Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-11-10
The Rebel Ram AIbemarIe How She
was Destroyed.
The most Daring and Romantic Ep-
tsode Of the War.
lFron ths Esw York Tgibune.1
FeETREss MoSRog, Va,

kRhSM Ans Ns% A0Fk EsibAns
FoETREss MoSRog, Va,
November /, 1854
The most interesting event have Il
notice is the sudden appearance amons
as OF Lieut.. w. B. Cushing. commandel
OF the " Monticello" whose recent won
derful exploit in the Roanoke river il
going to electrify the nation from on,
end to the other, when they come Il
learn the particulars. | had the pleas
ure Of being personally introduced q
Lieut.. Cushing to-day, in company viii
Paymaster j. Forey, also OF the Monti
cello. and other naval officers, so that
had the best opportunity of gaining cor.
rect information from those who were ia
position to Enow all the circum,
stances.
make this little prelude respecting
authenticity, because there 10 something
so unusual, suca marvellous human
daring, in the events / am about to mar
rate, as very naturally TO draw largely
upon the creduiity OF the general reader
II will be remembered how conspicu
Gus part this rebel monitor-so long
the terror of our feet in tie inland wa.
ters OF North Carolina-played in the
desperate fght when Plymouth was
taken, and on which occasion she sunk
the South6eld. When she attacked the
Miami, q shot from the latter rebounded
from the armored side Of the monster.
killing the Miami's commander, Charles
w. Flusser, as brave q man as ever trod
the deck of = man-of.war. Fusser was
Gushing intimate friend, and from that
hour he inwardly vowed vengeance
against the Albemarle, and revenge be
has just now so signally gratifed.
IL was on the night Of the 9th inst,
tkat Lieutenant Cushing, acting under
orders from Rear-Adniral Porter, sal.
lied forth with twelve other men, in q
little boat no longer than ships launch,
and with no other armament than one
l2Tpoand howitzer, to destroy the Able.
marie. On going up the canal be found
the lock broken, but discovered o creek,
leading he hardly knew where, but which
vas the only route open to him. Fortu-
nately, this creek, after some difficult
windinga, led back TO the canal, By which
he Inanagad to find his way to the Roam
oke river. Here he found that the
southheld, which was sunk BY the Abe
ma=le last spring, had been converted
into a defense, and rebel picket sta.
toned on her He, Of course, expected
to be hailed by them, and had made
every preparation for attack, but owing
to the darkness of the night be passed
them unpercsived. He then went un.
molested up the river until he arrived at
the city Of Plymouth, about 2:30 a. m.
Nov be came plump upon the object
OF his search, securely fastened to the
wharf, but surrounded by a number oI
logs, about thirty feet from her, and de.
nying all approach for the purpose oil
hloviug her up, The rebels, not know.
ing what 10 make OF their strange visi
tor, called out frequently: "What boat
Is that77 but the only reply was . rat
ting discharge Of grape from the iittls
howitzer, as the dauntless boats crew
went feeling round the logs, to see II
there were any means of iugress to the
ram, amid shower Of bullets from the
nov aroused enemy Finding no posi-
BILE ingress, and determined not to he
banked in bis object, Lieutenant Cush
ing resolved 10 put his boat at and oge1
The logs to get into the Enclosure. In
this almost insanely daring effort hs
very nearly succeeded. bat not quite
for the stern Of the boat caught and wai
held fast by the logs in her miraculoul
leap Conceive the eoolness and deter.
animation of men in such position, de
| liberately gcing to plant torpedo under
the Albemarle They did il Is it struck
| the bottom and by some mechanical con
trivance, informed Lieutenant GUSHING
exactly when to pull the string, a bal
struck the wrist Of bis right hand which
held the string, fortunately onIy grains
the skin, for had his hand been disabled
the Albemarle would now be in exist
ence. The string was pulled--the dead
| sub-aquerus report took place, knocking
hole clean through the bottom Of thl
/ enemy, which at the same instant o
time, and as she went down, sent q ter
rife discharge from large gun ant
howitzer into the launch, knocking it /,
pieces and sending its inmates woundet
aud hoandering in the water
Itis now a question of sauve qui psni
AL that Lieutenant Gushing remember
is taking of his coat aud boots, and
being an expert swimmer, striking q
best he could for the opposite shore, il
the darkness Of the night, and unde
cover of the intense prevailing excite
ment 0ut of she whole thirty, only on
.ether man--HofmAn, a seaman of tn
Chieokee-escaped, but how, / did no
learn. The others are supposed to hav
been either killed, wounded or take
prisoners. All this occurred about ) 4
NJ, eff the 2Sth.
Once fairly away from the immediat
scene Of danger, Lieuk Cushing swar
down the river about half mile, &c
ashore in the opposite side, and hid bin
| self among the bushes till daylight
Once while there, with a pathway 0
each side of him, be heard officers pas
ing and talking about the AIbsmarl.
he laid fat on his back, aud, endeavol
ing to compress himself iHso as small
surface as possible, pushed himself alou
By means of his elbows and heels unit
be was out of their reach, when he veI
tared upon his feet and hurried alons
bus cautiously. After while be cam
to picket-station, where be deseTied
skilf standing alone. The owners wer
doubtless at breakfast, comparing note
about the extraordinary events of b
night, when our hero quietly took po
session ofthe very accommodating Graf
aad, after eight hours pulling, joine
the feet in Albemarle Sound, amid Il
l reJolelngs and congratulations Of b
comradea
Bat this is not the 6rst exploit
? Lieut. Cushing. He seems to have
fancy for adventures of this sort. Du
! ing the blockade of Washington. son