The Sounds and waters of North Carolina were early the scenes of
important enterprises by the combined Army and Navy of the United
States. The Hatteras forts, Roanoke Island, Newbern, Plymouth and other
places were early captured, some of them after regular actions. A
position was gained from which the important inland communication was
threatened, which was vital to the Confederacy, while the commerce of
the Sounds was entirely put a stop to.
It was important for them to regain what they had lost, and to this end
they put forth every effort.
Among other means they commenced and hastened to completion a
formidable iron-clad vessel. In June, 1863, Lieutenant-Commander C. W.
Flusser, an excellent and thoroughly reliable officer, had reported
that a battery was building at Edward’s Ferry, near Weldon, on the
Roanoke River, to be cased with pine sills, fourteen inches square, and
plated with railroad iron. The slanting roof was to be made of five
inches of pine, five inches of oak, and railroad iron over that.
Unfortunately, the light-draught monitors, which should have been on
hand to meet this vessel, turned out failures, and the light wooden
gun-boats and “double enders” employed in the Sounds had to encounter
her. She was accompanied by a ram, which the Union fleet had no vessel
fit to meet.
In April, 1864, the Albemarle being completed, the Confederates were
ready to carry out their plan of attack, which was first to recapture
Plymouth, by the assistance of the ram, and then send her into
Albemarle Sound, to capture or disperse our fleet. A force of ten
thousand men, which they had collected, made an advance, and gained
possession of the town.
Lieutenant-Commander Flusser was then at Plymouth, with four
vessels, the Miami, a “double-ender,” and three ferry-boats, armed
with nine-inch guns, and exceedingly frail in structure, called the
Southfield, Ceres and Whitehead. At half-past nine, on the evening of
April 18th, he wrote to Admiral Lee that there had been fighting there
all day, and he feared the enemy had had the best of it. “The ram will
be down to-night or to-morrow. * * * I shall have to abandon my plan of
fighting the ram lashed to the Southfield. * * * I think I have force
enough to whip the ram, but not sufficient to assist in holding the
town, as I should like.”
Six hours after writing this, Flusser lay dead upon the deck of his
ship.
Very early on the morning of the 19th of April the Whitehead, which had
been stationed up the river, reported that the ram was coming down.
The Whitehead was in a critical position when she discovered the ram,
for she was between her and a rebel battery. Some obstructions had been
placed to stop the Albemarle, but she passed them easily. A narrow
passage or “thoroughfare” led down to Plymouth beside the main channel,
and the Whitehead managed to run into this, unperceived by the ram,
and so got down ahead of the Confederate vessel, which did not attack
until half-past three in the morning. When the ironclad was seen coming
down, the Miami and Southfield were lashed together, and Flusser, from
the Miami, ordered them to meet her, at full speed.
The Albemarle came on silently, with closed ports, and struck the
Miami a glancing blow on her port bow, doing some damage, but causing
no leak. She then crushed the side of the Southfield, so that she at
once began to sink. As she passed between the two vessels, the forward
lashings parted, and the Miami swung round. The after lashings were
cut, and, after a number of the Southfield’s men had succeeded in
reaching the Miami that vessel steamed off down the river, leaving her
consort to sink. The officer left in command by Flusser’s death thus
speaks of this unfortunate affair:--
“As soon as the battery could be brought to bear upon the ram, both
steamers, the Southfield and Miami, commenced firing solid shot from
the 100-pound Parrott rifles and 11-inch Dahlgren guns, they making
no perceptible indentations in her armor. Commander Flusser fired
the first three shots from the Miami personally, the third being a
ten-second Dahlgren shell, 11-inch. It was directly after that fire
that he was killed by pieces of shell; several of the gun’s crew were
wounded at the same time. Our bow hawser being stranded, the Miami
then swung round to starboard, giving the ram a chance to pierce
us. Necessity then required the engine to be reversed in motion, to
straighten the vessel in the river, to prevent going on the bank of
the river, and to bring the rifle-gun to bear upon the ram. During
the time of straightening the steamer the ram had also straightened,
and was making for us. From the fatal effects of her prow upon the
Southfield, and of our sustaining injury, I deemed it useless to
sacrifice the Miami in the same way.”
[Illustration: LIEUT. CUSHING’S TORPEDO BOAT SINKING THE ALBEMARLE ON
ROANOKE RIVER, N. C.]
The gun-boats being driven off, the Confederates captured Plymouth on
April 20th. As it was expected that the Albemarle would at once enter
the Sound, and attack the squadron there, all possible preparations
were made to meet her.
Four of the squadron were “double enders,” the Miami, Mattabesett,
Sassacus and Wyalusing. The smaller vessels were the Ceres, Commodore
Hull, Seymour and Whitehead. They were all armed with 9-inch guns and
100-pound rifles.
The Senior Officer in the Sounds, Captain M. Smith, ordered the large
vessels to pass as close as possible to the ram, delivering their fire,
and rounding to immediately for a second discharge. He also suggested
the vulnerable points of the ram, and recommended that an endeavor be
made to foul her propeller, if possible.
He also directed, among other things, that a blow of the ram should be
received as near the stern as possible, and the vessel rammed was to
go ahead fast, to prevent her from withdrawing it, while the others
attacked the propeller. If armed launches accompanied the ram they were
to be met by the smaller vessels, with shrapnel, when approaching,
and hand grenades when near. He leaves the question of ramming to
each commander, on account of the peculiar construction of the
“double-enders.”
Small steamers were placed on picket, at the mouth of the Roanoke, and
on the 5th of May the ram made its appearance, and chased the picket
boats in. Signals were made, and the vessels got under way, and stood
up to engage the ironclad. The Albemarle was accompanied by a small
steamer which she had captured not long before. At about half-past
four in the afternoon the Albemarle opened the battle by a shot which
destroyed a boat and wounded several men on board the Mattabesett.
The second shot damaged the same vessel’s rigging. By this time the
Mattabesett was very near the little steamer, which immediately
surrendered. The Mattabesett then gave the ram a broadside, at about
one hundred and fifty yards, then rounded to under her stern, and came
up on the other side. Her shot either broke, or glanced off the ram’s
armor, without any effect. She had the muzzle knocked off of one of her
two guns, by a shot from the ram, but continued to use it during the
remainder of the action.
The Sassacus came gallantly on, in like manner, delivering her fire at
the Albemarle. The latter then attempted to ram the Sassacus, but the
latter crossed her bows, by superior speed.
At this time the ram had partially turned, and exposed her side to the
Sassacus, when the wooden double-ender rushed at her, under full steam,
in hope of either crushing in her side, or of bearing her down until
she should sink. The Sassacus struck the ironclad fairly, and received,
at the same moment, a 100-pounder rifle shot, which went through and
through her. She struck the Albemarle a heavy blow, careening her, and
bearing her down till the water washed across her deck.
The Sassacus kept her engines going, in the attempt to push the ram
down, while many efforts were made to throw hand grenades down her deck
hatch, and powder down her smoke stack, but without success, as there
was a cap upon the stack.
Soon the ram swung round, and as soon as her guns would bear, another
100-pound rifle shot went through the side of the Sassacus, through
her coal bunker, and crashed into her starboard boiler. Instantly the
whole ship was filled with steam, which scalded and suffocated her
crew. All her firemen were scalded, and one was killed; and twenty-one
men were instantly placed _hors de combat_. She was forced to withdraw
from action.
The other gun-boats continued the fight, and the Miami endeavored to
explode against the ram a torpedo which she carried. But the Albemarle
was skillfully handled, and succeeded, each time, in avoiding the blow.
Two of the other gun-boats endeavored to foul the propeller of the ram
by laying out seines in her track. Although the nets seemed all about
her, she escaped them. An observer from the shore has likened this
curious scene to a number of wasps attacking a large horny beetle.
In fine, the Albemarle proved invulnerable to the guns of the
gun-boats, even when discharged almost in contact with her sides.
The action lasted for three hours, or until night came on. Everything
that brave men could do to destroy the enemy it was their duty to
encounter was done by the gun-boats, but the ironclad went back to
Plymouth without serious damage, and without the loss of a man, after
being the target, at short range, for more than two hundred shot
from 11-inch and 9-inch guns, and more than one hundred shot from
100-pounder rifles.
The gun-boats, other than the Sassacus, were very much damaged, and
it was plain that they were unfit to meet the Albemarle, however ably
handled or gallantly fought.
The ram came out again on the 24th of May, but did not enter the Sound,
apparently fearing torpedoes. The next day a party left the Wyalusing
in a boat, with two torpedoes, to endeavor to destroy the Albemarle, as
she lay at Plymouth.
They carried the torpedoes across the swamps on a stretcher, and then
two of the party swam across the river with a line, and hauled the
torpedoes over to the Plymouth shore. These were then connected by a
bridle, so that they should float down and strike on each side of the
ram’s bows. Unfortunately, they were discovered, and the plan failed.
Lines of torpedoes were then placed at the mouth of the Roanoke, to
destroy the ram if she should come down again, and as this proceeding
could not be kept secret, the ironclad did not again venture down. She
lay quietly at Plymouth until the latter part of October, a constant
threat to our fleet in the Sounds, and preventing any attempt to
recapture the town. She was very securely moored to a wharf, and a
guard of soldiers was placed on board, in addition to her crew.
Every night fires were made on shore, to prevent the approach of an
enemy unseen. More than this, she was surrounded by large logs, moored
some thirty feet from her hull, all round, to keep off any boat which
might approach with a torpedo. From the mouth of the Roanoke to where
the Albemarle lay is about eight miles, and the stream there about two
hundred yards wide.
The banks were well picketed by the enemy.
About a mile below Plymouth was the sunken wreck of the Southfield, and
about her were some schooners, which also formed a picket-station in
mid-stream.
It seemed impossible for a boat to get up the river and not be
discovered, and yet Lieutenant William B. Cushing, of the United States
Navy, not only undertook to do so, but succeeded in destroying this
formidable craft, “the terror of the Sounds.”
Admiral Ammen, of the Navy, has given a capital sketch of Cushing, in
the _United Service Magazine_, from which we shall borrow freely.
“William B. Cushing was born in Wisconsin, in November, 1842, and
entered the Naval Academy in 1857, but resigned in March, 1861,
entering the naval service afloat, as an Acting Master’s Mate. His
disposition and temperament would not permit him to remain at a naval
school in time of war, as he would not have been able to give a single
thought to theoretical study.
“In October, 1861, he was restored to his rank as Midshipman, and on
the 16th of July following he was, with many other young officers, made
a Lieutenant, owing to the exigencies of the service growing out of the
civil war.
“Henceforth, for nearly three years, his career was singularly
conspicuous in deeds of daring, in a service where a lack of gallantry
would have brought disgrace. It is plain, therefore, that it was the
sagacity of his plans and his boldness in carrying them out that
distinguished him.
“At the close of the war he was barely twenty-two and a half years
of age, rather slightly built, about five feet in height, and boyish
looking. He had large, gray eyes, a prominent, aquiline nose, yellowish
hair, worn quite long, and withal, a rather grave expression of
countenance. When speaking his face would light up with a bright and
playful smile. A comrade likened his springy, elastic step, high
cheek bones and general physiognomy to that of an Indian. The first
impression of a stranger who heard him speak, either of what he had
done or hoped to do, would be that he was a boaster--but with those who
knew him best there was no such idea; his form of speech was a mere
expression, frankly uttered, of what he had done, or what he intended
to do.”
The foregoing is Admiral Ammen’s estimate of the man. To some of it the
writer must dissent. He accompanied Cushing on a short journey soon
after the Albemarle affair, while the country was still ringing with
his brilliant exploit, and when steamboats, railroads and hotels were
refusing to accept any money from either him or his chance companions;
and all sorts and conditions of men were being introduced to him, to
have the honor of shaking his hand; and yet a more simple, boy-like,
unassuming manner no one placed in such a position ever had.
He early received command of a small steamer, engaged in blockading,
and would make expeditions in the inland waters, in his boat, sometimes
lying concealed all day, but always having some definite object
commensurate with the risks involved. He more than once obtained
important information in this way.
Not only did he have frequent engagements, in his little vessel,
with field batteries of the enemy, but was successful in destroying
schooners with supplies, salt-works, and other things which tended to
cripple his enemy.
In the winter of 1864, when blockading the Cape Fear River, Cushing
determined to pay a visit to Smithville, in a boat, with only six men.
In entering the river he had to pass Fort Caswell, and at Smithville,
two miles above, he knew there was a battery of five guns, and a
considerable garrison.
About eleven o’clock at night he landed, one hundred yards above the
battery, came into the village, and into a large house with a piazza,
which was the headquarters of General Hebert.
A Major and Captain, of the General’s staff, were about going to bed,
in a room on the piazza, when, hearing footsteps, and supposing his
servant was there, the Major threw up a window, and a navy revolver was
at once thrust in his face, with a demand for surrender. He pushed
the pistol aside, and escaped through the back door, calling to his
companion to follow, as the enemy were upon them. The latter failed
to understand, and was taken prisoner by Cushing, and carried off. He
pushed off down the river, knowing that an immediate alarm would be
given. It was a beautiful moonlight night, but Cushing escaped unharmed.
This audacious effort to capture General Hebert was characteristic of
Cushing, and was only frustrated by the fact that the General happened
to spend the night in Wilmington, instead of his own quarters.
At the capture of Newbern, Cushing distinguished himself, in command of
a battery of navy howitzers.
In landing in the marsh Cushing had lost his shoes, and, while pressing
on, he encountered the servant of a Captain Johnson, of the army, who
had a pair of spare boots slung over his shoulder. Cushing asked who
was the owner of the boots, and said, “Tell the Captain that Lieutenant
Cushing, of the Navy, was barefooted, and has borrowed them for the
day,” and then, in spite of the remonstrances of the servant, put on
the boots in haste, and pursued his way to the fight.
In the destruction of the Albemarle we see Cushing in another, and a
truly heroic light. The newspaper correspondents had managed to make
his task as difficult as possible, for they had, for several weeks,
apprised the public, and of course the enemy, that Cushing was on his
way from the North, with a torpedo-boat, to blow up the Albemarle. No
method could have been taken to render the enemy more watchful, and the
destruction of the ironclad impossible.
We have already spoken of the “cordon” of logs, enclosing her as in a
pen; the extra guards and fires, the howitzers ready loaded, and the
pickets down the river. The enemy was very vigilant, and Cushing’s
approach was discovered. Yet we find him perfectly cool amidst a heavy
fire from small arms and howitzers, standing forward in his launch,
pushing his way at full speed over the logs, and only intent upon
lowering his torpedo and striking the enemy’s vessel at the proper
time. He did this most effectually, but, at the very moment of doing
so, a shell from one of the heavy guns of the Albemarle struck the
torpedo-boat, and she went down, swamped by the column of water and
spray which rose high in the air when the torpedo exploded.
Nothing could be more graphic or characteristic than Cushing’s report
of the affair, as follows:--
“ALBEMARLE SOUND, N. C.,
October 30th, 1864.
“SIR:--I have the honor to report that the Rebel ironclad “Albemarle”
is at the bottom of the Roanoke river. On the night of the 27th,
having prepared my steam-launch, I proceeded up towards Plymouth
with thirteen officers and men, partly volunteers from the squadron.
The distance from the mouth of the river to the ram was about eight
miles, the stream averaging in width some two hundred yards, and
lined with the enemy’s pickets.
“A mile below the town was the wreck of the Southfield, surrounded by
some schooners, and it was understood that a gun was mounted there
to command the bend. I therefore took one of the Shamrock’s cutters
in tow, with orders to cast off and board at that point, if we were
hailed.
“Our boat succeeded in passing the pickets, and even the Southfield,
within twenty yards, without discovery, and we were not hailed
until by the lookouts on the ram. The cutter was then cast off,
and ordered below, while we made for our enemy under a full head of
steam. The Rebels sprung their rattle, rang the bell, and commenced
firing, at the same time repeating their hail, and seeming much
confused.
“The light of a fire ashore showed me the ironclad made fast to the
wharf, with a pen of logs around her, about thirty feet from her side.
“Passing her closely, we made a complete circle, so as to strike her
fairly, and went into her, bows on. By this time the enemy’s fire
was very severe, but a dose of canister, at short range, served to
moderate their zeal and disturb their aim.
“Paymaster Swan, of the Otsego, was wounded near me, but how many
more I know not. Three bullets struck my clothing, and the air seemed
full of them. In a moment we had struck the logs just abreast of the
quarter port, breasting them in some feet, and our bows resting on
them. The torpedo-boom was then lowered, and by a vigorous pull I
succeeded in diving the torpedo under the overhang, and exploding it,
at the same time that the Albemarle’s gun was fired. A shot seemed to
go crashing through my boat, and a dense mass of water rushed in from
the torpedo, filling the launch, and completely disabling her.
“The enemy then continued his fire, at fifteen feet range, and
demanded our surrender, which I twice refused, ordering the men to
save themselves, and, removing my own coat and shoes, springing into
the river, I swam with others into the middle of the stream, the
Rebels failing to hit us. The most of our party were captured, some
were drowned, and only one escaped besides myself, and he in another
direction. Acting Master’s Mate Woodman, of the ‘Commodore Hull,’ I
met in the water half a mile below the town, and assisted him as best
I could, but failed to get him ashore.
“Completely exhausted, I managed to reach the shore, but was too weak
to crawl out of the water until just at daylight, when I managed to
creep into the swamp, close to the fort. While hiding, a few feet
from the path, two of the Albemarle’s officers passed, and I judged,
from their conversation, that the ship was destroyed.
“Some hours’ travelling in the swamp served to bring me out well
below the town, when I sent a negro in to gain information, and found
that the ram was truly sunk. Proceeding to another swamp I came to a
creek, and captured a skiff belonging to a picket of the enemy, and
with this, by eleven o’clock the next night, had made my way out to
the ‘Valley City.’
“Acting Master’s Mate William L. Howarth, of the ‘Monticello,’
showed, as usual, conspicuous bravery. He is the same officer who
has been with me twice in Wilmington harbor. I trust he may be
promoted when exchanged, as well as Acting Third Assistant Engineer
Stotesbury, who, being for the first time under fire, handled his
engine promptly and with coolness.
“All the officers and men behaved in the most gallant manner. I will
furnish their names to the Department as soon as they can be procured.
“The cutter of the Shamrock boarded the Southfield, but found no gun.
Four prisoners were taken there. The ram is now completely submerged,
and the enemy have sunk three schooners in the river, to obstruct the
passage of our ships. I desire to call the attention of the Admiral
and Department to the spirit manifested by the sailors on the ships
in these Sounds. But few men were wanted, but all hands were eager
to go into action, many offering their chosen shipmates a month’s
pay to resign in their favor. I am, sir, very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
W. B. CUSHING,
_Lieutenant, U. S. N._”
“Rear-Admiral D. D. PORTER,
“_Commanding N. A. Squadron_.
“The name of the man who escaped is William Hoftman, seaman on the
‘Chicopee.’ He did his duty well and deserves a medal of honor.
“Respectfully,