The Washington herald., 1914-07-26

;
. the North Atlantic blockading squad
ron, TO proceed from the blockade on
: wilmington to Washington, for the pur-
pose OF there making preparations for
I carrying out a plan. conceived by Lieut.
. Cushing. for destroying the confederate
ram AIbemarle. then In the Roanoke
River. at Plymouth, N. c.
The AlbemarIe, on coming down the
Roanoke River april 1s), from near
Rinston. where she was built. had caused
the Federals much concern She had
contributed to their loss Of Plymouth.
had sunk one of their ships, the South
, field, had engaged the entire Federal
squadron in AIbemarle Sound on May 5.
and since that time had kept the squad
ron on constant duty blockading her at
, Plymouth.
Cushing believed he could approach
: the ram at night and destroy her with a
torpedo-a prophetic belief. asshistory has
shown. cine ram was destroyed by
Cushing on October q, as he had
. planned.
The assignment Of Cushing to this duty.
. with his being ordered to Washington.
seemed almost a matter OF course in the
! navy.
Since entering the service as a mas
ter's made, at the beginning Of the war
though Naval Academy man. Gushing
had resigned just before the war began
. young Cushing had shown himself re-
| markably resourceful and daring. Com
ing from Wisconsin. he had no family
associations with the sea: but the blood
OF a Pilgrim ancestor seemed to flow
again in his veins, and he approached
his work with a grim fire that distin-
guished him from his associates
To Destroy the Raleigh.
Cushing appears to have had no sense
Of fear He was ready to die II he did
not succeed. This he had already amply
proven by one piece Of service that is not
usually mentioned In history. This was a
reconnaissance, so-called. up the Cape
Fear River, on June 3-5. for the pur-
pose of examining the enemy's ironclad
Raleigh.
This vessel had appeared outside the
bar on May and had driven on the
lighter vessels of the feet blockading
| Wilmington. On returning 10 the river
she had grounded and became a wreck.
The Federals had no certain information
Of this. and Cushing volunteered to learn
the fate OF the ironclad. II she were not
wrecked he purposed laying a plan for
destroying her.
On first hearing of the appearance in
the fleet of the ironclad, he assured his
commander that had he been present he
would have given his life for the oppor-
tunity Of engaging the enemy. for the
honor OF the service. He was then in
command OF a light gunboat, the Month
cello. II he met the enemy. he declared,
he would use the Monticello as a ram.
and would go over her (the Raleigh or
to the bottom"
The Raleigh not appearing again. Cush-
! ing came forward with a proposal to de-
stroy her. Before attempting II he asked
permission to make a reconnaissance of
| the river. This proposal-in substance
| for an excursion through the enemy's
lines with a force so small that the
| chances Of escape in the event Of detec-
ton were 100 to 1 against hin-was ap-
| proved. and on the night of June 3 he
| left his ship on the bar in rowing cut
ter with two other officers and with muf-
fed oars headed for the river.
Under Enemy's Guns.
The Cape Fear River has two en-
| frances both OF which were covered by
many guns in the enemy's weIl-placed
batteries. Detection In passing these
forts meant subsection to a sweeping fire.
| Gushing chose to cross the western bar.
Fortune favored him. as the boat was
not sighted. Passing swiftly up the river.
under the very muzzles OF the enemy's
| guns. the boat slipped silently by the
town Of Smithville, three miles from the
steamers halted before putting to sea,
and escaping detection there, kept on to-
ward Wilmington.
\ The boat was not yet free Of batteries.
i for there were several guns on Zeeks
| Island. In passing these the party was
near disaster. for a steamer. moving rap
idly. and without lights. nearly ran them
! down. Soon after this the dim shape OF
i a guard boat in the channel loomed IN.
! fau A.
| the helm and oars carried the Federal
boat around this danger. and the adven-
| turers continued on their way.
| Lieut.. Gushing. In an excellent report OF
the expedition. which appears in the
| Naval Records, thus described ensuing
| events:
LAS we came abreast Of the Old Rruns-
| wick batteries, fifteen miles from the
starting point, the moon came ont bright
| " and discovered us to the sentin"ls on
| the banks. who hailed at once. and soon
| commenced firing muskets and raising
| an alarm by noises and signal lights.
| I'VE pulled at once for the other shore.
| obliOsueiy. so as to give them to under
! stand that we were going down Cthe
| river), but as soon as I found that We
were out OF the moons rays we cOntin-
| ued our course straight UP, thereby baf-
| fing the enemy and gaining safety.
| When within seven miles OF Whining
ton a good place WAS selected on the
| shore. the boat hauled up and into a
marsh. and the men slowed along the
bank
| Watching Life on the River.
| From their hiding place the adven-
! turers watched, with the coming Of day
| light, the life on the river, which since
! the beginning OF the war had been a
| sealed book to the Federals of the bar.
| The life of the Confederacy now hung
| in large measure on Wilmington, for Of
all the Southern ports this alone remained
open to any considerable degree to the
| steamers that brought in much-needed
| supplies sfrom England.
| Lieut.. Cushing saw nine steamers pass
him. three Of them being fine, large
| blockade runners" He also saw the
Yadkin, flagship Of Commodore Lynch,
| the ranking Confederate officer on the
| river This boat passed within 200 yards
Of the party secreted on the bank.
After dark two rowing boats drew
/ near. The Federals seized their arms,
ready for a fight; but the boats proved
| to be manned by fishermen. who sur
| rendered and acted as pilots for further
progress up the river.
Three miles below Wilmington Lieut..
Cushing found q row Of distractions
| across the channel 1t was formed OF
| iron-pointed pilings. set at an angle, and
only to be passed through a small chan
| mel, left open for the blockade runners.
A heavy battery guarded the passage.
Proceeding until the glimmer Of the
fiRhts Of Wilmington could be seen