THE DESTRUCTION OF THE “ALBEMARLE.”
635
a nipple and cap. The torpedo was the invention of Engineer Lay of thenavy, and was introduced by Chief-Engineer Wood.. Everything being com-pleted, we started to the southward, taking the boats through the canals toChesapeake Bay. My best boat having been lost in going down to Norfolk ,I proceeded with the other through the Chesapeake and Albemarle canal.Half-way through, the canal was filled up, but finding a small creek thatemptied into it below the obstruction, I endeavored to feel my way through.Encountering a mill-dam, we waited for high water, and ran the launch overit; below she grounded, but I got a flat-boat, and, taking out gun and coal,succeeded in two days in getting her through. Passing with but seven menthrough the canal, where for thirty miles there was no guard or Union inhab-itant, I reached the sound, and ran before a gale of wind to Roanoke Island .
In the middle of the night I steamed off into the darkness, and in themorning was out of sight. Fifty miles up the sound I found the fleet anchoredoff the mouth of the river, and awaiting the ram’s appearance. Here, for thefirst time, I disclosed to my officers and men our object, and told them thatthey were at liberty to go or not, as they pleased. These, seven in number,all volunteered. One of them, Mr. Howarth of the Monticello, had been withme repeatedly in expeditions of peril. J)
The Roanoke River is a stream averaging 150 yards in width, and quitedeep. Eight miles from the mouth was the town of Plymouth, where theram was moored. Several thousand soldiers occupied town and forts, andheld both banks of the stream. A mile below the ram was the wreck ofthe Southfield , with hurricane deck above water, and on this a guard wasstationed. Thus it seemed impossible to surprise them, or to attack withhope of success.
Impossibilities are for the timid: we determined to overcome all obstacles.On the night of the 27th of October \ we entered the river, taking in tow asmall cutter with a few men, whose duty was to dash aboard the wreck of theSouthfield at the first hail, and prevent a rocket from being ignited.
We passed within thirty feet of the pickets without discovery, andneared the vessel. I now thought that it might be better to board her,and “ take her alive,” having in the two boats twenty men well armed with
^ Cushing had already obtained a unique reputa-tion in the service. His first notable exploit wasa successful raid in November, 1862, up NewRiver Inlet, in North Carolina , in the tugboat Ellis.In January, 1863, he captured by surprise anearth-work at Little River, his force consisting of25 men in three cutters. In April he commandedthe flotilla in the Lower Nansemond. (See “ Clos-ing Operations in the James River,” to follow.)Two important raids were made in Cape RearRiver. The first was in February, 1864. Its ob-ject was to capture General Hebert at Smithville.Taking two boats and twenty men, Cushing rowedpast Fort Caswell in the darkness, landed at thetown, and, concealing his men, took a small partywith him to Hebert’s headquarters. The generalhappened to be away, but one of his staff-officersWas taken prisoner and carried to the boats. In
June Cushing took one cutter with fifteen menand went up nearly to Wilmington . Hiding hismen during the day in a swamp, at night heembarked and made a reconnoissance of the ob-structions below the city. At daybreak he landedagain, and taking a party through the woods to thehigh road between Fort Fisher and Wilmington ,he captured the courier with the mail from thefort. His third night was devoted to an examina-tion of the Confederate gun-boat Raleigh , which wasfound to have been destroyed. On his wa-y out hefound a large force of guard-boats. His coolnessand good judgment enabled him to elude t-hem, andhe returned without losing a man. On the strengthof these exploits the Department intrusted him withthe expedition against the Albemarle. — Editors.
\ The first attempt was made on the previousnight, but the launch grounded.— Editors.