The CSS Alabama is said to be the most successful commerce
raider in history. She was commissioned by the Government of the Confederate States of
America from Laird’s yard in Birkenhead, England in 1861 but as far as the yard was
concerned she was ordered by a private individual, James Dunwoody Bulloch. Bulloch was in
reality one of the Confederate Purchasing Agents operating in Liverpool.
The Alabama was, within the confines of the budget, to be one of the
finest vessels and some of her specifications were to be in accordance with those of
‘Her Majesty’s service’. Britain had had recently launched their new
ironclad warship, H.M.S. Warrior, a vessel so advanced the Admiralty had no classification
for her and Confederate spies had managed to get on board whilst she was being fitted out.
Although Laird’s were renowned for their iron ships the Alabama was to be of wooden
construction because Bulloch realised that not every port around the globe had the
facilities to repair an iron vessel. Therefore she was to be constructed of the finest
English oak with iron fastenings and her bottom was to be copper sheathed to prevent
fouling.
Bulloch’s ship was known simply be her keel number ‘290’
and although the Confederates hoped to keep her purpose secret it was common knowledge
around Liverpool of her true intent. Federal agents employed by the U.S. Consul in
Liverpool, Thomas Haines Dudley, had followed Bulloch’s every move waiting for him to
fall foul of the Foreign Enlistment Act. However, as Bulloch and his fellow agents were
ostensibly private individuals the British government was powerless to act without
positive proof.
The ‘290’ was launched on the 14th May 1862 when she was named
‘Enrica’. In June she undertook sea trials with a small crew under the command
of Matthew J. Butcher, a highly regarded Cunard officer. Bulloch and a party of
dignitaries were on board. Only Bulloch and Butcher knew that there was no intention of
returning to Liverpool and arrangements had already been made for the visitors to be
return when it was announced that as the sea trials were going so well Butcher had decided
to remain at sea overnight to complete them. The Alabama was in fact already on her way to
the Azores where she would be handed over to Raphael Semmes who was to commander her until
her loss at the hands of the U.S.S. Kearsage off Cherbourg, France in 1864.
The small crew was increased by a further 40, recruited from Liverpool,
off the coast of Anglesey, Wales. More sailors from all parts of Britain joined from the
supply ships waiting to load arms and other necessary stores and the majority remained
until the end.
Following the fatal engagement several vessels assisted in picking up
survivors, the main ones being a French fishing vessel and two private English yachts, the
Deerhound and the Hornet. Semmes with some of his officers and crew were rescued by the
Deerhound, a steam yacht, which landed them at the neutral port of Southampton, Hampshire
on the southern cost of England. The Hornet being only sail landed their survivors in
Cherbourg.
Today the ‘Alabama Crew’ is often to be found on board the
restored H.M.S. Warrior (1860) at the historic naval dockyard in Portsmouth just along the
coast from Southampton. |
