Alabama for raking. The fire of the Kearsarge being again reserved, boats were lowered and an officer in one of them came alongside at ten minutes past twelve o'clock and surrendered the Alabama. Six officers and sixty-four men were brought on board the Kearsarge. At ten minutes past three o'clock the Kearsarge let go her anchor in seven fathoms water.

In an engagement of one hour and ten minutes, the great superiority of the American vessel and gunnery was evinced, and the British corsair struck her colors while in a sinking condition, and went down in the waves of the British channel. The crew of the Alabama had suffered serious loss in the combat, and the wounded were engulfed with the vessel, while some eighty or ninety of the survivors, among whom was Captain Semmes, were left struggling in the waves.

The Alabama was accompanied from Cherbourg by an English private yacht, the Deerhound, owned and sailed by Mr. John Lancaster, a warm friend and sympathizer with Semmes. When the Alabama lowered her flag the boats of the Kearsarge were immediately put out to save the survivors, and Captain Winslow signalled to the yacht and two French pilot boats to assist in this work of humanity. Lancaster picked up Semmes and several others of the officers and crew, and, regardless of the neutrality of his country, steamed off to Cowes, and set them at liberty. One hundred and fifteen of the crew reached the shores of England and France.

The Alabama is reported to have discharged three hundred and seventy or more shot and shell in this engagement, but inflicted no serious damage on the Kearsarge. Thirteen or fourteen took effect in and about the hull, and sixteen or seventeen about the masts and rigging.

The Kearsarge fired one hundred and seventy-three projectiles, of which one alone killed and wounded eighteen of the crew of the Alabama, and disabled one of her guns.

Three persons were wounded on the Kearsarge.

The rebel privateer Florida was captured in the port of Bahia, Brazil, on the 7th of October, 1864, by the United States war-steamer Wachusett, Captain N. Collins. The particulars of that capture may be briefly detailed.

The Florida arrived at Bahia on the night of the 6th of October. Bahia is in the bay of San Salvador, on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, eight hundred miles northeast from Rio Janeiro. The Florida came there to get coal and provisions, and to repair her engine. Mr. Wilson, U. S. Consul at Bahia, protested to the Brazilian Government against the Florida's admission to the port, and asked that a penalty should be exacted from her for burning a United States vessel within Brazilian waters, near the

Island of Fernando de Norenha. The Government answered the protest respectfully, but decreed that the Florida was rightfully in a neutral port. The Wachusett was also in port at that time. Captain Collins challenged the Florida to go out and fight, but the challenge was declined. Thereupon he determined to capture the rebel steamer and carry her away. This design was put into execution on the night of October 7th, at which time Captain Morris, of the Florida, and many of the crew were on shore. The Wachusett ran into the Florida, striking her on the quarter, and at the same time carrying away her mizen-mast and mainyard. Little or no resistance was offered to the capture. A hawser from the Wachusett was made fast to the Florida, and so the latter was towed to sea. Twelve officers and fifty-eight seamen were captured with her.

From Bahia she was taken to St. Thomas, where several of the prisoners were transferred to the U. S. sloop-of-war Kearsarge, Captain Winslow, for transportation to Boston. The Florida, meanwhile, furnished with a crew of loyal Americans, sailed from St. Thomas to Fortress Monroe, where, on the 28th of the same month, she was accidentally run into by an army transport, and sunk in nine fathoms of water.

The Florida was built in England for the Italian Government-it was said—but was purchased by rebel agents in Liverpool, and surreptitiously sent to sea in the rebel service in March, 1862. She was about seven hundred and fifty tons burthen, carrying three masts and two smoke. stacks.

The most formidable, and also the most destructive of all the rebel privateers during the rebellion, was an iron-clad steamer of great speed, known as the Shenandoah, built and fitted out for the rebels in a British port. She was more than a match for the majority of American warvessels, and roamed the ocean undisputed, at one time destroying the whaling and fishing vessels by scores in the North Atlantic, and again intercepting the richly laden China and India merchant vessels, carrying on her devastation for months after the surrender of the rebel armies, and the destruction of all semblance of a Confederate government. She was finally surrendered by her commander to the British authorities and delivered to the United States Consul at Liverpool in November, 1865.

THE ST. ALBANS RAID.
OCTOBER 19, 1864.

During the whole course of the rebellion Canada was a place of refuge for numerous rebels of all grades, from the special minister and envoy to foreign powers, or the quasi general, to the lowest incendiary, who by a certain party were all well treated, and allowed social privileges. Many plots were there formed, for the purpose of inflicting injury on the American cause, all of which found warm sympathizers and abettors among the anti-Federal Canadians.

Early in October a party of Confederates was organized by Bennet H. Young, an officer holding a commission from Jefferson Davis, who appointed a rendezvous on the Canada line, for the purpose of crossing to Vermont and robbing the banks at St. Albans.

St. Albans is a flourishing town, situated three miles east of Lake Champlain, twenty-three miles from Rouse's point-where the railroads converge, going north-and sixteen miles from the Canada line. The raid was made upon it on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 19th October. Business hours had not passed and the banks, were still open. The attacking party numbered twenty-five or thirty persons. These men had come over from Canada and quietly congregated at the various hotels in St. Albans, holding no noticeable communication and awakening no suspicion. Their plan was a bold one, and was successfully executed. On the day mentioned, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, they suddenly congregated, in squads, and made a simultaneous attack on the St. Albans, the Franklin county, and the First National Banks. At each bank they drew their revolvers, threatening instant death to all the officers present if any resistance was made. They then robbed the drawers and vaults of all specie, bills, and other valuable articles that they could lay their hands upon.

At the St. Albans bank these ruffians compelled the tellers to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederate Government. At the Franklin bank they thrust the cashier, Mr. Beardsley, together with a Mr. Clark, into the safe, and left them, where they must infallibly have suffocated, but for the timely arrival of assistance, after the robbers had decamped.

At the First National bank some resistance was made to them, by Mr. Blaisdell, one of the bank officers. But, in general, they met with no opposition. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that at first the citizens were panic-stricken, and the utmost confusion prevailed in the town.