Abraham Lincoln : a history . far better discipline and training. It is onlyfair to Captain Semmes to say that he did not hesi-tate for a moment to accept the combat thusafforded him. He says in his diary of the 15th1864. of June : The two ships are so equally matched Ido not feel at liberty to decline it. He sent noticeto the United States consul, through M. Bonfils, theConfederate agent, that he would go out to engagethe Kearsarge as soon as he could get ready. Heat once ordered a load of coal on board, which wasin itself a notification to the authorities of imme-diate departure. M. Bonfils
Abraham Lincoln : a history . far better discipline and training. It is onlyfair to Captain Semmes to say that he did not hesi-tate for a moment to accept the combat thusafforded him. He says in his diary of the 15th1864. of June : The two ships are so equally matched Ido not feel at liberty to decline it. He sent noticeto the United States consul, through M. Bonfils, theConfederate agent, that he would go out to engagethe Kearsarge as soon as he could get ready. Heat once ordered a load of coal on board, which wasin itself a notification to the authorities of imme-diate departure. M. Bonfils did not share in the confidence of theConfederate cruiser. His fear of the result of thecoming fight so grew upon him that he sent onthe 18th of June a letter full of panic to Mr. Slidellin Paris, imploring him to order Captain Semmesto desist from a contest which he felt would befatal. Mr. Slidell answered on the morning of the19th of June, just as he was starting to the racesat Fontainebleau, declining to give any such ad-. CAPTAIN JOHN A. WINSLOW. THE LAST DAYS OF THE KEBEL NAVY 145 vice to Captain Seuimes. I have the most entireconfidence, he said, in his judgment, his skill,and his cool courage. I believe he would not pro-ceed to the encounter of the Kearsarge unless hethought he had a reasonable chance of capturingher. In reply to M. Bonfilss assurance that theAlabama would be welcome to the Governmentdocks at Cherbourg, Mr. Slidell expressed hisdoubt as to whether any such permission wouldbe granted. I have recently, he said, had sadoccasion, in the case of the Bappahannock, detainedwithout cause since the 17th February, to knowhow long an unfriendly minister may delay thedecision of the plainest case. The French Government had been greatly em-barrassed by the arrival of the Alabama at Cher-bourg, and their embarrassment was not lessened bythe promptness with which Captain Winslow cameto the rendezvous. M. Drouyn de lHuys in con-versation with Mr. Dayton strongly objecte
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