Two Years on the AlabamaLee and Shepard, 1896 - 352 pages "Confederate proclamation of nationhood was backed by an energetic and reasonably well equipped land defense. Not so for its coastal and sea defenses; much of its hope of tipping the balance in its contention with the Union rested on international support, trade, and naval defense. In search of a naval arm to counter Northern superiority on the seas, the South turned to foreign sources for a seaborne arm. Confederate agents in England cagily used scarce gold, promises of cotton, and British sympathy to obtain the devastating naval weapons of speedy and deadly raiders. Foremost among these was the Alabama, a screw steamer with full sail power, launched in May 1862. In only twenty-two months of action, this ship engaged nearly 300 vessels and destroyed 55 Northern merchant ships worth millions of dollars."--BOOK JACKET. |
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Alabama aloft American anchor Angra Pequeña arrival Arthur Sinclair awaiting Bahama battery blank cartridge boat boatswain breeze Bulloch cabin Cape Town Capt captain capture cargo chase Cherbourg coal coast command Confederate States navy Confederate States steamer consul cruiser deck Deerhound Deserted discharged at Cherbourg duty enemy engineer English entire cruise Evans excitement fellow fight fire Fireman Aug flag fleet Fulham gallant Galt guns hand Hatteras honorably discharged island Jack John June 19 Kearsarge land Lieut lieutenant Liverpool look Maffitt man-of-war mast mates Mecaskey Midshipman naval neutral night ocean officers and crew ordered overhaul passed port prisoners prize RAPHAEL SEMMES rigging sail sailor Sea Bride Seaman Semmes Semmes's ship ship's shore shot sight Simon's Town Sinclair skipper soon spar-deck steam strait Sumter Terceira topsails Tuscaloosa United States navy vessel ward-room watch weather Wilson wind wounded writer yacht