The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-07-07

the Albemarle quickly come to be re-
garded by the soldiers of the Union
fleet, that the first project for her
undoing had its origin among the en-
listed men. Five of the crew of the
steamer Wyalusing-John Lloyd, cox
swain; Allen Crawford and John Law
erty, fremen, and Charles Baldwin
and Benjamin Lloyd, stokers-con-
cocted an excellent plan for the rams
destruction, volunteered to carry ii
into effect, and did actually come
within hairs breadth of complete
success. On the afternoon of May
25, 1864, this little party of five as
cended the Middle River, branch Of
the Potomac, in boat, taking with
them two torpedoes. These were
carried on stretcher across the
swamp to the main river. Lloyd, the
coxswain, and Baldwin swan the
river with line and hauled the tor
pedoes to the Plymouth side, above
the town. They we're then connected
by bride and tloated down the
river, guided by Baldwin. 1t was his
intention to place them across the
bow of the Albemarle, and Crawford,
from the swamps on the opposite
side, was to explode them at signal.
All went we'll until the torpedoes
were within a few yards of the ram,
when the line fculed schooner. At
the same moment Baldwin was dis
covered by sentry, and shots were
fired, followed by volley of mus
kerry. AS success was no longer
possible, the line was cut, and the
five men made their escape, reaching
their vessel with difficulty, some of
them after several days of wandering
in the swamp. After the failure of
Lloyd and his comrades, an attempt
was made to decoy the ram down the
river, SO that she could be blown up
by torpedoes strung across the chan
mel, but Marley, her Captain, learned
of the trap and would not come
down, while the Federals could not
go up the river because of the OBJ
structions which the Confederates
had sunk in the channel.
CUsHING's BOLD PLAN.
Such was the condition of affairs
when, in September, 1864, Lieut..
Gushing waited upon Admiral Sam
uel p. Lee with plan of his own de-
vising for the destruction of the AL
bemarle. This plan, which he asked
to be permitted to put into execution,
provided for night attack upon the
ram by ''two low pressure and very
small steamers, each armed with
torpedo and howitzer," it being
Cushing's intention. to quote his own
words, that one boat should dash
in, while the other stood by to throw
canister and renew the attempt if
the first should fail" Admiral Lee
gave the plan his cordial indorse-
ment, and, after it had been sub
mitted to the Secretary of the Navy,
Cushing was ordered to proceed to
New York and purchase vessels suit
able for the venture. He found
some boats building for picket duty,
and selected two, proceeded to fit
them out. The boats chosen were
''open launches, about forty feet in
length, with small engines and pro-
PEELED by "a screw. A twelve-pounder
howitzer was fitted to the bow of
each and boom was rugged out some
fourteen feet in length, swinging by
goose neck hinge to the bluff of the
bow. A topping lift, carried to a
stanchion inboard, raised or lowered
it and the torpedo was fitted into an
iron side at the end. This was to be
4 ho l.
keel jigger leading inboard and to
be exploded by another line connect
ing with pin, which held a grape
shot over nipple and cap"
All preparations being completed,
the two boats started southwark
through the canals to the Chesapeake
Bay, Cushing being in charge of one
and volunteer Ensign of the other.
This Ensign, with his boat and crew,
fell into the hands of the Confeder-
ates, but Cushing, eluding detection.
made his way through the Chesa-
peake and Albemarle Canals into the
sounds, and, after a trying and peril
Gus trip, came up with the Union
fleet lying off Edcnton, n. c. Here,
for the first time, Cushing disclosed
to the officers and men who had ac-
companied him from New York the
nature of the quest on which he was
bent, and told them that they were
at liberty to 90 or not. as they
pleased. These. seven in number, all
volunteered. One of them. Acting
Ensign William l.. Howarth, had been
with Cushing repeatedly in expedi-
tions of peril. Eight additional vol
unteers were recruited from the
several vessels of the Union fleet,
among them Assistant Paymaster
Francis H. Swan. of the Otsego, and
John McDermaid, an enlisted man on
the same vessel. From Mr.. McDer-
maid, who is now a well-to-do busi-
ness man of Rockford, H.. had, a
while back, the eventful story OF what
| followed.
STORY OF PARTICIPANT.
.'On the afternoon of October 90 -
said Mr.. McDermaid. ..the lannch
was brought alongside the Otsego,
from which she proceeded in the
early evening. on her round from
ship to ship, gathering her crew.
Meanwhile Capt. Arnold. Of the OF.
sego, had called all hands aft to bid
us goodbye and godspeed. AS we
went over the side he cheered US BY
a few remarks, and said that he hoped
he would soon see us safely bach
| again, but his face belied his words
4 moment later we showed off in oul