The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-25
W. B. CUsHING'S FEAT.
Sinking OF the Confederate Ram AL.
bemaFle.

hampstead, n. H., twelve miles nOrtn
of the city Of Haverhill, Mass, re-
sides Daniel George, the sole survivor
of the famous expedition Of Lieuten-
ant Gushing, which sunk the Confed-
crate States ram Albemarle near the
close of the civil war.
Iu the early part of 1864 Union
feet of six gunboats blockaded Roam
oke River, and seemed sufficient for
the purpose until it WIS learned that
forty miles upstream the enemy was
constructing ship more powerful
than anything yet put afoat in those
waters, the Albemarle. The vessel
was 124 feet long and "a feet beam,
sheathed by complete armor of iron.
Her battery was protected by sloping
iron roof, calculated to Withstand the
most penetrating shot fired from any
cannon then in existence. She had
six port holes and carried two 100
pound rifles on pivots, besides sec
ondary battery Of howitzers.
In tie month g May she was COM
pleted, and coming down the river she
engaged the Union feet, sinking one
gunboat, the Southfeld, and disabling
another, the Miami. Later in the
season she again encountered the
Union feet, and in battle lasting
three hours wrought havoc and return
ed up the river uninjuled.
In these fights the commanders of
the Union gunboats had used every
conceivable means to whip the Albe-
marlc, but had inflicted only the most
trifling damage. She had been ram
med by two Union steamers lashed
together, only to return the compli
ment by sinking one and badly injur-
ing the other. The Albemarle had
withstood solid shot from the heaviest
riAed cannon without having her
plates broken. Unless something was
d ne she badc fair to clear the offing
Of every Federal gunboat, and to
wrest from the Northern forces the
occupation Of the Southern seaboard
sounds. There was nc Union vessel
of light draft powerful enough to try
to cope with the dragon" Of the wa
| ters.
! At this iuncture Lieut.. w. B.
Gushing organized his historical cxpe-
dition. So implacably did the sailors
Of the feet hate the "terror of the
sound that volunteers were more than
enough to man the boats Of every snip
in the feet had it been desirable to
use them all.
But something besides numbers
were desired. Men of pluck and
nerve, ready wit, and quick hands
were wanted. a I'd Lieutenant Gushing
picked his supporters. Among these
he selected was the lad from New
Hampshire, Daniel George, under 20
years of age at the time. Cushing
himself was only 81 years old, and he
possessed all the fire and agil ty of
youth. Every mothers son Of his
twelve followers had tact as we'll as
daring in his makeup.
The party started in diminutive
launch, such as was carried as a tender
by the smaller gunboats Of the navy.
But the smaller the craft the smaller
the target she makes for the cannon
GERS of the enemy, afloat or ashore,
reasoned Cushing. The launch could
| steam without noise, most valuable
| quality. too. Extending from her
bow was a spar and on the other end
Of the spar was fixed torpedo of
common gunpowder, the outtiI ~
ranged so as to be lowered whcr de-
sired. This converted the launch into
the first steam torpedo boat known to
the world. The torpedo was to be
fred by lanyard.
| The nigh was as black as Egypt,
yet with this advantage the path of
the little steamer was beset with diff
culties.' The Albemarlc lay eight
miles up the River Roanoke, whose
channel is crooked as rams horn,
with an average width of not more than
200 yards.
Despite their fancied security the
Confederates, in view Of the import
ance Of the big ironclad to their cause,
had taken every precaution to protec.
her from just such an attack as Cush-
ing and his comrades were making.
Bon6res we're kept burning along the
shore and two companies Of infantry
we bivouacked on the wharf to which
the rebel battlcship was moorcd. while
her crew vigilantly kept a double
watch.
1 Notwithstanding the Confederate
| Mo tot q ar, o,x1 -, loo1- xJ,> I:At. -