Abraham Lincoln : a history . fear except that she shouldescape to French waters, and he held her so closethat the two vessels in this deadly waltz driftedslowly westward in a three-knot current andWinslow was able to finish his work five milesfrom land. The firing of the Alabama was at firstrapid and wild, though it improved towards theclose of the action. On board the Kearsarge thefiring was much more deliberate; the men had beenordered to point the heavy guns below the waterline reserving the lighter ones to clear the deck atcloser quarters. The time for this latter service,however, never a
Abraham Lincoln : a history . fear except that she shouldescape to French waters, and he held her so closethat the two vessels in this deadly waltz driftedslowly westward in a three-knot current andWinslow was able to finish his work five milesfrom land. The firing of the Alabama was at firstrapid and wild, though it improved towards theclose of the action. On board the Kearsarge thefiring was much more deliberate; the men had beenordered to point the heavy guns below the waterline reserving the lighter ones to clear the deck atcloser quarters. The time for this latter service,however, never arrived; the Alabama was defeatedbefore grape could be used. The Confederate fired ;some two shots to one fired by the Kearsarge, but Reportwith very little effect. Only three persons were Se0cfrtiierywounded on the national vessel, of whom one died, while nearly every shot from theguns of the Kearsarge told fearfully on the Ala-bama. Six times the vessels had circled around each 148 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. MAP OF THE KEAR8ARGE AND ALABAMA FIGHT. THE LAST DAYS OF THE REBEL NAVY 149 other, the Alabama, with all her noise and fury, doing chap. damage, while the steady fire of the Kearsargewas working havoc on the decks and hull of the Con-federate. At last, on the seventh rotation, Semmes,perceiving the battle was lost, tried to take flight forthe shore of His port broadside was thenpresented to the Kearsarge with only two gunsbearing. Winslow now saw that his enemy wasat his mercy, and poured his shot into her, and in afew moments had the satisfaction of seeing a whiteflag displayed over her stern. The fire of his lighterguns, which he had been keeping for close quarters,was then reserved; but a few moments later hewas astonished by a renewed discharge from thetwo guns on the port side of the Alabama. Wins-low again opened fire and laid the Kearsarge acrossthe Alabamas bows for raking, when he discoveredthe white flag was still flying and a
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