THE SINKING OF THE “SOUTHFIELD" (APRIL 18, 1864).

THE “ ALBEMARLE ” AND THE “SASSACUS.”

BY EDGAK HOLDEN, U. S. N.

O N the 5th of May, 1864, the Albemarle, withtlio captured steamer Bombshell, and thesteamer Cotton Plant , laden with troops, came downthe Roanoke River. The double-enders Mattabesett,Sassacus, Wyalusing, and Miami , together with thesmaller vessels, Whitehead, Ceres, and CommodoreBull, steamed up Albemarle Sound to give battle.)

The Sassacus was one of the several wooden side-wheel ships, known as “double-enders,” built forspeed, light draught, and ease of manoeuvre.She carried four 9-inch Dahlgren guns and two100-pounder Parrott rifles, and was under thecommand of Lieutenant-Commander E. A. Roe .

The Union plan of attack was for the large ves-sels to pass as close as possible to the ram withoutendangering their wheels, deliver their fire, andthen round to for a second discharge. The smallervessels were to take charge of thirty armedlaunches, which were expected to accompany theiron-clad. The Miami carried a torpedo to be ex-ploded under the enemy, and a strong net, or seine,to foul her propeller.

! Tile Union force under Captain Melancton Smithin the action of May 5th, 1864, was: Double-enders:Mattabesett, Commander John C. Febiger; Sassacus,Lieutenant-Commander Francis A. Roe ; Wyalusing,Lieutenant-Commander Walter W. Queen ; Miami , Act-ing Volunteer Lieutenant Charles A. French. Ferry-boat : Commodore Hull, Acting Master Francis Josselyn.Gun-boats: Whitehead, Acting Ensign G. W. Barrett;Ceres, Acting Master H. II. Foster. The losses were:Mattabesett, k, 2 ; w, 6, — total, 8; Sassacus, k, 1 ; w, 19(13 of those were scalded),—total, 20; Wyalusing, lc, 1, —in all 29.—Editors.

All eyes were fixed on this second Mcrrimac as,like a floating fortress, she came down the bay. Apuff of smoko from her bow port opened the ball,followed quickly by another, the shells being aimedskillfully at the pivot-rifle of the leading ship,Mattabesett, cutting away rail and spars, and wound-ing six men at the gun. The enemy then headedstraight for her, in imitation of the Merrimac,but by a skillful management of the helm theMattabesett rounded her bow,3» closely followed byour own ship, the Sassacus, which at close quartersgave her a broadside of solid 9-incli shot. Theguns might as well have fired blank cartridges, forthe shot skimmed off into the air, and even the100-pound solid shot from the pivot-rifle glancedfrom the sloping roof into space with no apparenteffect. The rapid firing from the different shipsproduced clouds of smoke. Changes of positionwere necessary to avoid being run down, and con-stant watchfulness to get a shot into the portsof the ram, as they quickly opened to delivertheir well-directed fire. There was also danger of

it? If the Mattabesett rounded the bow of the Albemarle,the latter must have been heading up the sound at thetime ; in other words, she must have turned previous tothe advance of the Union fleet. Upon this point the re-ports of the captains of the double-enders give conflict-ing testimony. Commander Febiger represents the ramas retreating toward the Roanoke, while Lieutenaut-Coinmander Roe describes her as in such a positionthat she would necessarily have been heading towardthe advancing squadron. The conflict of opinion wasdonbtless due to the similarity in the two ends of theram.— Editors.

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