During the fight this part of the ship was hit only twice, so that the protection, if it be considered such, bore an unimportant part in the battle itself.
Captain Winslow was determined that no question about neutral waters should be raised.

Accordingly, as the _Alabama_ approached, he steamed out to sea, as if running away from his antagonist.

Another object he had in mind was to prevent the _Alabama_, in case she was crippled, from escaping by running into the harbor.
When the _Kearsarge_ had reached a point some seven miles from land, she swung around and made directly for the _Alabama_, although such a course exposed her to the raking broadsides of the enemy.

Reading his purpose, Semmes slowed his engines and sheered off, thus presenting his starboard battery to the _Kearsarge_.

When the vessels were about a mile apart, the jets of fire and smoke from the side of the _Alabama_, followed by the reverberating boom of her cannon, showed that she had fired her first broadside.