, 1874-12-19


ton, had poaaossod himself Of tho Adjutan- -Goi,-
oral's papers and pinns, md waH fn htB boat
nga!n mud In tho middle OF tho stroam boforo tho
outraged rebos had gains their aensos, or had
aud calla; aud whio tho signal-liglts wero flas.
lug to tho forta bolow, and
TIE LONG ROLL CALLING 70 AnMs,
i1o was pulling quietly aboard ha ship, md cur,
Tg The onst ds; GagneGt5 a tst Of tho saene
with his commander, III not oxnotly what ho had
promised, Mt loast tho noxt boat thing. Thoro
boipg occasion Oh tho following day to Ron'l In
nag Of truce, q noto was dispatched by it, Of
which cony IL givon holow:
Mr. Dean GENERAL: 1cory regret TINT you wcrc
respectfully, ~ II. j. Ousil1so.
OF courao, after tho frat burst Of indignation,
tlo natter was taken, yory goood-naturedly by
DO tho worry climax OF impudenco, aud Lieut..
Gushing was glyon worry aistEnctly to understand
that llis experiment could not bo ropoated,-a
Eago which llo had no opportunity to tako up
until Tho following juno.
ANOTHER nEs,AnKAnIE EXPLOIT.
Ills expedition originally conceived to capture
the rebel ironclad lsalogh, doomed to lisap-
roinsmcnt by tho obstruction Of that vessol Oh h
eand-bar. and turned to groat adrantaga III d
rcconnoitro Of tho enemy, gained linn onco moro
tho thinks OF tho Navy Department. At 81 Ao
was promoted to the rank OF Lieutenant Cont
rnander, in recognition Of Ills destruction of tho
rohol ram Automatic, M ironclad, modelled
aftor tho 11orrinao Which had roBstel tho
leayioat riflod ordinance in tho navy. Directly
upon lia promotion ho took command Of tho
fag.ahip Malvern. Wo quote again from Uar-
i@rs:
During tho brief ccsHation Of moro active op-
crationa against the Wilmington fortB, Com
,nander Gushing offered hattla to tho Chtoka-
Nf1HIt1 f1J1ff r nv
hnt tho chalteugo boiug declined. ho drove q
lnrgo b!oclsato-runpor anho,o unlor her uose
and returnod to- tho doot, which On tho 18th Of
January resumed tho attack upon the forts, tho
clails, frigatcs, sloops ct war, aud guuboats.
An assault being ordered aftor n three DAYS
bo1nbartlmont, Commander Gushing, with other
officers, accompanied tho forco Of sailors and
Fisher. Nlnrching to within n fow hundred yards
Of tue emprnsllres, the enti1o body throw them
selves down nnder tho Blopo Of tim bonch, whit
ing for tho signal of attack, tho whole iirc of tile
navy passing with dcafoning noiHo just over
their heads
BrRlNGlSa TO TIE1n FEET
at tho word Of command, thoy moved forward
steadily osor tho soft whito sand, which tho
sunshine mat1o dazzling, and tho reliet OF which
rondercd ovory officer ia bis uniform of blue aud
golll.lace-assd, inaccd every 1nal,-l conspfcl-
o,,B target, tho robols meanwhile pouring forth
III uncoasing iiro tint cut down their foes in
windows. Finding himself alono at last, just
after roaohing tho palisades, Commander Cusla-
croBs 100 yards OF tho baro sanl with tho
bullets patsosing about him In such wise that 1t
see1ns ~ il ho must have borne q charmed life.
Most OF tho ranking ollcors were either dead or
badly woundel by thnt tiino, or cl*o remaining
uuder shelter OF tho palisades till night-fall-
nloro Fortunate thau ther comrades, who. drop-
ping Oil the boacll, woro swept ont TO sea by tho
rising and falling tlao-ho thoEotoro assumed
hundreds Of men With great ofort. ho was again
proceeding TO tho assault. when requested to
relieve with them a regiment which went to tho
aasistauce OF tho army on tho othor sldo, which
waB operating to such effect undor tho gallant
Gen. Ames that boforo midnight tho works Ind
surrendered.
DESTRUCTION OF THE ALng.1ANLE.
It would DO easy to 60 on ounmcratnE tho
days Of .lfs young officer By liis valiant deeds
to tell Of thu capture OF small towns, Of great
examining tho distractions before Fort Andcr-
Son, and going so cloao In that ono night, exnB-
poratod BY tho speech-uaakiug and carousal
lhcre ho sent bullet vhistling through tho MS
touiBhed merry makers, aud III consequence very
nearly robbed tho navy OF ono Of it's brightest
ornaments by tho storm OF grapo that Instantly
scattered the wntcr about him Of his construct
] ing mock-monitor Out Of au old nat-hoat and
| aotne painted canvas, aud sendng her past tho
| fort OH tha nigllt-tido ao that tho commaudant,
| knowing tho army to bo IN bis roar, and seeing
tlloguubonts gaining tho stream above, abandoned
his forttfcatious without spilsinS tho guns. But
nh account las not yot boon given Of tho great
Get of lis nclioyomcnts. and it IL perhaps
enough to closo with tho story Of his destruction
| Of the Albenlarle-a mora daring and Bplrltca
| act than We can Gull to mind ont Of tho records
| VI any navy.
THE ALnEafAnLE,
as II has been mentioned, was an ironc}RA OF
tremendous strength. which lad already tofcatcd
tho whole Federal fleet. sunk tic Houthflold, cx-
| plodel tile boiler OF tho Sassacus. engaged nine
! foea at onco without danger TO hcraef, forced
tho surrenor Of brigade aR tnS h don @
eral forces. Tlo Government having no iron
cads capable Of crossing Hattoras bar and ctt-
countesitg her, all its operations IN that SECTION
| were rendered practically useless by tho Alpe-
,nar!e's presence there, and tho expouHo Of the
squadron necessary to keep watch upon her
| movements was something enormous. In this
emergency Lieut.. Gushing submitted two plans
| TO Admiral Lee Tor the rams destruction. The
Admiral approved Of QUO Of thcn, and sent ita
protector to Washington to lay it before the sec-
rotary ot tho Navy, md tho latter, though Mt
first little doubtful Of It's merit, finally author.
ized him to procure the meaua
ro CARRY IT INTO EXECUTION;
! and he Immediately purclInscl in New York tTo
open 1aunchca, each 90 foet long, fitted with q
small engine and propelled by scrow. carrying
howitzer, and provided with q long boon, that
| Swung by q hugo which could be- raised Or low
| efeu Rt WILL aLu WHICH Hla u toEI1cuo III Lul
groove nt ita further extremity. Theso boass
were taken down through the cauuls to the
Chesapeake, ono Of them being lost on the way,
mud the other reaching tho sounds Mt lust through
cuts aud creeks and an intinitudo OF tolls. hin
slelancoH aud rusoa. Joining tho floot. which
lay at tho mouth OF the river, the Lieutenant
disclosed his object 10 his men, assuring then
that they not only must not expect, but The,
must not hope to return, for death wns almost
inevitable, aud thou called for volunteers. Tho,
all stood by him, and Bx others presently 1o!net
| them, Assistant -paymaator Erauk Swan md Mr.
uoworth; who had often accompanied hin on
His MOST nEcKLEss ADVENTURES,
boing Of tho number. The Albonlarlo lay moor
ed 1t tho Plymouth wharf, 9 miles up tho river
both banks Of which wero lined with batterea
aud hold by aoyoral thonsaud soldiers, while. a
tho aamo distance up TINT portion OF tho wrecl
Of tho Snithlled whic!, Btill lay above water was
occupied by pickot-guard, whose duty 1t was tt
tlrow up rockets on tho first alarm, for, I'LL
known to tho attacking party, rluor OF tho In
tended endcnyor ind in Bono mysterious way al
ready roacnctl tho plymouth autlloritioH, AM
eyory provision had boen nade for their roeep
| lin rf.y1,f nf In 17fh n