alabama ’s Assistant-Surgeon Llewellyn, son of aBritish rector, deserves mention. He was unre-mitting in attention to the wounded during battle,and after the surrender superintended their re-moval to the boats, refusing to leave the ship whileone remained. This duty performed, being unableto swim, he attached two empty shell-boxes to hiswaisj; as a life-preserver and jumped overboard.Nevertheless, he was unable to keep liis headabove water.
When the Kearsarge was cleared for action everyman on the sick-list went to his station. The Kear-sarge had three wounded, of whom one died in thehospital a few days after the fight. This was Will-iam Gouin, ordinary seaman, whose behavior dur-ing and after battle was worthy of the highest praise.Stationed at the after pivot-gun he was seriouslywounded in the leg by the explosion of a shell; inagony, and exhausted from the loss of blood, hedragged himself to the forward hatch, concealing theseverity of his injury, so that his comrades might notleave their stations for his assistance ; fainting, hewas lowered to the care of the surgeon, and whenhe revived he greeted the surgeon with a smile,saying, “Doctor, I can fight no more, and so cometo you, but it is all right; I am satisfied, for weare whipping the Alabama ” ; and afterward, ‘ ‘ Iwill willingly lose my leg or my life, if it is neces-sary.” Lying upon his mattress, he paid attentionto the progress of the fight, so far as could beknown by the sounds on the deck, his face show-ing satisfaction whenever the cheers of his ship-mates were heard; with difficulty he waved hishand over his head, and joined in each cheer witha feeble voice. When a wounded shipmate on
own act. The point where ho was clearly in the wrong wasin making the request in the first place. What he shouldhave done, as Surgeon-General Browne clearly intimates, wasto have steamed up close to the sinking Alabama , and savedher people liimself, instead of remaining four hundred yardsoff.”
It will he noticed that this statement leaves untouchedthe question of the right of a prisoner to escape aftersurrender and before delivering himself up.— Editors*
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