captains of the civil war- 第42部分

The　Kearsarges　had　a　second　and　still　more　elating　surprise　when　they　heard　the　Alabama　was　coming　out　to　fight。　Semmes　was　apparently　anxious　to　show　that　his　raider　could　be　as　gallant　in　fighting　a　man…of…war　as　she　was　effective　in　sinking　merchant　vessels；　so　he　wrote　his　challenge　to　the　Confederate　Consul　at　Cherbourg；　who　passed　it　on　to　the　U。　S。　Consul；　who　handed　it　to　Captain　Winslow；　commanding　the　Kearsarge。　Still；　four　days　passed　without　the　Alabama；　and　the　Kearsarges　were　giving　up　hope；　when；　suddenly；　on　Sunday　morning；　the　nineteenth　of　June；　just　as　they　had　rigged　church　and　fallen　in　for　prayers；　out　came　the　Alabama。　The　Kearsarge　thereupon　drew　off；　so　that　the　Alabama　could　not　easily　escape　to　neutral　waters　if　the　duel　went　against　her。　Cherbourg；　of　course；　was　all　agog　to　see　the　fight；　and　many　thousands　of　people；　some　from　as　far　as　Paris；　watched　every　move。　An　English　yacht；　the　Deerhound；　kept　an　offing　of　about　a　mile；　ready　to　rescue　survivors　from　a　watery　grave。　Its　owner；　with　his　wife　and　family；　had　intended　to　stay　ashore　and　go　to　church。　But；　when　they　heard　the　Alabama　was　really　going　out；　he　put　the　question　to　the　vote　around　the　breakfast…table；　whereupon　it　was　carried　unanimously　that　the　Deerhound　should　go　too。

When　the　deck…officer　of　the　Kearsarge　sang　out；　〃Alabama！〃　Captain　Winslow　put　down　his　prayerbook；　seized　his　speaking…trumpet；　and　turned　to　gain　a　proper　offing；　while　the　drum　beat　to　general　quarters　and　the　ship　was　cleared　for　action；　with　pivot…guns　to　starboard。　The　weather　was　fine；　with　a　slight　haze；　little　sea；　and　a　light　west　breeze。　Having　drawn　the　Alabama　far　enough　to　sea；　the　Kearsarge　turned　toward　her　again；　showing　the　starboard　bow。　When　at　a　mile　the　Alabama　fired　her　hundred…pounder。　For　nearly　the　whole　hour　this　famous　duel　lasted　the　ships　continued　fighting　in　the　same　way　starboard　to　starboard；　round　and　round　a　circle　from　half　to　a　quarter　mile　across。　Each　captain　stood　on　the　horse…block　abreast　the　mizzen…mast　to　direct　the　fight。　Semmes　presently　called　to　his　executive　officer：　〃Mr。　Kell；　use　solid　shot！　Our　shell　strike　the　enemy's　side　and　fall　into　the　water〃　（after　bounding　off　the　iron　mantlets　Winslow　had　so　cleverly　concealed）。　The　Kearsarge's　gunnery　was　magnificent；　especially　from　the　after…pivot；　which　Quartermaster　William　Smith　fired　with　deadly　aim；　even　when　three　of　his　gun's　crew　had　been　wounded　by　a　shell。　These　three；　strange　to　say；　were　the　only　casualties　that　occurred　aboard　the　Kearsarge。　But　at　sea　the　stronger　side　usually　suffers　much　less　and　the　weaker　much　more　than　on　land。　The　Alabama　lost　forty：　killed；　drowned；　and　wounded。

The　Kearsarges　soon　saw　how　the　fight　was　going　and　began　to　cheer　each　first…rate　shot。　〃That's　a　good　one！　Now　we　have　her！　Give　her　another　like　the　last！〃　The　big　eleven…inchers　got　home　repeatedly　as　the　range　decreased；　so　much　so　that　Semmes　ordered　Kell　to　keep　the　Alabama　headed　for　the　coast　the　next　time　the　circling　brought　her　bow　that　way。　This　would　bring　her　port　side　into　action；　which　was　just　what　Semmes　wanted　now；　because　she　had　a　dangerous　list　to　starboard；　where　the　water　was　pouring　through　the　shot…holes。　Kell　changed　her　course　with　perfect　skill；　righting　the　helm；　hoisting　the　head…sails；　hauling　the　fore…trysail…sheet　well　aft；　and　pivoting　to　port　for　a　broadside　delivered　almost　as　quickly　as　if　there　had　not　been　a　change　at　all。　But　at　this　moment　the　engineer　came　up　to　say　the　water　had　put　his　fires　out　and　that　the　ship　was　sinking。　At　the　same　time　a　strange　thing　happened。　An　early　shot　from　the　Kearsarge　had　carried　away　the　Alabama's　colors；　and　now　the　Alabama's　own　last　broadside　actually　announced　her　own　defeat　by　〃breaking　out〃　the　special　Stars　and　Stripes　that　Window　had　run　up　his　mizzenmast　on　purpose　to　break　out　in　case　of　victory。　A　cannon　ball　had　twitched　the　cord　that　held　the　flag　rolled　up　〃in　stops。〃

Semmes　sent　his　one　remaining　boat　to　announce　his　surrender；　threw　his　sword　into　the　sea；　and　jumped　in　with　the　survivors。　The　Deerhound；　on　authority　from　Winslow；　had　already　closed　in　to　the　rescue；　followed　by　two　French　pilot　boats　and　two　from　the　Kearsarge；　when　suddenly　the　Alabama；　rearing　like　a　stricken　horse；　plunged　to　her　doom。


Long　before　the　Alabama's　end　the　Navy　had　been　preparing　for　the　finishing　blows　against　the　Southern　ports。　Farragut　had　returned　to　New　Orleans　in　January；　'64；　hoping　for　immediate　action。　But　vexatious　delays　at　Washington　postponed　his　great　attack　till　August；　when　he　crowned　his　whole　career　by　his　master…stroke　against　Mobile。　Grant　was　equally　annoyed　by　this　absurd　delay；　which　was　caused　by　the　eccentric；　and　therefore　entirely　wasteful；　Red　River　Expedition　of　'64；　an　expedition　we　shall　ignore　otherwise　than　by　pointing　out；　in　this　and　the　succeeding　chapters；　that　it　not　only　postponed　the　overdue　attack　on　Mobile　but　spoilt　Sherman's　grand　strategy　as　well　as　Farragut's　and　Grant's。　Banks　commanded　it。　But　by　this　time　even　he　had　learnt　enough　of　war　to　know　that　it　was　a　totally　false　move。　So　he　boldly　protested　against　it。　But　Halleck's　orders；　dictated　by　the　Government；　were　positive。　So　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　suffer　a　well…deserved　defeat　while　trying　to　kill　the　dead　and　withering　branches　of　Confederate　power　beyond　the　Mississippi；　in　order　to　〃show　the　flag　in　Texas〃　and　say　〃hands　off！〃　to　Mexico　and　France　in　the　least　effective　way　of　all。

During　this　delay　the　Confederate　ram　Albemarle　came　down　the　Roanoke　River；　hoping　to　break　through　the　local　blockade　in　Albemarle　Sound　and　so　give　North　Carolina　an　outlet　to　the　sea。　Two　attempts　against　Newbern；　which　closed　the　way　out　to　Pamlico　Sound；　had　failed；　but　now　（the　fifth　of　May）　great　hopes　were　set　upon　the　Albemarle。　At　first　she　seemed　impregnable；　and　the　Federal　shot　and　shell　glanced　harmlessly　off　her　iron　sides。　But　presently　Commander　Roe　of　the　Sassacus　（a　light…draft；　pair…paddle；　double…ender　gunboat）　getting　at　right　angles　to　her；　ordered　his　engineer　to　stuff　the　fires　with　oiled　waste　and　keep　the　throttle　open。　〃ALL　HANDS；　LIE　DOWN！〃　shouted　Roe；　as　the　throbbing　engines　drove　his　vessel　to　the　charge。　Then　came　an　earthquake　shock：　the　Sassacus　crashed　her　bronze　beak　into　the　Albemarle's　side。　Both　vessels　were　disabled；　a　shell　from　the　Albemarle　burst　the　boilers　of　the　Sassacus；　scalding　the　engineers。　But　the　rest　fought　off　the　attempt　made　by　the　Albemarles　to　board。　Presently　the　furious　opponents　drifted　apart；　and　the　Albemarle；　unable　to　face　her　other　enemies；　took　refuge　upstream。　There；　on　the　twenty…seventh　of　October；　she　was　heroically　attacked　and　sunk　by　Lieutenant　W。B。　Cushing；　U。S。N。；　with　a　spar　torpedo　projecting　from　a　little　steam　launch。　Cushing　himself　swam　off　through　a　hail　of　bullets；　worked　his　way　through　the　woods；　seized　a　skiff　belonging　to　one　of　the　enemy's　outposts；　and　reached　the　flagship　half　dead　but　wholly　triumphant。


Between　the　Albemarle's　two　fights　Farragut　took　Mobile　after　a　magnificent　action　on　the　fifth　of　of　August。　There　were　batteries　ashore；　torpedoes　across　the　channel；　the　Tennessee　ram　and　other　Confederate　vessels　waiting　on　the　flank：　three　kinds　of　danger　to　the　Union　fleet　if　one　false　movement　had　been　made。　But　Farragut's　touch　was　sure。　He　sent　his　ironclads　through　next　to　the　batteries；　which　were　only　really　dangerous　on　one　side。　This　protected　the　wooden　ships　against　the　batteries　and　the　ironclads　against　the　torpedoes；　for　the　Confederates　had　to　leave　part　of　the　fairway　clear　in　order　to　use　it　themselves。　Through　this　narrow　channel　the　four　strongly　armored　monitors　led　the　desperate　way；　a　little　ahead　and　to　starboard　of　the　wooden　vessels；　which　followed　in　pairs；　each　pair　lashed　together；　with　the　stronger　on　the　starboard　side；　next　to　Fort　Morgan。

The　Confederates　in　Fort　Morgan；　and　in　the　small　and　distant　Fort　Powell　on　the　other　side；　hardly　reached　a　thousand　men。　Their　force　afloat　was　also　comparatively　small：　the　ironclad　ram　Tennessee　and　three　side…wheeler　gunboats。　But　the　great　strength　of　their　position　and　the　many　dangers　to　a　hostile　fleet　combined　to　make　Farragut's　attack　a　very　serious　operation；　even　with　his　four　monitors；　eight　screw　sloops；　and　four　smaller　vessels。　The　Union　army；　which　took　no　part　in　this　great　attack；　was　over　five　thousand　strong；　and　lost　only　seven　men　in　the　land　bombardment　later　on。

Farragut　crossed　the　bar　in　the　Hartford　at　ten　past　six　in　the　morning　with　the　young　flood　tide　and　a　westerly　breeze　to　blow　the　smoke　against　Fort　Morgan。　All　his　ships　ran　up　the　Stars　and　Stripes　not　only　at　the　peak；　as　usual；　but　at　each　mast…head　as　well。　Farragut　himself　at　first　took　post　in　the　port　main　rigging。　But　as　the　smoke　of　battle　rose　around　him　he　climbed　higher　and　higher　till　he　got　close　under　the　maintop；　where　a　seaman；　sent　up　by　Captain　Drayton；　lashed　him　on　securely。

All　went　well　amid　the　furious　cannonade　till　the　monitor　Tecumseh；　taking　the　wrong　side　of　the　channel　buoy　in　her　anxiety　to　ram　the　Tennessee；　ran　over　the　torpedoes；　was　horribly　holed　by　the　explosion；　and　plunged　headforemost　to　th