The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-06

TO make III q Certainty InaL Wnen the ram
came out again, thoroughly fitted up, to
renew the attack, the wooden vessels would
be destroyed; and while she was in exist
ence the Union vessels could not attack
and reduce the forts and coast towns. Just
at this time Gushing came down from the
North with his swift little torpedo-boat-
an open launch with a spar rugged to push
out in front, the torpedo being placed at
the end. The crew of the launch consisted
of fifteen men, Gushing being in command
He not only guided his craft, but himself
handled the torpedo by means of two small
ropes, one of which put it in place while
torpedo was complicated, and it could not
have been operated in time of tremen-
dous excitement save by man of the
utmost nerve and selfcommand. But
Gushing had both; he possessed precisely
that combination of reckless courage, pres
ence of mind and high mental capacity
necessary 20 the man who leads forlorn
hope under peculiarly difficult circum-
stances.
On the night of October 81, 1864, Cush-
ing slipped away from the blockading 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 de-
stroy the ram before she got chance to
come down and attack them again In the
sound. She lay under the guns of fort,
with regiment OF troops at moments
notice to turn out and defend her. Her
own guns were kept always clear for ac-
ton, and she was protected by great
boom of logs thrown out roundabout, of
which last defense the Federals knew moth
ing.
Cushing went up stream with the utmost
caution, and by good luck passed, I'M
noticed, 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 loom of the Abe
marie through the night, and at once
drove at her. He was almost upon her be-
fore he was discovered then the crew and
the soldiers on 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-b were singing
about him as he stood erect guiding his
launch, and he heard the hustle of 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-
ters and the soldiers were swarming down
to aid in her defense. And the dron,ng
bullets came always thicker through the
dark night. Cushing still stood uprig hit in
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 SOM
Der side of the huge ram and instantly ex-
ploded it, almost at the same time that the
,Nix 6 ~
was fired point blank at him, not ten
yards off.
At once the ram settled, the launch
sinking at the same moment, while Cush-
ing and his men swan for their lives
Most of them sank or were captured, but
Cushing reached midstream. Hearing
something splashing in the darkness, he
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 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 hun
dred feet below the sunken ram. ALI that
day he remained within easy musket-
shot of where his foes were swarmipg
about the port and the great drowned IRON
Gao. lie hardly dared TO move, and until
the afternoon he lay without food and
without protection from the heat or in
sects. Then he managed to slip unob-
served into dense swamp and began to
make his way toward the feet.
Toward evening be came out on small
stream near camp of Confederate soldiers.
They had moored to the bank small skiff,
and with equal stealth and daring he
managed to steal this and began TO paddle
downstream. Hour after hour he padded
on through the fading light and then
through the darkness. At last, utterly
worn out, he found the squadron and was
picked up.
AT once the ships weighed their anchors,
and they speedily captured every coast
town and fort, now that their dreaded en-
envy was no longer in the way.
The fame of Cushing's deed went all
over the land, and his name will stand for
ever among the highest on the honor roll