The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-11
STORIES OF THE WAR.
How William Barker Cushing Won
for Himself a Name in
Naval History.
Tho Destruction of the Albemarle
a Young Naval Officers
Dauntless Deed.
Good Stories by Russell AlSer and others
How Personal Bravery Has
Saved Many Lives.

In view of the recent use of the torpedo
down in Chill, the July Cosmopolitan brings
up the Albemarle episode:
Torpedo warfare was in it's infancy when
William Barker Cushing blew up the Abe
marie. farrAgut once said to Gen. James
Grant Wilson that he deemed the destruc-
ton of tho Albemarle the most dauntless
naval deed ever performed by any young
officer of the American navy. This power
full vessel had successfully encountered n
strong fleet of Federal gunboats and fouyht
them for several hours without sustaining
material damage. There was nothing in
the northern squadron able to cope with
her. Gushing, says Gen. Wilson in the
Cosmopolitan, volunteered to destroy the
~Albemarle, and with a steam launch and a
small crew ne assembled the Roanoke river,
towing an armed cutter. This was on the
night of October 81, 1864.
The river was lined with pickets to guard
against just such an attack as this, but the
lieutenant's luck did not desert him, and
he was within 100 yards of the iron-olad
ram before he WAS discovered. Casting off
the cutter, he ordered her crew to attack n
picket post near by, while, with q full head
of stcam, he drove the launch straight at
the huge vessel. whose crew rushed to quar-
tors and ut once opened fire. Cushing re-
plying effectively with mis- howitzer. A cir
Gle of heavy logs, doomed we'll out from her
sides with the very purpose of preventing
the action of t~orpsdoes, was discovered by
the young hero. but the boat was driven
over them, AZ they had become slimv, and
by the time the laUnch received her death
wound from the onemy's guns Gushing had
cooliy swung the torpedo under the Abe
marla'l oycli.aug or bottom and exploded
the charge.
Ordering his crew to look out for them
selves he splang into the river, swan under
water as far AS possible and in the darkness
escaped alone, teaching the opposite bank
hale a mile bslow. Az soon as he recovered
his strength he plunged into the dense
swamp, and, after many hours of weary
wandering and wading, came out upon the
shore OF 4 creek, whcro, with his usual good
luck. he found a small picket boat, and at
II O'Clock the following night, almost dead
srom cold, hunger and fatigue, Gushing was
carried ON board the Valley City, a United
States gun boat. AS soon as it was known
that he bad returned. after destroying the
Aibe'narle, rockets were rejoioingly thrown
up by every vessel of the fleet.
OF the gallant fellows who volunteered
to risk their lives with tho fearless Gushing
but one escaped. all the others being
either drowned, killed or captured. To.his
brother officers he remarked, as he was set
ting out to destroy the iron-clad: Another
stripe or a ~coffin!' Five times he was Of
hcially colnplinented by the secretary of
the navy. and for the affair of the Able
marie he received the thanks of congress.
Gen. Algsr's Story.
Last night a group of veterans of the late
war, including Gen. Alger, Judge Fitzgerald
and Capt. Seamans, of Los Angeles, sat in
the corridor of the Palace and exchanged