THE ALABAMA IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 43, 15 February 1864, Page 3

THE ALABAMA IN THE INDIAN OCEAN.

■j (From the Penang Argus.) r The renowned. Confederate war -, steamer Alabama may yet throw the . good folks of our island into a state of _ pleasant excitement, similar to that f felt by the residents at Cape Town ! when 'she .captured the Sea Bride. r She appears to be cruising in the ! Indian Ocean on a sharp look out for , Pederal vessels ; our local contemporary mentions that she overhauled an. English merchantman, close to Singapore, and after examining her papers , let her go. She also bore down upon the Shunlee, while on her way to G-alle, whieh vessel escaped by displaying the British ensign. "We learn from the Ceylon Examiner that " the Georgia and another . Confederate vessel, the Tuscaloosa, had both put into Simon 'a Bay, and were evidently destined for a cruising expedition along the African coast. The latter had. captured the American ship Sautee, bound from Rangoon to Palmouth, but as she carried a valuable cargo belonging to British owners she was allowed to proceed on giving a bond for 150,000 dollars. Subsequently the v Churn clipper ship Snow Squall was fallen in with, but she managed to escape, being the faster of the two. We .hear that a telegram has just been received by a mercantile house here, which announces that no American ship now in Calcutta will venture out to sea, in consequence of a rumor to the effect that two vessels, answering to the description of the Georgia and. the Tuscaloosa have been recently seen in these waters. A special telegram for the Observer states that the Ploridahad captured the large American vessel Anglo-Saxon off" the coast of Ireland. It may interest oui' readers to know that up to the llth of May this Confederate steamer hacl destroyed £9,700,000 worth of Northern commerce." . While the Alabama was at anchor in Saklanha Bay, three seamen deserted from her. One of them reached Cape Town yesterday morning, and reported himself at the American Consulate, and gives the following account of his cruise in the Alabama : — " I was an ordinary seamen in the Louisa Hatch (American ship), captain Gr. Grant, laden with coals, and bound from Cardiff to Point de Galle. We were taken on the Sth April by the Confederate steamer Alabama. A prize crew was put on board our vessel, and the steainer kept us in company for a week. We. then put into the convict island of Peraandoreno, with the Alabama, when all the prisoners were lauded except three men — one man from Charleston, another from Holyhead, and myself — who did not wish to be landed on that coast, and preferred to join the crew of the Confederate. The Alabama coaled at this place, and while there saw two American whalers, which she went after and captured. These, together with the Louisa Hatch, were taken out to sea and burnt. Tlie next vessel she took after this was a whaler bound to the North Atlantic. I forget her name, for we took so many that no particular attention was given to the names. She was. made fire of, and the crew taken prisoners. The captain had liis wife and family with him ; they were all taken on board < the Alabama,. She afterwards captured • the Union Jack, a barque belonging to Boston, and bound, to China ; the ship Sea Lark, bound from New York to San Prancisco ; and the Dorcas Prince, ship, from New York to China, These vessels were also burnt, and the crews made prisoners; the captain of the last named had also his wife with him. We had now four crews on board, about 100 prisoners in all. The captains and their wives were not confined, or in irons ; they had steerage accommodation given them ; but the crews were handcuffed, and. had to sleep and live on deck — an officer being always on guard over them. They were all 'well treated, and had the same rations as the other, seamen. The -vessels which had been taken had valuable cargoes ; but nothing was taken . out of them excepting such stores as were wanting — fiour, beef, or pork, tobacco, raisins, preserves, spirits, and other small stores. With these prisoners we put into Bahia, in May, and landed them there. The Alabama stayed there about a week. After she had been there about twenty-four 'hours, another Confederate steamer, , the Georgia, came in, and wanted to coal out of an English barque in harbor ; but the Government stopped that, and she had to be supplied, like the Alabama, from shore. The Georgia is a screw steamer, differently built from the Alabama - she has two masts brig-rigged, and about 600 tons. Captain Maury is her commander — not Maury, the hydrographer,--(who is in England looking after Confederate interests there) but a cousin- of his. The crew wei'e j>artly English and Irish. She had taken one prize on the passage — a ship bound from Liverpool to Calcutta with salt. lier intended movements were kept secret. " We left Bahia, and steering right out to sea, captured the Amazonian, a barque bound from New York to Buenos Ayres, with passengers ; took all on board off', and set fire to her. We did not know then, which was afterwards stated, that she had some eight or nine thousand dollars of specie on board. The crew and passengers were transferred to a Danish schooner which Avas -going to Rio. After that we took the Talisman, bound from New York to China. She had four brass guns, besides some ammunition on board, and- these were taken from her.- Next we took a Philadelphia barque, bound . ffom Buenos Ayres to New York, with wool — a clipper barque painted lead color, and Captaiu.Semmes mid her fitted out as a privateer. Mr.

Low, the third oflicer, and a crew oi the Alabama (selected by lot) were put on board of her, Aviih the guns taken from the Talisman. She Avas taken on a Saturday, and on Sunday afternoon she hoisted the Confederate flag aud pendant, aad fired a gun. She was called the Tuscalooa, tho" name of a town in Alabama. We Ave re then pretty close to Rio. That niglit Ave spoke an Engligh. ship leaky, and Captain Semmes put the crew of the Talisman andthe Philadelphia back on board, and gave an order for them to the American Consul. We afterwards took the S. Gildersleeve, ship, Avith coals, from Shields to the East, and biu*nt hor,' the crew being taken on; also a Baltimore barque, from Rio to Baltimore. The chief officer was in charge of the latter vessel, as the captain had fallen overboard a few days before. She Avas ransomed by Captain Semmes, and the crew of 'the S. Gildersleeve was transferred to her. After that we took a ship belonging to New York; she had been at" St. Thomas's in distress," an'd was. bound to San Prancisco with a cargo of raihvay. iron. She was ransacked, and burnt the same evening. A sail in sight was observed shortly afterwards, and the Alabama gave chase. It Avas a beautiful moonlight night : the Alabama fired a gun to bring her to, and Avas answered in a moment by another gun. The Alabama furled all sail, got up steam, and all hands Avere beat to quarters, Avhile she Avent after the vessel, at the rate of fourteen knots an hour. In the chase, Ave passed the 8 ' burning vessel, and saw tAvo barques, one supposed to be an -American, close by her. The ship Ave were in chase of ran right past the burning vessel, a vith the Avind free and all sails set. Avith the exception of a reef iu the topsails. We ran right up alongside to her, and asked Avhat she Avas. She answered, Her Majesty's steam frigate Clio, 22 guns, and asked Avhat we Avere. She was told, the Confederate steamer Alabama, She then asked if avo had burnt the vessel, and if she Avas an American. We replied yes; The frigate then said she Avas bound home. We then parted company. We then captured the ship Express, loaded with guano, from Chinchabound to Antwerp. The captain, his Avife, and crew, were taken off, and together Avith the other captain and creAvon board, Avere trail sfered to an English ship, the Pride of Erin, homeAvard bound. This was between St. Helena and the Capo. We spoke several unimportant vessels, one bound from the East to Liverpool Ave saw on a Sunday : Ave fired a gun, but she didnot heave to, or slioav hor colors ; a second gun Avas then fired into her bows, Avhen sho hove to, put the mainyard back, and hoisted the ensign ; and Avhen Ave sent a boat on board the captain apologised, and stated th at al 1 J i ands had been bcloAv at .church. She had passengers on board, Avho cheered the Alabama. 'We also spoke a vessel bound to Melbourne, .tired a gun across her boAVs, and sent a boat on board; all the passengers and crew cheered our ship. We afterwards spoke the schooner Rover, bound for Table Bay, and subsequently another schooner, the captain of Avhich came on board the Alabama, and a man named Yankee John piloted us into Saldanha Bay, Avhcre Ave had the ship painted and fixed up. Wc then got plenty of fresh provisions, and the Atlas, Avhich came up from Cape Town, also supplied us Avith some. I left the vessel then, as I did not Avisli to remain any longer in that service, and had hoav a chance of getting to an English port." " The captain and officers of the Alabama are very much liked by all _the men, and the creAv are Avell treated. They are engaged for. three years at the rate of £4 10s. per month, besides prize money, and many of them have an arrangement by which their families in England receive one half their pay. The prize money is considerable ; -some of them say they have £1800 or £2000 coming to them. A register is kept of all ships taken, and accurate accounts forwarded by Captain Semmes to the Confederate Government. No full wages are paid, however, till the Avar is over ; but money is occasionally advanced for liberty. Everything on board is conducted the same as in the vessels of the United States NaA'y. She has got six broadside 38-pouud guns — but she is pierced for four at each side and four pivots. The cre-AV number about 150 men."