The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-10-04
CUSHlNG,S DARING.
How Iio Blew Up the Rebel Ram Abe.
marie 1T night.

marie ri night.
On the night Of oct %, 1864. Cush.
ing slipped away from tho blockadng
fleet and steamed MP the river toward
the wharf, u dozen miles distant, where
tho great ram lay The Confcdcratcs
We're watchtul to guard against surprise,
for they feared lost their foes should try
To destroy the ram before She got "A
chance TO come down and attack thcnl
again III tho sound She lay untlor the
guns of fort, with regiment of troops
ready ut moment Il notice to turn out
and defend her. Her own guns were
kept always clear for action. and she
WAS protected by "a great boom of logs
thrown ont roundabout Of which last
defense the Fcdcrals knew nothing.
Gushing went up stream with the ut
most caution, and by good luck passed
unnUticed IA Confederate lookout below
the ram.
About midnight he made his assault.
Stcaming quietly ON through the blucl,
water and feeling his way cautiously to-
ward where he knew the town to be, he
finally made out the boom of the Alder
marie through the night, and at once
drove at her He was almost upon her
before he was discovered Then the
crew and the soldiers ON the wharf open
ed fro. and ut the same moment he was
brought to by the boom, the existence of
which he had not known The rifle balls
We're singing about him as he stood erect
guiding his launch, and he heard the
hustle of the men aboard the ram and
the noise Of the great guns as they were
got ready. Backing of he again went
all steam ahead, and actually suIged
over the slippery log Of the boom.
MEANWHILE on the deck of the A he
marie the sailors were running to quar-
tors. and the soldiers were swarming
down 10 aid i'll her defense. And the
droning bullets came always thicker
through tho dark night Cushing still
stood upright III his little craft, guiding
and controlling her by voice and signal,
while III his hands he kept The ropes
which led 10 the torpedo As the beat
slid forward over the boom he brought
the torpedo full against the sombcr side
of the hugo ram and instantly exploded
IT, almost ut the same time that tho
pivot gun Of the ram, loaded with grape
was fired point blank at him, not ter
yards off.
At once the ram settled, the launch
sinking at the same moment, while
Gushing and his men swan for theiI
lives Most of them sank or We're cap
tnred, but Gushing reached midstream
Hearing something splashing III thu
darkness, he swan toward it, and fount
that IL was ono OF his crew. He went e
his rescue, and they kept together FOL
some time, hut the sailor S strength gave
out, and be finally sank In the pitcl
darkness Gushing could form no ide.
whore he was, and when, chilled
through, and too exhausted to rise to hi.
feet, he finally reached shore, shortly
before dawn, he found that he had swan
back, and landed but a few hundred fee
below the sunkcn ram. All that day n,
remained within easy musket shot O
where his foes We're swarming about tn,
fort and the great drowned ironclad. II,
hardly dared move, and until the after
noon he lay without food and withou
protection from the heat or insects Thel
he managed to slip unobserved into
dense swamp. and began TO make hi