. Two years on the Alabama. ll be remembered, to the Tusca- 1 When the target practice on the Rockingham took place two months previously,there was no suspicion of deterioration in our powder. But the condition of it atthe time of the action with the Kearsarge does not admit of doubt. It was observedby the officers of the French fleet that our powder smoke showed dark, while that ofthe Kearsarge was clear and white. The same thing was also noted by the captainand by the owner of the Deerhound. Lieutenant Wilsons later observations whena prisoner on the Kearsarge, the writers testimony, and tha
. Two years on the Alabama. ll be remembered, to the Tusca- 1 When the target practice on the Rockingham took place two months previously,there was no suspicion of deterioration in our powder. But the condition of it atthe time of the action with the Kearsarge does not admit of doubt. It was observedby the officers of the French fleet that our powder smoke showed dark, while that ofthe Kearsarge was clear and white. The same thing was also noted by the captainand by the owner of the Deerhound. Lieutenant Wilsons later observations whena prisoner on the Kearsarge, the writers testimony, and that of many deeply inter-ested and disappointed witnesses on our decks during the progress of the action,may be said to prove the fact. Wilson reported the Kearsarge as showing woundsenough in the wake of her engine to sink any vessel if punctuation had been ob-tained ; and he firmly believed that damaged powder lost us the fight. A section ofthe original Kearsarge with the shell imbedded in it is now preserved at PREPARATIONS FOR THE FIGHT 249 loosa), had come to Cherbourg to meet us. He was onleave of absence, domiciled at Paris, and hnxl been awaitingour arrival to rejoin us. But he was not allowed by theFrench admiral, acting for his government, to participatein the fight. It was a grievous disappointment to thisyoung and dashing officer. Among others similarly re-strained should be mentioned Lieut. John Grimball andWilliam C. Whittle, who both served later on the Shenan-doah. We may well doubt the justice of this gentlemen were regular commissioned officers ofthe Confederate States navy, and could hardly be objectedto as recruits obtained on neutral territory. We were inno position to cross swords with France on the matter,however; and, besides, we had all the officers we reallyneeded. No objection was made to the visit of CommanderGeorge Terry Sinclair, a Confederate naval agent abroad,who came on board and conferred with Semmes as to theplan of ac
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