The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-18
SINKING OF ALBEMARLt
The DARING FEAT OF LIEUTENANT CUSH.
ING.
How the AIbemarIe Gave Battle 10 and Worsted
Nine Cunboats Of the Enemy.

There is always more or less interest
centered in incidents connected with
military operations, whether by land or
sea. and hence the following statement
may be of interest to some of your read
ers. The town of Plymouth, in Wash
ington county, in this State, North Car
olna) has population of some $500
souls and is located on the Roanoke
river about seven or eight miles from its
mouth, which opens into the Albemarle
Sound, one of the finest sheets of fresh
water in the world. This town was
captured and recaptured more than once
during the civil war between the States
and many are the thrilling stories told
of the narrow escapes and adventures
of individuals composing the opposing
forces. This town with the neighboring
region fell into the hands of the Fed
erals early in the year 1862, and was
occupied by them until April 1864, at
which time General Hoke with the as
sistance of the ironclad ram Albemarle,
captured it. BY "a preconcerted arrange
ment the Albemarle ran down the Roam
oke river on the Goth day of April, 1864,
and drove off the Federal gumboats after
sinking one of them. This severed the
communication between the Federal
fleet and the land forces, and the garri-
son of 1900 men soon surrendered. The
Albemarle not satisfied with the glory
and her achievements in the river on The
9Th day of May, 1864. accompanied by
the Cotton Plant and the Bombsheil
which had been recently captured from
the enemy (both wooden vessels. passed
out of the Roanoke river. in search of
the Federal feet. She met the Federal
fleet i'm the Albemarle Sound about
eight or ten miles from the mouth of the
river. when fierce fight ensued. 10
an eye witness it seemed as if the Fed
eral gunboats were determined to run
the ram down. and sink her at all haz-
zard but finding this impossible. appa
rently they formed and described a cir
Gle and each vessel delivered it's fire as
it slowly steamed by and then another
would Immediately take it's place and
give the Confederate ram a broadside.
Early in the engagement one of the two
mounted guns of the Albemarle was
rendered useless by an exploding shell
or a shot from the enemy and hence the
ram could only reply by single shot.
but it seemed with unerring aim. and
the effect produced was decided. Many
of the gunboats were SO damaged that
they could not renew the fight but drift
ed off down the stream when they were
taken in charge by other boats in the
fleet. In the meantime the Federals
had captured the Bombshell which was
sunk, and the Cotton Plant made good
her escape up the river. The Albemarle
was not uninjured having had her
smokestack considerably damaged. She
gave up the fight, steamed away and
disappeared in the mouth of the river.
In this fight the Albemarle had met nine
double enders and gunboats of the enc
my and when she gave up the fight none
dared to follow her. On the 10Th day of
May. 1864 plan was formed to blow
up the ram, and Lieutenant w. B. Cush-
ing of the Federal forces, with thirteen
men. undertook to perform this duty,
and he and these men embarked in tor
pedo boat and passed up the Roanoke
river with as much secrecy as possible,
reached the ram and placed the torpedo,
but were discovered just before Gushing
applied the match. He, however, fired
the torpedo. and the explosion rendered
the ram useless, and from the effects of
which his boat was blown out of the
water, and he and his men attempted to
escape. and save themselves by jumping
into the river and swimming to the OPP
posite shore, under a strong fire of
musketry. All were killed or captured
except Gushing and one of his men, who
made good their escape through the
swamp of tough reeds, briers and bushes
often through mud and water. At last
they reached the river, found a skif and
padded out to the fleet in the Albe-
marie Sound. For this act Lieutenant
Gushing was much complimented and
praised by his northern friends, and |
believe the Congress of the United
States voted him $4,000. In wars in
which our American boys participate,
their daring and bravery is fully de-
mOnstrated.
Tr,4Dv