Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-10-30
CUSHING'S DARlNG.|
How Re Blew Up the Rebel Ram A1beS
 marie at Night.

marie at Night.
 On the night of Oct. 27, 1864, Cusll-s ing slipped away from the bloekadlng fleet and steamed up the river toward the wharf, a 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 fort, with a regiment of troops ready at moments notice to turn out and defend her. Her own guns were kept always clear for action, and she was protected by great boom of logs thrown out roundabout, of which last defense the Federals knew nothing. Gushing went up stream with the ut most caution, and by good luck passed nnnotieed Confederate lookout below the ram.
 About midnight he made his assault Steaming quietly on through the black water and feeling his way cautiously to- ward where he knew the town to be, he finally made out the boom of the Alber- marie through the night, and at onceJ drove at her. He was almost upon her before he was discovered. Then the crew and the soldiers on the wharf open ed fire, and at the same moment he was brought to by the boom, the existence of which he had not known. The rife balls were 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 off he again went all steam ahead and actually su1ged over the slippery log of the boom
 Meanwhile on the deck of the Abe marie the sailors were running to quar- ters, and the soldiers were swarming down to aid in her defense And the droning bullets came always thicker through the dark night. Cushing still stood upright i'll his little craft, guiding and controlling 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 somber side of the huge ram and instantly exploded it, almost at the same time that the pivot gun of the ram, loaded 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 midstream Hearing something splashing in the darkness, he swan toward 1t, and found that 1t was one of his crew. He went to his rescue, and they kept together for some time, but the sailor strength gave out, and he finally sank. In the pitch darkness Cushing could form no idea where he was, and when,' chilled through, and too exhausted to rise to his feet, he finally reached shore, shortly before dawn, he found that he had swan back, and landed but few hundred feet below the sunken ram All that day he remained within easy musket shot of where his foes were swarming about the fort and the great drowned ironclad. He hardly dared move, and until the after noon he lay without food and without protection from the heat or insects Then he managed to slip unobserved into a dense swamp, and began to make his way toward the fleet. Toward evening he came out on small stream near camp of Confederate soldiers. They had moored to the bank q small skiff, and with equal stealth and daring he man. aged to steal this, and began to paddle down stream Hour after hour he pad dled on through the fading light, and then through the darkness. At last, ut terly worn out, he found the squadron, and was picked up. Theodore Roose- velt in St. Nicholas.