The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-12-31
cnshinp,s Bravery.

One of the replies of history, whch
but for its anti-Scriptural emphasis
would have long since found its way
into the school readers, was that OF
young Lieut.. Cushing just-as he-was
pushing the deadly torpedo over tho
log boom against the Confederate IRON
clad Albemarle.
"Who are you?" had been demanded
by the startled outlook as the little Fed
eral boat shot into sight from the dark
ness.
you'll ID soon find out, was
Cushings CHEEKY answer as he shower
and exploded the torpedo against the
Albemarle. Then. crash came the can
mons blast from the now hopelessly
disabled ironclad, and into the water
and the night went Cushing, happily
to be finally rescued and find his gay
back TO his ship again.
"A more gallant deed the world nevev
saw" said the frank captain OF the Al
bemarle ever afterwards.
l was recently told by commander
in the navy n little story of Cusning'
which ! do not remember to have seen
in print. showing the doughty stun he
was made of even before that wonder
full attack upon the Albemarle, writes
W. S. Walker. The ship with-which
he had been connected was, earlier in
the war, briefly detailed in Egyptian
waters. watching for wandering Con,
federate cruiser. One evening young
Gushing was ashore at table d'hote
dinner in hotel at Alexandria. Sew
eral officers of English warships then
in the harbor were also at the table.
One of them, cockney young lieuten-
ant, sat directly opposite Gushing and
was marked in his impudent treatment
of the latter
A Yankee naval officer was to our
Englishman, who plainly hadn't read
up much on the war of 1912, something
uncommonly funny. After several nuds-
ings of his fellows, who were inclined
to at least be unObtrusive and decent,
and after a number of grimaces and
other pantomimic evidences of curi0s-
ity, our gay Briton dropped his elbows
ON the table. his chin upon his hands,
and leaning his face, with monOcle in
one eye and the necessary sIuint in the
other, toward Gushing, proceeded to
give the latter wantonly insulting
specimen of the British stare.
Gushing quietly took out his card
case and, holding a card by diagonal
corners between his thumb and finger
until it bent sufficiently to give it full
projectile force. let it fly plump into
the astonished lordling's face.
Il presume you understand what that
means?" said Cushing.
But before the wrathy young Eng
lishman could reply his senior, a digni
fed captain who had seen the whole
performance. said to Cushing: Yes, sir
he does understand. and the young
puppy asks your pardon for his imper-
Thence" -0
Then the whole English party, after
shaking hands with Gushing. withdrew,
The matter was reported to the admiral
of their fleet, private but official reprf-
mand given the goldmounted snob who
had caused the scene, and a wyftten
order WAS promulgated drawing the
fleets attention to the fact that United
States officers and sailors were to be
treated in all social and official inter-
course exactly like those of other ma.
tions. This was something in those
days. when We hadn't much of navy
and the biggest kind of a war develop
ing swiftly on our hands. When this :
young Englishman a year or two later
read of Cushing's marvellous feat 10
the Albemarle he must have
realized more than ever that he had
been fooling with something which wai
loaded clear to the muZzle.