A Sloop of War is built:
Named for New Hampshire’s Mount Kearsarge, and built in the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine the USS Kearsarge served with distinction during the Civil War. In 1861 the Union enacted the American Civil War Emergency Shipbuilding Program in order to stem the tide of Confederate raiders and bolster the North’s presence along the American and European coasts. Launched on September 11, 1861 and commissioned Jan 24, 1862, the Kearsarge departed from Portsmouth on February 5, 1862 to the coast of Spain and on to Gibraltar. Eliminating Confederate raiding ships was her primary mission, and it was a battle with the CSS Alabama that made the Kearsarge legendary. Carrying twin 11” Dahlgren guns, four 32-pound cannons, and one 30-pound rifle, the Kearsarge was a formidable enemy, one that the South would soon learn about first hand. As one of the prime Confederate raiders, the CSS Alabama had entered into seven successful raids across the world’s seas. Learning that the Alabama was in close proximity, Captain Pickering sailed the Kearsarge the length of the European Atlantic coast searching for his target. Arriving in Cherbourg, France on June 14, the Kearsarge took up a patrol pattern along the harbor’s entrance, preventing Alabama from any escape. Realizing that his ship was trapped, Captain Semmes of the Alabama sent word to Captain Pickering requesting that the Kearsarge allow the Alabama to refuel and restock ammunition before entering into an honorable firefight. Ever the gentleman, Captain Pickering consented, moving the Kearsarge into international waters and awaiting the Alabama’s entry.
The Battle of Cherbourg:
On June 19 the Alabama was restocked and ready to meet her fate, sailing out to firing range of the Kearsarge. Captain Semmes ordered his crew to open fire on the Kearsarge, perhaps prematurely, as the distance was too great to allow any accuracy. Waiting until the Alabama was in firing range, Captain Pickering began a slow circle at about 1,000 yards distance. The Alabama continued to fire on the Kearsarge, though at a complete disadvantage; first, much of Alabama’s artillery had been rendered ineffective after months at sea, and second, the Kearsarge had secretly been armored the previous year. Stopping in the Azores to refuel and repair, iron chain armor was added to her hull, covered by 1” thick wood boards painted black to match the Kearsarge’s hull. While Alabama made two direct hits on the Kearsarge, the 32-pound shells had merely dented the hull. Returning fire, the Kearsarge quickly sunk the Alabama, rescuing the majority of her crew while Captain Semmes fled with 41 crew members aboard the British ship Deerhound.
The USS Kearsarge Sinks:
For her actions in stopping a prominent Confederate raider, 17 crew members of the Kearsarge received Medals of Honor, and the ship herself was awarded a Battle Star. For the next thirty years the Kearsarge sailed across the globe in non-military capacity; from the Caribbean to the South Pacific, and from the Asian Pacific Coast to the cold seas of Russia, she protected American shipping, trade, and sailors. After returning to Boston and sailing through the North Atlantic, the Kearsarge was again sent to the Caribbean and West Indies, where she struck a reef off of Haiti on February 2, 1894 and sunk, ending her illustrious career at sea. Fortunately the crew and officers survived the wreck, and the legend of the USS Kearsarge lived on.
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
