The Life of John Ancrum Winslow: Rear-admiral, United States Navy, who Commanded the U.S. Steamer "Kearsarge" in Her Action with the Confederate Cruiser "Alabama"G.P. Putnam's sons, 1901 - 281 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
action Admiral Alabama American anchor April army arrived Azores battle blockade board the Kearsarge boats Boston Boston Navy Yard Brest British Cadiz Cairo Captain Newton Captain Semmes Captain Winslow capture Channel Cherbourg coal coast command Commodore Confederate cruiser crew cruise Cruz Dayton Deerhound despatches Dover duty England English Fayal fight fire flag Florida flotilla Fort Pillow France French Georgia Gibraltar GIDEON Government gunboats guns harbor inform the Department Islands John JOHN ANCRUM WINSLOW June Kearsarge's leave letter Lieutenant Louis Madeira Mexican Mexico miles Minister Mississippi Missouri naval Navy Department obedient servant officers ordered Ostend port prisoners Queenstown Raphael Semmes Rappahannock rebel received repairs respectfully river sail sent shell ship shore shot soon squadron starboard steam steamer tion U. S. Consul U. S. S. Cumberland U. S. S. Kearsarge United Vera Cruz vessel Washington WESTERN FLOTILLA wounded yacht yesterday
Popular passages
Page 148 - ... in either of which cases the authorities of the port, or of the nearest port, as the case may be, shall require her to put to sea as soon as possible after the expiration of such period of twenty-four hours...
Page 214 - I have been educated in the belief that an English ship is English territory, and I am, therefore, unable even now to discover why I was more bound to surrender the people of the Alabama, whom I had on board my yacht, than the owner of a garden on the south coast of England would have been if they had swum to such a place and landed there, or than the mayor of Southampton was when they were lodging in that city ; or than the British government is now that it is known that they are somewhere in England....
Page 210 - PM we steered for Southampton. " I acknowledge, my Lord, that in leaving the scene of action so quickly I was animated with a wish to save from captivity Captain Semmes and the others whom we had rescued from drowning; but I should have done the same for the people of the Kearsarge if they had been placed in similar jeopardy. I am charged with having aided in the escape of men who ' had surrendered themselves prisoners of war,' but I did not know at the time that they had so surrendered.
Page 206 - Kearsarge had only 120 tons in, but as an offset to this, her sheet chains were stowed outside — stopped up and down as an additional preventive and protection to her more empty bunkers.
Page 216 - Semmes, any of his officers, or any of his crew. Since the fight I have inquired from my captain whether he or any of my crew had had any communication with the captain or crew of the Alabama prior to meeting them on the Deerhound after the engagement, and his answer, given in the most emphatic manner, has been, "None whatever.
Page 250 - Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs and ordered to be printed.
Page 237 - James S. Thornton, the executive officer of the Kearsarge, will be recommended to the Senate for advancement ten numbers in his grade, and...
Page 214 - I was not aware then, and I am not aware now, that the men whom I saved were or ever had been his prisoners. Whether any of the circumstances which had preceded the sinking of the Alabama constituted them prisoners was a question that never came under my consideration, and one which I am not disposed to discuss even now. I can only say that it is new doctrine to me, that when one ship sinks another in warfare, the crew of the sunken ship are debarred from...
Page 236 - Alabama, or 290, had been sunk on the nineteenth of June, near meridian, by the Kearsarge, under your command, were this day received. I congratulate you on your good fortune in meeting this vessel, which had so long avoided the fastest ships, and some of the most vigilant and intelligent officers of the service ; and for the ability displayed in this combat you have the thanks of the department. You will please express to the officers and crew of the Kearsarge the...
Page 204 - ... stern, our fire was reserved. Two minutes had not more than elapsed before she again opened on us with the 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.