Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-02-05

now GUSHING, THE BoY HERO, LED FOR
LORN HOPE IN THE GREAT WAR.

LORN HOPE IN THE GREAT WAR.
Tho destruction of tho rebel ram Albe
marie ia the North Carolina waters, during
the war of secession, vas one OF the mosl
desperate AMI remarkable enterprises o
that contest 1t was also the browning
arhieyrmcni Of the brave Commander
Cushing who recently died at the insane
hosp tai II, Washington, and who was bare.
7 ~ twenty years old at the time Of this great
| exploit, In the autumn Of 1864. The affair
/, thus described in the Army and Navy
journal:
The Albemarle was an lron-clad of tIe-
mendous strength, which had already de-
featod the whole federal fleet, sunk the
[ Souihield, exploded the boiler of the
Slssacus, engaged nine foes at once with
/ out dlnIcr TO her self, forced tue surrender
ora brigade, and the abandonment of the
/ whole region Of the Roanoke by the federal
forces. The government having no iron
cl0ds capable Of crossing IIatteras bar and
/ cHcountcring her, all lis operations in that
/ section were rendered practically useless
/ by The Albenarles presence there, and the
/ expense Of squadron necessary to keep
watch upon her movements was something
enormous.
In this emergency Lieut.. Gushing sub
mitted two plans to Admiral Lee for the
rams destruction. The admiral app: owed
/ of ono of them, and sent its protector 10
/ Washington TO lay it before the secretary
OF the navy, and the latter, though at first
! q lille doubtful orits merits, finally author
! IL d him to procure the means TO carry it
/ intp execution; and he Immediately pur-
I chased IN New York two open launches,
/ eacG about thirty feet long, fitted with a
small cngir md [roplled by screw, ear.
| ryinE a howtzer, and provided with long
boom tha, swung by hinge, which could
be raised or lowered at will, and which
I had torpedo in the groove at IFS further
/ extremity. These boats were taken down
/ through the canals 10 the Chesapeake, one
! O' ,hcn Icing lost on the way, and the 9TH
/ or reaching the sounds at last through cuts
/ and creeks and an iufnitude of tolls, him
/ drlnces, and ruses. Joining the fleet,
/ which lay IL the mouth OF the river, the
/ lieutenant disclosed his object TO his men,
/ assuring them that they not only must not
/ expect, but must not hope to return, for
| death was almost inevitable, and then call
/ ed roi volunteers. They all stood by him,
/ and six others presently joined them
| Assistant. .paymaster Frank Swan and Mr..
/ IIlwir,h, who had often accompanied him
/ on his n, st reckless adventures, being of
/ the number. The Albemarle lay moored
! at the Plymouth wharf, eight miles up the
/ river, both banks of which were lined with
. batteries. and held by several thousand
| soldiers, whilc, at some distance up, that
| portion Of the wreck of the Soulhheld
which still lay above the water was occu-
pied 10y pcket-guard, whose duty it was
to throw up rockets on the first alarm, for,
| unknown TO The attacking party, rumor OF
The inic2ded endeavor had in some mys-
terions way already reached the Plymouth
authorities, and every provision had been
made for their reception.
However on the night OF the 9Th of Oc-
tober the little launch entered the Roanoke
river. her engine at low pressure, to make
the least noise possible, left behind all OBJ
,lruciions, passed within thirty feet of the
unsu. Yi,iou, picket on the Southtield, and
approached The wharf where the ram lay, 8
vast black mass in the darkness. Greatly
emholdcrot by this success, the lieutenant
FOR moment resolved to change Lis plan
and, knowing the town perfectly, 10 put il
shore and trust 10 the effect of night sur.
prise, with which he was so well acquaint
Cd, overpower those on board, get her into
the stream before the forts could be arous
ed, and fight tie batteries with her on he
way down. Bat just as lie was about t,
carry his sudden plan into execution,
cry from the ram rang out sharply on th
night, repeated on every side, followed b,
the Instantaneous booming of the grea
guns from the ship and shore and return
ing no answer, the lieutenant put on al
steam and made for her. AT the same mo
meHt an immense bonfire of pine knot
nd turpeutine blazed up on the bank
most fortunately for him, since ii REVEALED
directly The uCtoward fact that a boom O
logs extended around the ram in all direc
lions TO guard her FROM torpedoes, whc
f-r one second seemed an insurmountabl
obstacle. Only for one second, though
With the next the lieutenant had given OF
ders to sheer Off across the stream, so as t
.ct room for acquiring headway and car
q ryiu- bis launch by The force of its ow
impetus straight across The hoom, thorg
, il never could get ont again, he knew. a
3 they turned, Il volley of buckshot tor
q away the whole back of his coat aud th
I solo OF bis shoe, and he man by his sid
. icli li(clcss. Before the volley could b
repeated the launch had struck the boon
wa, over, and was forging up under III
o hlbemlrlc's quarter, directly beneath th
y mouth of rifle gun, and so close that th
To rercst whisper ON board the ram, whel
@ they we're ondeayoring 10 bring the gun
a bear, could be distinctly heard.
q That must have heen a terrifcally e9
$ ciine moment to those on that little launcl
. with The vast mountain of iron towerin
D above thcm, the tiyo-lit mass of foes upo
1 the shore, and triumph and eternity in II
3. next moment. Lieut.. Gushing stood at Il
$ bows oi the launch, with several lines b.
@ fore bin ; one Of these lines was attache
# to the howilzor, one 10 the ankle of the eI
c gncor, one TO the officer who was TO lowt
J.. the boom carrying the torpedo, one WI
l. that by means Of which the torpedo was
r be slid under The ram, another was the e.
r. IHouIHS llHC' Nhlcu suoulu pun away pl
C aud let grape-shot drop on the porcu
r sion-cap beneath. The howilzer had alread
= been discharged. The line attached to Il
F, engineer was pulled the engine stoppe
4 The loom was lowered, the torpedo 81
slowly of and under, the air-chambcr
the top bringing it up in position benea
p the ram. The last line was pulled, Il
c erape-shot fell, just as the rifle-gun we
J.. on-and the rebel ram and the launt