"CSS Alabama " Topic

Reading this interesting article about the CSS Alabama…

link

Took my atention this part:

"…The transfer was completed on August 24. Semmes assembled twenty-four officers and 120 enlisted sailors (the vast majority being Englishmen) to announce his intentions. He said, "We are going to burn, sink, and destroy the commerce of the United States." …"

So, if mostly of the crew of a Confederate ship was british and they became prisioners of war, did they be considered by the Union as "neutrals"? Or they became common prisioners as any other Rebel soldier/sailor?

Could british citizens under the flag of the Confederation protest if they were treated with the rigor of war by the Union?
Could they managed to be free by their special "status"?
If not, what did the British government for them once they became prisioners?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand

The issue was not confined just to the open sea. There were a host of foreign nationals who joined the union almost literally off the immigration boat. Bottom line… You join the army or navy and are captured you are a POW of the enemy , notwithstanding your ostensible nationality.

Joining the military force of a warring nation negates your status as a neutral. If captured you are treated as a PoW. In fact the presence of so many British sailors in the Alabama's crew caused a diplomatic incident and was brought up by the US post-war in the "Alabama Claims". in which Britain was found liable for some of the damages caused by the Southern Raiders built in Britain.

Very interesting!.
Thanks for your guidance boys!

Amicalement
Armand

I thought most of the CSS Alabama crew was interned in France where the Ship was sunk.

Or did the USS Keersage rescue all of the CSA sailors?

Foreign nationals under the colors of either country would be treated as POWs. As mentioned both sides had foreign nationals enlist whether emmigrants or mercenaries.

I believe in re: jowady's comment that it wasn't that the crew was captured, it was the fact that most of them were British – in a British-built vessel that was the issue when it came to affixing blame in the "Alabama Claims".

The Keersage picked up most of the Alabama's crew, but as they did, they accepted help from the Deerhound, a British yacht. Once the 41 cremen were abord the Deerhound, she fled back to port, allowing them to be interned in France rather than held as POWs by the US.

So, to be British born had their advantages!.

Amicalement
Armand