Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-21
THE OLD SAS S AC S
FAMOUS EXPLOIT OF A wARsHIP
NOW AN ICE BARGE.
Rammed the Confederate 1rOnclad
AIbemarIe-A Thrilling Incident
of the Civil War.

From the New York Tribune.
The story of the last days of many
hero is a sad and bitter one. They not in
frequently die neglected and alone VINO
were once the centers Of attraction wher-
ever they moved. The sight of the old Ice
barge Sassacus, which now lies at her dock,
at the foot of West 46th street. calls this
wildly to mind. Built as gunboat at the
beginning of the civil war. her decks, which
now support the rigging for hoisting Ice,
have resounded to the tramp Of armed men;
her Sides now scratched and scared by
contact with many dock and pier. have
belched forth smoke and death-dealing fire
in more than one desperate struggle.
There are four vessels formerly belong
ing to the American navy now engaged In
the ice-carrying trade on the Hudson They
are known as the double enders by the
icemen along the river, just as they were
in the navy in 1881. when, as a new type OF
war vessel, they with others were armed
and manned and sent south to take no I'M
important share in the labors of that ter
rible conflict. They were built to meet
sudden demand for a vessel combining con-
siderable armament with light draught,
and by the use of rudders at bow ana
stern possessing the power of running In
and out of the shallow southern sounds
and creeks, whence issued the small gun
boats Of the enemy's fleet.
These boats were the Sassacus, the Paw
tuxet the Pontiac and the Chenange. The
two former were built at Portsmouth, Va;
the Pontiac at Philadelphia, and the Chen
ango at Brooklyn. Each vessel was built
In 1861, had a wooden hull with double cop
per sheathing, and side paddle wheels, OF 8
feet draught and capable of fourteen and
half knots speed an hour. Each mounted
eight guns and had a crew Of 100 men.
They cost the government $4,000 each,
and were part Of the fleet of 211 vessels
built or planned by the federal government
at the outbreak of the war.
On Blockade Duty.
1t may be that the Sasscus saw more
active service, than any other of the "dou-
BILE enders''. This is the reason that such
boats are still spoken Of as of the Sassacus
class. The Sassacus went into commission
at Boston on October g. 1862, under the
command Of Lieutenant Commander F. A.
Roe, afterward rear admiral, and was as
signed to the North Atlantic squadron. She
soon moved south to do scout and patrol
duty against the blockade runners until
May, 1864 when she was in the vicinity OF
Pamlico sound where the federal fleet was
meeting with considerable and alarming
reyerses. The confederates had an ironclad
similar to the Merrimac, and built to run
in shallow waters, called the Albemarle.
which. had attacked. the blockading fleet
sunk the Southfield and driven the rest
Of the federal vessels from the vicinity,
the enemy's hands.
The Sasscus was ordered from Hampton
Roads on April % to help in q determined
effort to batter this formidable army to
pieces. She reached the western end or
Albemarle and anchored on Plymouth with
the rest Of the federal fleet, under the COM
mand of Captain Smith of the Mattabessett,
this latter also double ender. In
council of war Of the various commanders
held on May 2 the line of battle was drawn
up and the vessels were arranged in the
following order: the Mattabessett. the
Sassacus. the Wyalusing. the White Head
in the front or right line, and the rest, with
the Miami in the lead, in the second line.
1t was suggested then that the Albemarle
be rammed, but Captain Smith preferred to
try to wind up something in her propellers,
and SO disable her. The matter of ramming
was left to the discretion of the naval COM
manders. Lieutenant Commander Roe has
went into the battle determined to do 80,
believing 1t would be a good trade IL he
SHOULD destroy the enemy by expending
his vessel, his crew, himself"
Meet the Albemarie.
The AIbemarie came down the Roanoke
river ON May 5. accompanied by the steamer
Cotton Planter. loaded with troops and the
captured federal gunboat, the Bombshen.
loaded with coal and stores. Although the
confederate feet was well in sight and in
battle array. the iron ram came straight
y
shining In the afternoons sun. The little
fleet; was in line except the flagship. the
Mattabessett, which had low fires to save
coal.s and got In line in time only because
the Albemarle came, on her so slowly and
cautiously 1t was 40 pm. when the
Albetnane opened battle by shot from
her forward guns. which tore to pieces the
launch of the Mattabessett The second
shell from the same source damaged the
fagship's rigging
The AIbemarle. being headed for the Mat
tabessett with the intention of ramming
her. that vessel starboarded her helm and
circled the ram to the port. giving her
broadside at close range as she passed, and
aftervard came around the enemy's stern,
crossing her wake. The Albemarle failing
to strike the Mattabessett. turned on the
Sassacus and that weasel narrowly es-
capped being ranmed rs she followed the
lead Of the flagship around the Albemarle
giving her also broadside as she passed.
The Sassacus also put q broadside into the
Bombslaell which surrendered to the Sas-
sacus. though the Aattabessetts crew and
commander thought they had received its
surrender, and so reported. Tbs COM