The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-25
". B. CUsH1NG'S FEAT.
Sinking OF the Confederate Ram AL
bemarle.

Hampstead, N. H., twelve miles nortl
of the city Of Haverhill, Mass, re
sides Daniel George, the sole survivo
Of the famous expedition Of Lieuten
ant Gushing, which sunk the Confed
crate States ram Albemarle near tn
close of the civil war.
Iu the early part Of 1864 CnloI
feet Of six gunboats blockaded Roam
oke River, and seemed suficienS to-
the purpose until it wss learned tha
forty miles upstream the enemy was
constructing a ship more powerful
than anything yet put aAoat in those
waters, the Albemarle. The vesse
was 124 feet long and "a feet beam
sheathed by complete armor OF iron
Her battery was protected by a slopine
iron roof, calculated to withstand the
most penetrating shot fired from any
cannon then in existence. She hao
six port holes and carried two 100
pound rifles on pivots, besides sec
ondary battery of howitzers.
In the month Of May she was COM
pleted, and coming down the river she
engaged the Union feet, sinking one
gunbcat, 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-
marl@. but had inflicted only the most
trifing 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 me she bade fair to clear the ofing
of every Federal gunboat, and to
wrest from the Northern forces the
occupation of the Southern seaboard
sounds. There was no Union vessel
Of lighs draft powerful enough to try
to cope with the dragon Of the wa
ters.
At this juncture Lieut.. W. B.
Gushing organized his historical expe-
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, aid 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. Gushing
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 tender
by the smaller gunboats Of the navy.
But the smaller the craft the smaller
the target she makes for the cannon
eers Of the enemy, afoat or ashore,
reasoned Gushing. 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 a torpedo OF
common gunpowder, the outfit ar
ranged so as to be lowered wheE de-
sired. This converted the launch into
the first steam torpedo boat known to
the world. The torpedo was to be
fired by lanyard
The nigh was as black as Egypt,
yet with this advantage the path OF
the little steamer was beset with diff
cuJtics. The Albcmarle lay eight
miles np the River Roanoke, whose
channel is crooked as ram horn,
with an average width Of not more than
200 yards.
Despite their fancicd security the
Confederatcs, in view Of the import
ance of the big ironclad to their cause,
had taken every precaution to protect
her from just such an attack as Cush-
ing and his comrades were making.
BonGres were kept burning along the
shore and two companies Of infantry
we bivouackcd on thcwharf to which
the rebel battlcShip was moorcd, while
her crew vigilantly kept q double
watch