The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-07-16
SURVIVOR :OF
i THE ALBEMARLE
PEELER SAW CUSHING's HEROIC
E FEAT At PLYMOUTH.

Launch Across the Log Barrier In
storm of Shot-Terrific Effects
of the Explosion ON the .Albe-
Sidney w. Peeler of Calurerga valley
IS one OF the few survivors of the crew
on the Confederate ram Albemarle on the
night she was blown into uselessness by
the torpedo directed by Lieut.. William B.
Gushing. He is native of Wilmington,
N. c. and was in the Confederate naval
service three years. He was on the
Tennessee, says letter in the New York
Sun from Santa Monica, Cal, for several
norIths, and saw the battle between the
Monitor and MerI;imac in March. 1862.
When the Albemarle was being built in
the spring of 1863 at Plymouth, N. c.,
he aided in her construction. Later he
became one of her petty officers.
'"The Albemarle was good counter
part of the Merrimac,'' said Mr.. Peeler,
"'bu1t an Improvement in armament. The
battle of the. Monitor and Merrimac,
taught the Confederates several lessons
that we acted upon. The Albemarle was
built at Edwards Forty, above Plymouth,
on Albemarle Sound. At the time it was
the greatest fighting machine afloat. It
was the forerunner Of many principles
of present naval architecture. Chief Con-
structor John L. Porter, c. s. NJ, de-
signed the ship She was 122 feet long,
45 feet beam and s feet dra'lght. Her
skeleton was of solid %Cak tinbers, 1Ox12
inches thick dovetailed together and COW
cred by four-inch planking. She had two
of the finest 20O-horse power engines OF
the day. Her shield was octagonal and
and WAS about fiftyffeet long. Iron rail-
road rails were used as the framework for
1t. Upon the shield plates of iron two
inches thick were boltednands rivetcd with
extreme care. Every plate was tested and
the toughest plates only were used. To
make SURE of resistance to- the 10O-pound
shots of the Federal guns an extra coat
ing of two-inch armor was bolted over
all the surface above the water line. The
prov of the ram was the all-lmportant
chara cteristic Of our darling Albemarle
That was Of the finest, hardest seasoned
oak 1t was sheeted with iron six inches
through and was tapered to point. A
more formidable engine of war had never
been made The armament was 6-1nch
pivot guns, several howitzers and hVe t.
Founders. - a. ,g,.. .tst
"At the close of the summer of 1864 the
Albenarle withdrew up the Roanoke for
repairs. 1t had done good service. In the
Last seven mont hs,z wing sent i've Of
Uncle SAINTS good Craft beneath the
water: We were all enthusiastic at the
prospect before us and our big ram of
making some chapters in naval history
during the next few months. Porters
fleet, consisting of several gunboats and
some sidewheel craft, was at Roanoke is
land in AlbenGrle sound, and as soon as
we could get our. fighting ram In shape
1T was the intention to go down there and
sink the Federal boats, 'as we had served
others of the same class. Therefore we
one and all worked like Trojans at 1e-
pairing our .armor plates and tinkering
with our big engines "'.. rs.
1.-THE repairs were finished by the mid.
die of October and we were awaiting the
arrival of three finch guns before we
started down the river to once more deal
with the Federal fleet. We knew that Gen.
Sherman's army was operating IN North
Carolina and therefore unusual efforts
were put forth to protect the pride OF the
Confederate navy against any surprises.
The garrison at Fort Bateman, which
stood guard over the river at Plymouth,
was increased Two field pieces were put
on the deck of the Albemarle and an ar
tillery guard was stationed there day and
night. While the river was streWn ith
torpedoes,. the river banks were guarded:
against surprise by beacons, three small
batteries and fifty ,sentries. There was
an abundance of ammunition for both
men and muskets. TO make our craft
doubly safe from attack Gordon of pine
logs thirty feet long, chained together
like raft, was placed i'll the water about
the Albemarle lit seemed as if the ram
was absolutely secure. ,g
II recall the night Gushing came with
his little laurch and blew up our big
ram as we'll as IT tt Were but yesterday.
It was cold, cherries day, Oct. -. The
guards reported everything all right, and
it was generally believed the Yanks down
in the Sound v ere shaking in their boots
at OUT prospective early advance upon
their fleet. When darkness approached
that evening the fresh .sentries went on
guard and the men tat the fort signalled
to the men on the Afbermarle that all
was well. Supper was served. and soon
the great grim fighting machine settled
into sluInber. The guards at the bow and
stern kept watch. 7 hal a letter to write
that night, and had permission to. sit
with shaded lantern aft in the cabin.
It was very black night and rain fell
In sprinkles.
II had been writing about two hours
when / heard some one calling from the
river bank / paid no attention. In a
second I heard a 1n11sket shot and then
an excited running about on the deck
above me. Quicker than j can tell 1t
some one yelled down into the cabin:
"-All hands to quarteTs!'
II snatched the lantern and ran up.
Forty or more OF our crew, who had been
asleep in their hammocks, came running
after me. We all instinctively knew it
was a Yankee attack, but we supposed it
was from the land. Before any Of us
had reached the deck there was firing
of muskets and a. helching of howitzers.
i It seemed as If the whole OF Sherman's
army had suddenly swooped down upon
the Albemarle. The beacons were fam
ing and the guards were shooting. All
was confusion on the upper deck. The
artilleryrnen were training their cannon
and calling for ammunition. remember
that five bells were rung In the cabin at
that moment.
loft at our bow saw narrow steam
launch without top, like a large rowboat,
about twenty-five feet long, coming
across the river straight at the Albe-
marie. 1t was about 800 feet away then.
In the Pickering light Of the beaeons
we could sec a man standing in the bow
in his shirt sleeves, with a long stick In
his hand like heavy fishpole We after
ward knew that he was Lieut.. Cushing.
The screech of shot and grape and can
lister began The launch moved right
along. Capt. Welch, Of the Albemarle,
danced about excitedly and we tried to
train our cannon on the craft, which
was below ossfsrange Amid a shower OF
D lead and iron that made tho Roanoke all
5 about the little beat seethe and boil like
4, mad. the launch ran up to the GORDON
OF logs. The man In his shirt sleeves
standing In the bow leaned over (appar-
emily. unconscious OF the roar OF cannon
and the dropping OF bali and grape close
about him) and looked critically at the
half submerged wateF-so.ked logs The
4 lsunch was, turned TO one side. and while