THE DESTRUCTION OF THE “ALBEMARLE.”
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Ensign William L. Howartli, Monticello; ActingMaster’s Mate John Woodman, Commodore Mull;Acting Master’s Mate Thomas S. G-ay, Otsego;Acting Third Assistant Engineer William Stotes-bury, Picket-boat; Acting Third Assistant Engi-neer Charles L. Steever, Otsego ; Samuel Higgins,first-class fireman, Picket-boat; Richard Hamilton,coal-heaver, Shamrock; William Smith, ordinaryseaman, Chicopee; Bernard Harley, ordinary sea-man, Chicopee; Edward J. Houghton, ordinaryseaman, Chicopee; Lorenzo Deming, landsman,Picket-boat; Henry Wilkes, landsman, Picket-boat;Robert H. King, landsman, Picket-boat. Cushingand Howartli, together with those designated asattached to the “Picket-boat,” were the originalseven who brought the boat down from New York .Cushing and Houghton escaped, Woodman andHiggins were drowned, and the remaining elevenwere captured.
For his exploit Lieutenant Cushing received thecongratulations of the Navy Department, and alsothe thanks of Congress, and was promoted to thegrade of lieutenant-commander.
The Albemarle was afterward raised, towed toNorfolk , and in 1867 there stripped and sold.
Editors.
Lieutenant Cushing reached the Valley Cityabout midnight on the night of October 28 th-29th. On the next day, the 29th, at 11:15 A. M.,Commander Macomb got under way, and his fleetproceeded up the Roanoke River. Upon the ar-rival of the fleet at the wreck of the Southfield,after exchanging shots with the lower batteries,it was found that the enemy had effectually ob-structed the channel by sinking schooners along-side the wreck, and the expedition was thereforecompelled to return.
On the next day, Commander Macomb, havingascertained from a reconnoissa.nce by the ValleyCity that Middle River offered a clear passage,determined to approach Plymouth by that route.The expedition threaded the channel, shellingPlymouth across the woods on the interveningneck of land on its way up, until it reached thehead of Middle River and passed into the Roanoke,where it lay all night.
At 9:30 on the morning of the 31st of Octoberthe line was formed, the Commodore Mull beingplaced in advance, as her ferry-boat constructionenabled her to fire ahead. The Whitehead, whichhad arrived with stores just before the attack, waslashed to the Taeony, and the tugs Bazley and Belleto the Shamrock and Otsego, to afford motive powerin case of accident to the machinery. Signal was
made to “Go ahead fast,” and soon after 11 thefleet was hotly engaged with the batteries on shore,which were supported by musketry from rifle-pitsand houses. After a spirited action of an hour at
CAPTAIN ALEXANDER E. WARLEV, O. S. N.
short range, receiving and returning a sharp fireof shell, grape, and canister, the Shamrock planteda shell in the enemy’s magazine, which blew up,whereupon the Confederates hastily abandonedtheir works. In a short time Plymouth was en-tirely in possession of the Union forces. The cas-ualties on the Union side were six killed and ninewounded.
The vessels engaged were as follows : Double-enders : Shamrock, Commander W. H. Macomb,commanding division, Lieutenant Rufus K. Duer,executive officer; Otsego , Lieutenant-CommanderH. N. T. Arnold; Wyalusing, Lieutenant-Com-mander Earl English; Taeony, Lieutenant-Com-mander W. T. Truxtun. Ferry-boat : CommodoreMull, Acting Master Francis Josselyn. Gun-boat :Whitehead, Acting Master G. W. Barrett. Tugs :Belle, Acting Master James G. Green ; Bazley, Act-ing Master Mark D. Ames. The Chicopee, Com-mander A. D. Harrell, and Valley City, ActingMaster J. A. J. Brooks, were not present at thesecond and final demonstration.— J. R. Soley.
NOTE ON THE DESTRUCTION OF THE “ALBEMARLE.”BY HER CAPTAIN, A. F. WARLEY, C. S. N.
hen I took command of the ConfederateStates iron-clad Albemarle I found her madefast to the river bank nearly abreast of the townof Plymouth. She was surrounded by a cordon ofsingle cypress logs chained together, about ten feetfrom her side. There was no reason why the placemight not be recaptured any day: the guns com-
manding the river were in no condition for use,and the troops in charge of them were worn downby ague, and were undrilled and worthless.
When I had been about a month at Plymouththe troops were relieved by a new set. On the dayof their arrival I heard of a steam-launch havingbeen seen in the river, and I informed the officer