oremost into the depths of the
Atlantic.

In the midst of the wild confusion a boat from the _Alabama_, under
charge of the English master's mate, came alongside, announcing that the
_Alabama_ had surrendered and begging for help. On the promise of this
man to return, Winslow allowed him to go back to the aid of the drowning
crew, but instead of keeping his pledge, he took refuge on the yacht
_Deerhound_, which was circling about and doing all it could for the
struggling wretches in the water. Among those picked up was Captain
Semmes, who had flung his sword into the sea and leaped overboard as his
ship was going down. He was suffering from a painful wound in the hand,
and when helped on board of the _Deerhound_ was in an exhausted
condition. The captain of the yacht, after picking up thirty-nine men,
including a number of officers, instead of delivering them to Captain
Winslow, as he was in honor bound to do, edged away from the scene, and,
putting on all steam, did not pause until he reached Southampton. The
_Kearsarge_ picked up the men that remained and took them into
Cherbourg.

In this famous battle the _Kearsarge_ had only 1 killed and 2 wounded,
while Semmes lost 40 killed and 70 taken prisoners. The Confederate
commander and his sympathizing British friends offered all sorts of
excuses for his defeat. Some of them were ingenious, but none was the
true one. The cause of the sinking of the _Alabama_ was the same as that
which gave us so many wonderful naval victories in the War of 1812. Our
vessels were manned by Americans, while the _Alabama_ was really an
English ship, armed with English guns and manned and fought by an
English crew: there's the truth in a nutshell.

Captain Winslow received the promotion to the grade of a commodore which
he had so gallantly won. He died in 1873. It was a source of regret
throughout the country that on the night of February 2, 1894, the
_Kearsarge_ was wrecked off Roncador Reef, while on a voyage from
Port-au-Prince, Hayti, to Bluefields, Nicaragua. None of her crew was
drowned, but the vessel itself was lost, despite every effort to save
her.

CHAPTER XXVII.

An Unexpected Preacher--Andrew Hull Foote--His Character and Early
Career--His Brilliant Services in the War for the Union.

One Sunday morning early in the Civil War a large assemblage had
gathered in a prominent church in a Western city for the purpose of
worship. But the hour for opening the services