The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-25
CusHING's DARING EXPLOIT.
How He Blew up the Rebel Ram A1bemarie
at Night.
Est. Nicholas. }

On the night Of October "a, 1864, Cush-
ing slipped away from the blookading
fleet, and steamed up the river toward
the wharf, dozen miles distant, where
the great ram lay. The confederates were
watchful to guard against surprise, for
they feared lest their foes should try to
destroy the ram before she got a chance
to come down and attack them again in
the sound. She lay under the guns of a
a moments 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 out round
about, of which last defense the federals
knew nothing. Cushing went up stream
| luck passed unnoticed confederate look
| out below the ram.
| About midnight he made his assault.
Steaming quietly on through the black
water, and stealing his way cautiously
toward where he knew the town to be-
he finally made out the loom of the Able
marie through the night and at once
drove at her. He was almost upon her
before he was discovered; then the crew
and soldiers upon the wharf opened fire,
| and at the same moment he was brought
to by the boom, the existence Of which
he had not known. The rifle balls were
singing about him, as be 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 off he again went all
steam ahead, and actually surged OVER
the slippery log of the boom.
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Abe
marie the sailors were running to quar-
tiers and the soldiers were swarming down
to aid in her defense. And the droning
bullets came always thicker through the
dark night. Gushing still stood upright
III his little craft, guiding and CONTROL
ing her by voice and signal, while in his
hands he kept the ropes which led to the
torpedo. AS the boat slid forward over
the boom, he brought The torpedo full
against the sombre side of the huge ram,
ana instantly exploded it, almost at the
same time that The pivot gun of the ram,
lodged with grape. was fired point blank
at him. not ten yards off.
| AT once the ram settled, the launch
SINKING at the Same moment, while
| cushing and his men swan for their
lives. Most of them sank or were cap
tured. but Cushing reached midstrean.
iicoiiiS SoInetHiHg Splash III Gno Ozark
ness, he swan toward it and found that
1T was one Of his crew. He went to his
| rescue. and they kept together for some
time, but the sailors strength gave out
and he finally sank. In the pitch dark
ness Gushing could form no idea where he
was; and when, chilled through. and
too exhausted to rise to bis feet, he finally
reached shore shortly before dawn, he
| found that he had swum back ard land
ed but a few hundred feet below the
sunken ram. All that day he remained
within easy musket shot of whore his foes
were swarming about the fort and the
great drowned ironclad. He hardly dared
move, and until the afternoon he lay
| without food and without protection from
the heat or insects. Then he managed
to slip unobserved into u dense swamp,
ana began 10 make his way toward the
Feet. Toward evening he came out Oh
small stream near a camp of oonfeder-
ate soldiers. They had moored to the
bank small skiff, and with equal stealth
and daring he managed to steal this and
began to paddle down stream. Hour after
hour he padded on through the FADING
nigft, and then through the darkness.
squadron and was picked up.