Alabama and the Kearsarge: The Sailor's Civil War, The

The Alabama and the Kearsarge: The Sailor's Civil War. By William Marvel. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997. x, 337 pp. $34.95. ISBN 0-807S2294-9. On the morning of June 19, 1864, the USS Kearsarge was on watch outside the harbor at Cherbourg, France. Captain John A. Winslow carefully monitored his ship's position, keeping her just beyond French territorial waters. His gaze was fixed on the harbor. Finally, the lookout aloft called, "She's coming out." In the distance Winslow and his officers sighted the raked masts and belching funnel of the CSS Alabama.

Given a choice, the Alabama's captain, Raphael Semmes, would have preferred to remain in port, but French authorities had decided that international law compelled them to demand that the Alabama get underway because belligerent warships were not entitled to long stays in neutral ports. The Alabama's departure was anything but a secret; thousands had gathered to watch her try to battle her way out to sea. French sailors saluted from the rails of their ships, and according to one report, a navy band struck up "Dixie."

On board the Alabama the mood was somber. Semmes summoned the men aft. Speaking from atop a gun carriage, he talked to the grizzled tars about fame and glory. Perhaps the sailors, some of whom had been halfway around the world with their captain, thought more immediately of survival. For the Alabama-with her fouled bottom, cranky engines, and inferior firepower-seemed likely to be the loser in any contest with the Kearsarge.

For nearly two hours the Alabama and the Kearsarge did their deadly dance. The Confederate vessel never had a chance. Hit repeatedly by Union fire, the Alabama raised a white flag and, minutes later, sank beneath the waves. Of her crew of 146 men, 9 died in battle, 21 were injured, and at least 4 drowned-Semmes was among the survivors who escaped to England.

The Alabama's dramatic end matched her adventurous career. For nearly two years she had terrorized Union shipping, capturing or destroying more than sixty prizes worth $6 million. Controversy over her construction-she was built in England with the connivance of the British government-and her exploits embroiled the governments of the United States and England in a protracted diplomatic dispute that extended far beyond the end of the Civil War.

The Alabama's story has been told before but rarely so well or so completely. To make an old story fresh Marvel focuses on the men who sailed on these warships. He has carefully combed through manuscript collections in the United States and abroad to add new information to the story.

Walter Cronkite, an accomplished sailor as well as a newscaster, reputedly remarked that a day at sea consists of twenty-three hours of boredom followed by an hour of sheer terror-a fair description of life aboard the Kearsarge and the Alabama. As the Kearsarge searched for the elusive Alabama, Winslow and Semmes faced the unending problems of commanding restless men who passed time by gossiping, intriguing, complaining, and fighting among themselves. Only rarely did the sailors engage the enemy. Maintaining discipline under these conditions was a great challenge, especially for Semmes. Many of his crew were British, rather than Confederates, and the Alabama's long cruises took all the men far from home and news of home.

Marvel rightly points out that, despite moments of high drama and exaggerated reports, the damage the Alabama did to the Union merchant marine had virtually no effect on the outcome of the war. Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles had no intention of weakening the blockade by dispatching Yankee squadrons to track down Confederate raiders. Without taking anything away from the courage and skill of men like Semmes, it is fair to say that the Alabama and her sisters loom larger in Civil War history than their accomplishments merit.

Marvel has searched personal papers and naval archives so thoroughly that it is difficult to imagine anyone following in his wake. Marvel's objectivity and writing skill are to be admired.

WILLIAM M. FOWLER JR. Northeastern University

Copyright University of Alabama Press Jan 1999
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