Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-09-14
INTREPID CUSHING
Warm Words OF Praise from an Old Con.
federate Who Witnessed Lieutenant
CushlnQ's Heroic Action.

CuShlng'S Heroic Action.
Norfolk. Va. Sept. 1S An old Cor
federate sailor who was present whe
the ram AIbemarle was blown up a
Plymouth. N. G., stood on the strini
piece of Norfolk wharf last week.
few yards away the torpedo boat Cush
iog was beating the placid waters O
the harbor into violently twisting
froth as she tore swiftly out to sea
There" said the old mariner, ''goes 6
boat with the name of the bravest man
the Yanks ever had in their navy and
one of the bravest men that ever lived.
On the night on which w. B. Gushing
bew up the Albemarle l could plainly
see his face and actions by the light of
bonfire built on shore. He went
about his work oblivious of everything
using deliberation where dellberatiOn
was necessary and haste where he
| could.
"AlthOugh a hundred rifles were
/ trained on him and be could see the big
Brooke's rifles in the bow of the Abe
marie trained directly on him he never
flinched. How be escaped annihila-
tiOn is more than can understand.-
The one chance in million saved him. J."
Cushing was only twentY.0ne at the
time of this brilliant exploit. He was
made Lieutenant mmander and re-
ceived $4,000 as his share of prize
money for destroying the Albemarle.
The story of the destruction of the
Albemarle is too we'll known to be re-
peated here. After the destruction
was verified the world rang with Cush
ing's fame. Not only was bis achieve
ment remarkable for the splendid
bravery displayed but because whole
fleet of Federal ships had in vain tried
to make an impression on the rams |
sides. Had it not been
destroyed in short time the land and !
W tier operations of the Federal gov
ernment would have been 10 jeopardy. |
J. M. Batten. M. D, who was a sur
geon in the United States Navy, tells
in his book of Cushing's behavior in
with the destruction Of the
DR.. Batten was paes-
enger on the steamer Valley City of
the Federal fleet on October %, 1864
Gushing was also aboard, having just
arrived with a torpedo launch which
be had had constructed at the New
York Navy Yard. The next morning
DR.. l,atten found Cushing had disap
peared. Ga October 2Svh the day af-
ter the destruction of the Albemarle
the Valley City got under way and
proceeded to the mouth of the Roam
oke. AS she was passing In DR.. Bat
Ten says voice hailed the ship from
The shore and the Valley City sent off
4 boat, which much to his surprise, on
It's return brought off Lieutenant
Gushing with all his clothing gone ex.
,ept pair of stockings, pantaloons
aud coarse fl annel shirt. He was wet,
cold, tired, hungry and prOstrated.-
He had been absent five days and most
If that time had besn without food.
His crew had consisted of twelve vol
lnteers of whom two were drowned,
)ne escaped and the rest captured.
On Cushing's return to the fleet be
was received with national salute of
;wenty-One guns. This is one of the
ew occasions on which lieutenant
1ot in command has been given salu te
with big guns 1t is the only occasion
IN which lieutenant has been saluted
With the national salute which is re.
erved for rulers of countries. Il
The Gushing at present forms part (
If the reserve torpedo SO quadron which
1as its base at Norfolk under command
If Lieutenant L. V. Gillis. She will
probably be kept in Norfolk during
he life of the jamestown Exposition
20 be held on the shores of Hampton
Roads near Norfolk, in 1907, aud viei
;ors can then see the famous boat.
During the Spanish-American War
he acted as despatch boat and member
If the Cuban blockading fleet. She was
)uiit at the yard of the HerreshOffs at
Bristol, Rhode Island. She Is 139 feet,
} inches length on the water line. of IA
'eet. three inches beam, and draws four
'eet ten inches of water. Her full load
is 142 tons. She is twin
screw vessel driven by ThorDeycroft
engines capable of generating 1,72O
horse power. The vessel is armed with
three Is inch Whitehead torpedo tubes
and one FOUNDER rapid fire guns. The
| ushing was the first torpedo boat
built for the new United States Navy
and was given the name Cushing i'll
response TO popular feeling that the
finest torpedo craft then known should
be given Lne name of the man who
gained world wide fame by bis use OF
a torpedo. She was completed June l,
1889. and first commissioned on April
nkI