Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-04-24

Career OF the Ram Aibemarle.
New York Tribune.
At the recent dinner of the board OF
trade and transportation. when Charles A.
Bouteils, one Of the me nbers Of Congress
from Maine, arose to speak, there were
only two or three, and they were naval Of
dcers, who recognized in the chairman OF
the committee on naval Affairs q hero Of
one Of the mos. remarkable battles of the
Civil War. Mr.. Boutelle is one Of the most
unassumipg and modest men on the floor OF
Congress, and he never refers to his own
brave experiences unless one draws him
out and then ne treats il in the most simple
way. He wa, always ION deck" when there
vas . chance to get At the rebels, but the
time that he showed the full force Of his
mettle was in the engagement Of his vessel
with the Confederate ram Albemarle, and
her consort, the gunboat Bombsheil, in AL
bemarle Sound, on May 8, 1864. He was
the executive officer of the war vessel Sas-
sacas, of which +. A. Roe, now rear
admiral was the commander.
The Albemarle vas one of the iron mon
sters which the COnfederates had availed
themselves of during the last days of Presi-
dent Buchanan's administration, one of
which, the Merrimac, had sunk two Of the
largest and most powerful frigates of the
Federal navy in q siugle fight, and with tie
greatest ease at that.
The Aloemarle moved down upon the
Federal fleet with the naughty challenge
that il battle WAS given she would sink the
vessels comprising it in detail. The Union
feet was composed of the Mstabassett, the
Wyslusing, the Whitehead and the Sassa-
Gus. The later vessel moved forward and
advancing to within close hailing dista nee
of the B. mbshell, engaged her with al the
power Of her heavy and perfectly served
batteries, and almost Immediately the Con-
federate colors were lowered and white
flag hoisted. The Sassacus received the
surrender and then ordered the captured
vessel to be anchored beyond the scope of
battle, and at once turned her attention TO
the iron ram. The Sassacus was wooden
vessel. but of high speed, and her batteries
were served with precision and skill
The ram had moved into the mid.t of the
fleet, but her commander was equal to the
crisis. He shouted to the engineer officer !:
Crowd waste and oil in the Tres and back
slowly Give her all the steam she can
carry" Then, turning to Executive Officer
Boutelle, he said Lay her course for the
junction of the easement and the hull. y
Then came the signal to steam at full speed
ahead, and in another moment the stem of
the Sassacus cut into the iron hull of he
ram, following the order Of Mr.. Boutelle to
the men: IAN hands lie down." 1t was a
moment Of great anxiety, but the guns Of
the ram ceased firing, and the Rebel vessel
went over to one side as if she were about
to sink.
The ram and the Sassscus kept their en-
giues going at full speed, and both vessels
simply turned around in circle, hence the
ram could do no damage to the ships, nor
was she able to release herself from the
iron grasp of the Sassacus for some time
Finally the officers of the ram got one of
the starboard ports open and fred shot in
to one of the boilers of the Sassacus. The
boiling water ran out of the boiler, scsld
ing several of the crew, and when the
great weight of water was expanded from
that side, the ship careened over as if she
would sink, and then she backed off In
the midst of all this Chief Engineer Hobby
stood bravely at his post in the ebgir e
room, and did not leave it until after the
action, when he WAS brought up blinded
auu htipieso " tht bcSh' OtiHk -
tended by Mr. Boutelle and the surgeon
As soon as the Albemarle was released,
like the Merrimsc in her engagement with
the Monitor, she retrested as fast as she
was able to her fortress up the North Caro-
lima sounds She made her appearsp Co
again at the mouth of the river three days
afterwards, but retreated when q gun was
fred at her from the Whitehead. The ne It
day a bold attempt was made by Ave volun
teers from the Wyalusing to destroy her
with torpedo, but the attempt wac unsuc-
cessful, and the gunbost remained through
out the summer awaiting her movements.
Finally it WAS decided to attempt her
destruction, and Lieutenant W. B Gushing
was selected to do it. He arranged tor
pedo of extraordinary power in a light
picket boat, and accompanied by fourteen
brave officers and men who had volunteered
for the service went up the Roanoke to
Plymouth on the night of October p, ap-
preached the ram under a heavy fire from
the forces on shore, exploded the torpedo
and sunk the ram. A shot from the ram
at the next instant sunk the torpedo boat.
but Lieutenant Gushing and four of his
party escaped by swimming down the river.
The others of the party were killed by the
FIRE of the rebels.