munitions of war, coal, and all the clothing for
the men. While these were being transferred,
there arrived also the screw steamer Bahama,
with more stores, two thirty-two pounders, all
the guns being furnished by Fawcett, Preston,
and Co., of Liverpool, and a fire-proof chest
containing fifty thousand dollars in English
sovereigns, and the same amount in bank bills;
having on board also the future officers of the
newly-built privateer, Commander Raphael
Semmes and officers of the Confederate steamer
Sumter. On Sunday, the twenty-fourth of
August, 'sixty-two, Captain Semmes formally
took command of the Confederate States
steamer Alabama, eight guns. John Latham,
who was among the crew of the Bahama who
signed articles to serve as a fireman on board
the Alabama, and who being afterwards
dismissed from the ship made depositions at Liverpool
to the United States consul, of which copies
were forwarded to the British government, thus
describes the manner of the start:

"On Sunday, the 24th of August, Captain
Semmes came on board the Bahama, and called
us under the bridge, he himself and the officers
standing on the bridge; he addressed us and said:

"' Now, my lads, there is the ship (pointing
to the Alabama); ' she is as fine a vessel as ever
floated; there is a chance which seldom offers
itself to a British seaman, that is, to make a
little money. I am not going to put you alongside
of a frigate at first; but after I have got
you drilled a little, I will give you a nice little
fight.' He said, 'There are only six ships that
I am afraid of in the United States navy.' He
said, ' We are going to burn, sink, and destroy
the commerce of the United States; your prize-money
will be divided proportionately according
to each man's rank, something similar to the
English navy.' Some of the men objected,
being Naval Reserve men. Captain Semmes
said, 'Never mind that, I will make that all
right; I will put you in English ports where
you can get your book signed every three
months.' He then said, 'There is Mr. Kell on
the deck, and all those who are desirous of going
with me let them go aft, and give Mr. Kell their
names.' A great many went aft, but some refused.
A boat came from the Alabama, and
those who had agreed to go went on board.
Captain Semmes and the officers went on board.
Mr. Low, the fourth lieutenant, then appeared
in uniform, and he came on board the Bahama,
endeavouring to induce the men to come
forward and join, and he succeeded in getting the
best part of us. I was one who went at the
last minute. When I got on board the
Alabama, I found a great number of men that had
gone on board of her from Liverpool. Captain
Semmes then addressed us on board the Alabama,
and Captain Butcher was there also, who
had taken the vessel out. Captain Semmes said
he hoped we all should content ourselves and be
comfortable one amongst another; but any of
you that thinks he cannot stand to his gun I
don't want. He then called the purser, and
such as agreed to serve signed articles on the
companion-hatch, and on signing, the men
received either two months' pay in advance, or
one month's wages and a half-pay note."

According to this man's list, while the chief
officers of the Alabama were transatlantic, only
four or five chief petty officers and one seaman
of the sixty-six men forming the petty officers
and seamen of the crew were from the
Confederate States, forty-six being English, and ten
Scotch, Irish, or Welshmen, besides here and
there a German or a Portuguese.

The Alabama was one of two privateer vessels
built in England at the same time and at the
cost of the Confederate government, by order
of the same agent, Captain Bullock. The other
privateer, the Oreto, afterwards called the
Florida, also contrived to elude Custom House
seizure.

Of life on board the Alabama we have a lively
sketch in a pamphlet published at Liverpool,
describing, through the brief and business-like
journal of an officer on board— the acting
master's mate— The Cruise of the Alabama, from
her Departure from Liverpool until her Arrival
at the Cape of Good Hope.

On the day following that Sunday, the twenty-fourth
of August, 'sixty-two, on which Captain
Semmes took formal command of the ship, the
cruise was begun. Brigs, barques, and brigantines
were chased, and one was boarded, but
they showed French or Portuguese colours, and
the first prize was not taken until the fifth of
September, when a ship showing American
colours was boarded, and proved to be the
Ochmulgee, whaler, of Martha's Vineyard, with
a valuable sperm whale fast alongside. Possession
was taken of her, her crew and all desirable
stores being transferred to the Alabama. Only
the American-born prisoners were ironed. Next
day this prize was burnt, and the schooner
Starlight, of Boston, with passengers from Fayal
to Flores was chased and captured. On the
next day but one the passengers and crew of
the captured schooner were landed at Flores
from the Alabama, and on that day chase was
given to the barque Ocean Rover, of New
London, with a valuable cargo of whale oil on
board. Prisoners and stores having been
transhipped, the Rover was scuttled, but her buoyant
cargo kept her above water. Next day the
barque Alert, of New Bedford, was found not
alert enough to escape capture, and a bonfire
was made of the Alert, and of the Ocean Rover,
and of the schooner Starlight. On the same
day there was another schooner taken, English
colours having, in each case of capture, been
shown by the Alabama till the boarding officer
was on the lost vessel's deck.

Having landed prisoners at Flores, and
received a visit from the governor, the Alabama
sailed again, captured, on the 13th, an American
brigantine, the Altamaha, of Sippican, and on
the day following the whaling ship Benjamin
Tucker, of New Bedford. The journalist, who
was on this occasion boarding officer, describes
here the Alabama's usual way of pouncing as
sea-hawk on the sea-pigeons.