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a hearty good-will, and by the 19th of
June the ship was coaled, the spare
spars sent down, and all the prepara
tions for a navel combat made com
plete.
“The sun rose beautifully on the
day of the fight, the men had break
fasted, steam was ready, and at half
past 9 A. M., we quietly got under way
and steamed out of the western en
trance of the harbor. We discovered
the enemy about seven miles distant,
and shaped our course to meet her.
The crew were called to quarters, the
battery cast loose, the minutest prepar
ations made for engaging in action.—
The captain made the men a short and
inspiring address, picturing to them, in
glowing words, the world-wide reputa
tion of our gallant ship ! and calling to
their memories the historic waters we
now floated upon, made glorious by the
daring deeds of our ancestors. They
were then ordered to their quarters,
and each man sprang to his station
with that satisfied air of determination
to do his duty, the recollection of
which can never be effaced from mem
ory’s page, for it was then plainly re
corded that the Alabama could never
fall into the hands of the enemy !
“The two vessels were now rapidly
approaching each other, presenting
each their starboard batteries, which,
you will understand, boys, to mean the
guns on the right hand side of the ship,
looking from the stern, while the left
hand side, in nautical parlance, is term
ed the port. On we rushed —each ves
sel under a full head of steam, our gal
lant captain taking his position with
dauntless courage in the mizzen rig
ging above the rail; so as to command
a full view of all the surroundings.
“When within a mile of the enemy
we opened the action with solid shot
from our port guns, to which she soon
replied, and the action became general
at the distance of about half a mile.
You will now observe that we were op
posite each other, both vessels fighting
their starboard or right hand guns, con
sequently to retain that position we
steamed around a common centre,
with her bow and our stern opposite.
We commenced using our shell as the
most destructive projectile at that dis
tance, but soon Captain Semmes called
to the executive officer, and directed
him to use solid shot, as our shell
seemed to strike the enemy’s side and
explode without penetrating. Solid
shot were then used. The enemy’s fire
now became very destructive, telling
with dreadful effect upon our hull, and
their eleven-inch shell sweeping down
our men as the cycle lays low the grass.
“ The Captain now ordered us to al
ternate with shot and shell, which we
did to the end of the fight. We were
now obliged to abandon some guns and
combine the remains of two crews to
fight one gun.
u Let me give you an instance of the
gallant conduct of one of our men.
BURKE’S WEEKLY FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
But a few feet from Uncle Robert, as
he stoot on the quarter deck, came an
eleven-inch shell, sweeping off the for
ward part of the pivot gun’s crew, then
a second, killing one man and wound
ing several of the after part of the same
gun’s crew, and a third eleven-inch
shell entered the same port, which,
however, seemed to be defective, as it
struck the breast of the gun carriage
and spun around on the deck without
exploding, when one of the men, as
thought, picked it up and threw it over
board !
“ Our poor little ship, by this time,
was terribly cut to pices, and the Cap
tain, hoping to save her, thought he
would try to reach the French coast;
so watching for the moment our head
pointed to the coast of France, we
made all available sail, and steered di
rect for it. We hoped, also, by shift
ing the weight of the battery from the
starboard to the port side to raise the
shot holes above the water line.
“But, alas! they had done their work
most effectively upon our noble little
vessel, and after a terrific battle of one
hour and a half, the Alabama was sink
ing to her last resting-place, and her
guns were still pealing forth the bitter
war cry of ‘ Victory or Death.’
“ The engineer now reported the fires
put out and the water rapidly rising.
The Captain ordered his Executive Offi
cer to go below and inspect the condi
tion of the ship. In a few moments he
returned and reported that ‘ the ship
must go down in ten minutes or less
time perhaps.’
“ ‘Then, sir,’ said Captain Semmes,
‘ haul down the colors, for it will never
do, in the Nineteenth Century, to go
down with our colors flying and these
gallant fellows lying wounded on our
decks! ’ ’
“We ceased firing, reduced sail, and
hauled down the colors; but, to our as
tonishment, the enemy continued their
fire, disabling one gun and wounding
several men, nor did they cease until
they had fired five shots after our colors
were down. It was a trying time to
our crew, but they stood to their guns
like heroes.
“The enemy making no move to ap
proach us, we dispatched an officer in
one of our boats to say that our ship
was sinking, and requested that boats
might be sent to save our wounded.
Fortunately, we discovered that two of
our smaller boats had escaped injury,
and they were at once lowered arid all
the wounded and boys crowded into
them.
“ And here let me add another word
for the noble conduct of our men. Al
though the ship was sinking, and there
were but two small boats that could
float alongside, there was no desire ex
pressed to enter them, and not the slight
est panic. The wounded were shoved
off, with orders to be taken alongside
the Kearsarge , and then the order was
given for every man to “look out for
himself.” Many secured oars and spars
upon which to float, and plunged into
the sea fearlessly.
“Captain Semmes and one or two
officers and men swam from the stern
as her deck settled to the water’s edge,
and had scarcely cleared the vortex of
the sinking ship before her bows launch
ed high in air, and she gracefully sank
stern foremost to her anchorage below!
“The waters were now covered with
nearly a hundred men, with no boat to
save them. The Kearsarge remaining
as when she had ceased firing, either
amazed at her own victory, or undeci
ded whether or not to save her enemies
from their watery graves.
“Just at this time, a little English
steam yacht, ‘ The Deerhound ,’ came
steaming into the midst of the floating
heads, throwing out lines, and sending
her small boat to save as many as she
could. Then came two French pilot
boats, and last of all two boats from the
Kearsarge.
“Here, boys, I must tell you of a
daring young sailor to whom Captain
Semmes had entrusted some papers as
the ship was going down. The poor
fellow, exhausted from swimming, was
picked up almost insensible by one of
the Kearsarge boats. When a little
restored, he looked up, and seeing his
position, plunged again into the sea
with the papers safely concealed upon
his person, and swam bravely for the
Deerhound , where fortunately he found
the captain and delivered up his charge.
“ Now, boys, my yarn has been spun
to a pretty long thread, but I must re
late one more incident and close. A
brave and generous youth, scarce older
than yourselves, (a midshipman on
board,) chanced to be near Uncle Rob
ert, with a 1 life preserver ’ on. He
swam towards me, begging me to take
it and give him my spar. I saw from
his pallid cheeks and exhausted frame
that he needed all the assistance he had
to keep him above w r ater ; but I thank
ed him sincerely for his generosity, and
relate it here with pleasure. We were
soon picked up by the Deerhound, s
boat, in which we were delighted to find
the captain.
“ After the Deerhound had saved all
the crew she could see, the owner, Mr.
Lancaster, a noble-hearted Englishman,
ordered his yacht to be steered for
Southampton, which port we reached
about dusk, thankful to a kind Provi
dence for our deliverance from the dan
gers of the past eventful day.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
How he got Nicknamed.
A little boy named Wiley that thought
he was very smart indeed, was spelling
out his lesson very loud, louder than
was necessary, but the teacher indulged
him that time. Everything happened
to be very still in the school-room, and
as he was spelling along he came to the
word s-t-r-o-n-g strong 1-y ly, “ strong
wilcy” he pronounced it. The school
boys dubbed him ever after strong’Wiley.
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
A HUNT ON THE WAKULLA;
OR, JACK DO&m IN FLORIDA.
By the Author of “ Big-Foot Wallaceand
“ Jack Dobell; or, A Boy's Adventures
in Texas."
CHAPTER I.
JACK DOBELL LEAVES TEXAS AXD GOES TO
FLORIDA —SEMINOLE WAR — TIGER TAIL,
THE SUB-CHIEF, GIVES JACK HIS FIRST
LESSONS IN WOODCRAFT — 11IS SUPER
STITIOUS NOTIONS —MAKES JACK A PRE
SENT OF A “CHARM” —DRESSED UP IN
SUMMER COSTUME —TIGER TAIL CATCHES
A THIEF.
tlic battle of
were routed with
great slaughter by the little
(army commanded by General
Houston, Texas grew too hot
W JQa/N to hold them, and they aban-
J&i** doned ths country as rapidly
as possible. Finding that the war was
over for the time, I concluded to return
to Kentucky, where my father and his
family were then living.
I remained in Kentucky but a short
time, and then went out to Florida,
which at that day was almost as wild
and as sparsely inhabited as Texas.
The “ Seminole war” had recently bro
ken out there, and the whole territory
was kept in a state of continual alarm
and excitement by marauding parties of
Indians, who frequently penetrated far
within the settlement, murdering help
less families, and plundering and de
stroying as they went.
These Seminoles were undoubtedly
the bravest and most war-like tribe of
Indians that eves existed upon the
North American Continent. For more
than twenty years they held out against
the whole power of the United States,
and at last were only conquered when
nearly exterminated. I suppose when
the war ended there were not more than
fifty warriors left in the nation capable
of taking the field.
For several years previous to the
breaking out of the war, my father was
the agent of the Seminoles, and when
the times for the payment of their an
nuities came around, they ivould assem
ble near his house in large numbers,
and frequently encamp in the vicinity
for many days; consequently I saw a
great deal of these Indians, and became
well acquainted with their character,
and manners arid customs. Among
them was a sub-chief, whose Indian
name was “Kariha Tustcnuggee,” or in
English “Tiger Tail.”
Tiger Tail became very much attach
ed to my father and his family, and
made our house his home every winter,