captain semmes commanded the alabama, and off cherbourg he sent a challenge to the kearsarge, commanded by captain winslow, who accepted it, and so worked his vessel that the alabama had to move round him in a circle, while he filled her up with iron, lead, copper, tin, german silver, glass, nails, putty, paint, varnishes, and dye-stuff. at the seventh rotation the alabama ran up the white flag and sunk with a low mellow plunk. the crew was rescued by captain winslow and the english yacht deerhound, the latter taking semmes and starting for england.