Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-09
The Fight with the Rebel Ram Al.
bemnrle.


mouth of Roanoke river, on the after
noon of May s, After describing the
operations of the Mattabessett and Wy
abusing, which ended in The surrender of
the rebel steamer Bombshell, the writer
proceeds to describe the encounter be-
tween the Sassacus and the Albemarle-
one of the most unusual and remarkable
naval conflicts of this or any other war,
in which the contending forces were so
remarkably disproportionate and the
result so contrary to preconceived ideas
of "iron-clad" invincibility, that 1t may
Justly claim to take an historical posi-
ton on the same page that records the
exploits of Decatur and John Paul
Jones
THE Albemarle was about eight hun
bred yards distant, and the Sassacus
was just in the position we most desired.
The ram appeared to be steaming slow
ly, as If waiting for events, but using
her guns rapidly all the time, throwing
l00-pounder Brookes rifle shot and shell
with spirit and energy. Fortune seemed
most favorable. and our intrepid com
mander, determined to close with our
antagonist, seized the opportunity with
out hesitation and ordering -four bells,
again and again repeated, as previously
arranged with the chief engineer, who
was acquainted with our design, the
ship was headed straight for what was
supposed to be the weakest part of the
ram, where her casemate or house Joined
the hull. Our fires were clean, we had
thirty pounds of steam, and with throt-
ties wide open, the Sassacus dashed at
her adversary. We seemed to move fright
fully slow, but each moment increased
our speed, as the intervening space grew
less, till we attained the rate of nine to
ten knots, when we struck our iron foe
a fair, perfect, right angled blow, with
out glance or Slide The shock to our
ship was not nearly so heavy as we had
expected. Something gave way. Was
it our ship? Were we cut down? No !!
thank Heaven it was the iron-clad, and
as her black hull was forced under by
our bow, till the water flowed over it
from side to side, we thought our foe
was going down, and could hardly re-
press a shout of eXultation, in answer
to the ringing cheer with which our
comrades on the Wyalusing greeted our
bold grapple with the monster.
After we struck her the ram drove q
10O-pounder Brooke's shot through and
through her, from starboard bow to port
side. Our stem was forced into her side
and keeping up our Roadway, we ca
reened her down beneath our weight,
and pushed her like an inert mass before
us, while, in profound silence, our gun
ners were training their heavy ordnance
to bear on the astonished enemy. Now
black muzzle protrudes from the rams
open port, and the leaders of our Par
rott rife, standing on the slide, serve
the gun within fifteen feet of that
yawning cannon mouth. 1t was a
grand reproduction of the old days of
'broadside to broadside, and 'yard-alm
locked to yard, but the immense guns,
now grinning defiance across the few
feet of space which separated them each
one carrying the weight of metal of a
whole tier of the old time carronades,
rendered this duel of ponderous ord
nance magnificent and imposing spec
tacle.
Still we pushed her broadside to, be-
fore US, our engine at full speed, press
ing our bow deeper and deeper into her.
Still she gave way, and now we threw a
hasty, anxious glance towards our con-
sorts. Were they coming to our assiS-
lance? Would they seize the golden
chance we so invitingiy held out to
them, and pushing on to the monsters
unguarded side, help US to crush her
down, out of sight forever? Not a
sound not movement, not gun. All
was quiet as the night throughout our
feet. 1t was a grapple for life. A silent
but fearful struggle for the mastery, re-
lieved only by the sharp, scattering vol
leys of musketry, the Nhizzing of leaden
bullets, and the deep, mutfied explosion
of hand grenades, which the brave fell
lows in our forctop was throwing in the
enemy's hatch, driving back their sharp
shooters, and creating CONSERVATION and
dismay among the closely packed crew
of the iron-clad; but not until our pilot
house and smokestack had been spatter-
ed all over with the indentations OF rife
| balls. No one had yet fallen. We had
| thrown shot and shell square into hel
pOIIS lIOiu Jul IIIcu guns OH Int uuITl
cane deck, and driven volley after vol
ley of musketry through every apera-
ture in her iron shield, and now our
heavy 100-pounder was training for an.
other crushing blow.
Presently a movement was felt in the
two ships. Weheard a crashing of tim
bers as at the moment of collision The
ram was swinging under our starboard
bow, and now suddenly the vessel trem
bled with the shock, as our 100 FOUNDER
and that Of the enemy Numbered at each
other with a simultaneous roar. Anoth-
| er sound, more fearful than bursting
shells or belching cannon, now reached
our ears The terrible sound of Embossed
unmanagable steam, rushing in tremen-
dous volumes, seething and Kissing as
| it spread, till both combatants were hid
| den in a dense, suffocating cloud of sti.
fling vapor. Her shot had pierced oul
| boiler, and all was lost! No! not lost
! yet Our sharp false stem, which had
cut deeply into the side Of the ram, now
gave way as she forced herself ahead
! across our bow, crushing and bruising
| our more delicate craft in her progress
and this stem thus wrenched off, allowed
tho two vessels to swing side nv side