3-017-046 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The action off Cherbourg on Sunday between the Alabama and the Kearsarge: the Alabama sinking, 1864. Engraving of a sketch by James Bryant of the Royal Western Yacht Club. 'One of the most interesting naval engagements that has ever taken place near our shores was that...between the Confederate cruiser Alabama, commanded by Captain Semmes, and the United States war-steamer Kearsarge, Captain Winslow...[Semmes said] "The firing now became very hot, and the enemy's shot and shell soon began to tell upon our hull, knocking down, killing, and disabling a number of men in different parts of the ship...After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes our ship was ascertained to be in a sinking condition, the enemy's shell having exploded in our sides and between decks, opening large apertures, through which the water rushed with great rapidity...We now turned all our exertions towards saving the wounded and such of the boys of the ship as were unable to swim"...the Alabama sank, and the victory remained with the Kearsarge, which was armed with two 11-inch (120-pounder) smooth-bore columbiads, besides six 32-pounders; while the Alabama had one 7-inch bore rifled pivot-gun forward, one 8-inch smoothbore pivot-gun at the stern, and six 32-pounders'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.