. Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers . SSION OF PAYMASTER-GENERAL J. A. SMITH, U. S. N. apprehensive of a raking, sheered and broke hersilence with the starboard battery. Each ship wasnow pressed under a full head of steam, the posi-tion being broadside, both employing the starboardguns. Captain Winslow, fearful that the enemy wouldmake for the shore, determined with a port helm torun under the Alabamas stern for raking, but wasprevented by her sheering and keeping her broad- side to the Eearsarge, which forced the fig
. Battles and leaders of the Civil War : being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers . SSION OF PAYMASTER-GENERAL J. A. SMITH, U. S. N. apprehensive of a raking, sheered and broke hersilence with the starboard battery. Each ship wasnow pressed under a full head of steam, the posi-tion being broadside, both employing the starboardguns. Captain Winslow, fearful that the enemy wouldmake for the shore, determined with a port helm torun under the Alabamas stern for raking, but wasprevented by her sheering and keeping her broad- side to the Eearsarge, which forced the fightingon a circular track, each ship, with a strong porthelm, steaming around a common center, and pour-ing its fire into its opponent a quarter to half amile away. There was a current setting to west-ward three knots an hour. The action was now fairly begun. The Alabamachanged from solid shot to shell. & A shot from anearly broadside of the Kearsarge carried away the 3> Commander Kelt [see p. 608] says the Alabama began with shell.—Editors. vol. iv. 40 6i8 THE DUEL BETWEEN THE ALABAMA- AND CAPTAIN JAMES S. THORNTON, EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THEFROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN IN 1864. KEARSARGE. spanker-gaff of the enemy, and caused his ensignto come down by the run. This incident was re-garded as a favorable omen by the men, whocheered and went with increased confidence totheir work. The fallen ensign reappeared at themizzen. The Alabama returned to solid shot, andsoon after fired both shot and shell to the end. Thefiring of the Alabama was rapid and wild, gettingbetter near the close ; that of the Kearsarge wasdeliberate, accurate, and almost from the begin-ning productive of dismay, destruction, anddeath. 4. The Kearsarge gunners had been cau-tioned against firing without direct aim, and hadbeen advised to point the heavy guns below ratherthan above the water-line, and to clear the deck ofthe enemy with the lighter ones. Though subjectedto an incessant storm of shot and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1887
