Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25
Clemson Monument.

Cushing on account of his courage and
bravery in the use of improvised torpedo
boats Cushing was born in 1872 in Wis
consin, and at the age of fifteen years en-
tered the Naval Academy. where every
thing was in his favor except his conduct
His venturesome spirit led him into one
scrape after another. until in 1861 he was
forced to leave the academy. He entered
the service at the beginning of the war as
an acting masters mate. and by a series of
minor courageous acts so won the respect
OF his admiral that. upon the latter's rec
concentration. he was restored to his rank
of midshipman by an act of Congress- He
was assigned to duty with the blockading
squadron on the eastern coast, but the
mOnOtOnOus duty was irksome to one of his
spirit. and from time to time he broke out
In dashing expeditions that always ended in
success. when every chance seemed against
It.
He became lieutenant in 1s52 and was
In command of a small schooner in the
blockade off the Cape Fear river when one
bright moonlit night he led a small party
ashore They rOwed with muffied oars and,
landing amid the bushes that lined the
shores, stole upon the sentrieS that guarded
the confederate camp and captured them,
then proceeded to the headquarters of the
commanding officer, Gen. Herbert, and be-
fore all could escape captured Capt Kelly,
the chief of the staff, and before the alarm
was raised got back to the boats, escaping
to the schooner with the prisoners, while
the enemy fired at them from the shore.
Gushing said that he chose bright night,
because he knew one would ever expect
such an attack on such night. But his
attack upon the confederate ram Abe
marie was the crOwning glory of his life.
A Daring Deed.
The ram lay at the dock at Fort Lyborn,
with torpedo bOoms out and a strict guard
Kept, for they knew of the intended attack,
when Gushing, in an improvised torpedo
boat, with a small crew of picked followers,
steamed up the river and steered straight
Tor the ram They were sighted by the
guards on the ram and fire was opened on
them just as they struck the boom of logs
which they failed to pass. Cushing's quick
perception saw that there was but one way
TO succeed-to back off, get a good start and
perhaps force the launch over the boom of
logs. in which case there would be almost
no chance of escape. for the launch, once
inside the boom. could not get out; and In
spite OF the rapid fire from the ram he sue
eeeded- But the launch went down with the
ram Albemarle after the torpedo exploded
and nearly all the small crew were killed
while cushing himself was wounded in one
arm In spite OF this, he swan nearly half
mile. and after days of hardship and hun
ger in the swamps surrounded by the enc
my succeeded in getting back to the ships
The torpedo boat was raised after the war re-
paired and sent to Annapolis. where the
cadets used it until its boiler burst during
trial trip one day and killed a chief en-
gineer and several others. \ part of it's
slender mast is still kept in the old rigging
loft at Annapolis, though | am afraid but
Few of the cadets of today know its wonder
ful story. Gushing died in 1876 and was
buried on Bergen Point while the tomb
above him has carved upon il his can and
sword and the word Gushing" The brave
men of other nations have recognized his
daring bravery. and in the attack of the
French torpedo boats upon the Chinese fleet
In the Aiinm river, in 1874. the commander
of the successful torpedo boat went into the
fray. cautiOning his men to remember the
brave American. Cushing"
The cairn and cross surrounding it, that
are erected in memory of those who per-
ished in the Jeannette expedition, are n re-
production OF the cross and cairn erected by
Engineer-in-Chief Melville. United States
navy. and his patty over the remains of
Capt. De Long and his comrades. when the
bodies were discovered in the snow-covered
Lena delta.
Another Monument to Heroes.
In front of the cadet quarters here there
is another interesting monument 1t was
first erected in Washington in memory of
the brave officers who fell in the war with
Tripoli in 1S03. but was almost DESTROYED
when the British destroyed Washington in
the war OF 1872. Afterward the pieces were
collected and put together in the monument
at Annapolis, emitting part of the central
smart. which gives it an incomplete appear
dnce- Inc center smart is decorated with
projecting pTOwS of boats, which brings I'd
an interesting historical fact. The Romans
cut OF the pTOwS of captured galleyS
and carried them to Rome. where they
were hung on the monuments that the
people might see the greatness of the
conquest. As the wooden prows rotted
away they We're replaced by marble repro
auctions. which custom gave rise to the idea
used in this monument.
In peaceful nook down under the hill
three rows OF humble heddStOnes mark the
resting Places of those who persisted in
the L. s. s Huron that went to pieces on
the Virginia coast north of HatteraS Inlet
In 1874 in a Sala-It is among these that there
was small headstOne marked Unknown,
aged twenty-fOur years. six months and
seven days" ard those who saw il Won
dered how the exact age of an unknown
body picked up on the beach could be as
certaine1 or late years the mistake has
been corrected Across the creek from the
Naval cemetery in the center OF the Naval
Academy campus stands a granite shaft
bearing the single word "HerndOn," and
this simple yet stately monument tells
another story of herOiSm that should ever
be n incentive to the young officers at
Annapolis Capt Herndon of the United
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