William Barker Cushing (The New York Public Library photo*)
Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, October 30, 1864
Sir: "I have the honor to report that the rebel ironclad Albemarle is at the bottom of the Roanoke River." These were the opening words in an official report, to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, penned by navy Lieutenant William Barker Cushing two days after he returned to the fleet from a successful suicide mission to sink the Confederate ram docked at Plymouth, North Carolina. The navy officer's exploits made the twenty-one year old an instant celebrity and a national hero as the "word of [his] deeds went all over the north." He received the thanks of the Navy Department for the fifth time. On December 20, 1864, at the request of President Abraham Lincoln, Cushing would become the youngest lieutenant, and only the second junior officer, in the history of the United States Navy to receive the thanks of Congress, as the august body commended him and "the officers and men under his command for the skill and gallantry displayed by them in the destruction of the...iron clad steamer...on the night of the twenty-seventh of October.** Seven enlisted men with Cushing would be awarded the Medal of Honor on December 31, 1864, in accordance with Special Orders No. 45.
Sinking the Albemarle (US Naval Historical Center photo)
The ironclad steamed down the Roanoke River under the command of Captain John W. Cooke on April 17, 1864 to assist Confederate infantry under Brigadier General Robert F. Hoke in retaking the town of Plymouth, which had been held by federal forces since May 1862. By the evening of the 18th it was three miles above town. Between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. on April 19, the Albemarle and the CSS Cotton Plant engaged the USS Southfield and the USS Miami. The Albemarle rammed the Southfield and sank her. She caused considerable damage to the Miami and drove off the other Union vessels supporting the federal garrison at Plymouth. Lieutenant Commander Charles W. Flusser, of the Miami a good friend of Cushing's was killed by a piece of shell, while actively engaged in firing his guns.
Hoke and the Albemarle continued the attack on the Union Army forces at Plymouth, who were now without federal naval support, on the 20th. The garrison was forced to capitulate by days end. Over 2,300 soldiers were captured. Many of them wound up at Andersonville. The Confederates had retaken Plymouth.
On May 5th, the Albemarle, accompanied by the Cotton Plant and the CSS Bombshell, left Plymouth in route to assist Confederate forces in an attempt to retake New Bern on the Neuse River. The ram first had to get by seven ships of the Union squadron blockading Albemarle Sound, who were laying in wait for the rebel ironclad and her support vessels. About 4:40 p.m. a spirited engagement commenced which lasted until about 7:30 p.m. Neither side was able to gain the upper hand. As darkness settled over the sound and with her smokestack pierced with holes and the muzzle of one of her Brooke's rifles shot off the Albemarle broke off the contest and steamed back up the Roanoke River to Plymouth.
Five enlisted men from the USS Wyalusing made an unsuccessful attempts to sink the Albemarle at Plymouth, with torpedoes, on May 24, as she was a continued threat to the federal blockading squadron, and tied up a considerable number of their resources in watching for her. In sheer desperation, in early July, the navy finally asked Lt. William Barker Cushing if he would make an attempt to destroy the ram. He agreed to undertake the mission and proposed two options one of which was selected. Cushing proceeded to the New York Navy Yard in August where he had two steam powered launches (picket boats) fitted out and outfit with spar torpedos. The picket boats left New York on September 22. One was lost in the Chesapeake Bay. Cushing and the second boat arrived at Hampton Roads, on October 13th. On the 17th they proceeded to Albemarle Sound where he found the fleet at the mouth of the Roanoke River. Cushing reported to Commander William H. Macomb, who commanded the "District of the Sound", on October 24, and final preparations were made to launch the attack.
At 10:30 p.m. on October 26 Cushing headed up the Roanoke toward Plymouth and the Albemarle, eight miles distant. His picket boat ran aground and he had to abort the mission. A second attempt was made on the 27th.
The night of October 27, 1864, was dark, stormy and rainy when Lt. Cushing and 14 men in Picket Boat No. 1 started up the river again about 11:30 p.m. They towed a cutter from the Shamrock containing two officers and 11 men. Cushing hoped to board the Albemarle and bring it down river to join the Union fleet. If that failed he would attempt to blow up the ram with his spar torpedo.
Cushing's boats "hugged the shore as close as possible," to prevent being seen by Confederate pickets and sentries as they quietly steamed up the Roanoke. By 2:30 a.m. on the 28th the lieutenant and his men had made it too within a mile of Plymouth. They could see the silhouette of the Southfield. They were able to pass within thirty feet of the wreck without being detected. As the picket boat approached Plymouth around 3:00 a.m. Cushing could see the outline of the Albemarle.
As Cushing steamed toward the ironclad his luck ran out and his picket boat was spotted by sentries who hailed him. When he did not respond they lit bonfires on shore, "sprang their rattles, rang the bell and commenced firing, at the same time repeating their hail." The lieutenant cast off the cutter and ordered it below to deal with the pickets on the Southfield, while he "made toward the [Albemarle] under a full head of steam."
The light from the fires "showed the ironclad made fast to the wharf, with a pen of logs around her about 30 feet from her side. Passing her closely [Cushing turned and] made a complete circle so as to strike her fairly and went into her bows on...The enemy fire was quite severe. The air seemed full of bullets." Paymaster Swan was wounded. Bullets struck Cushing's clothing, "the whole back of [his] coat was torn off by buckshot and the sole of his shoe carried away. A dose of canister at close range [from Cushing's 12-pound howitzer] served to moderate their zeal and disturb their aim" however.
The speed of Cushing's picket boat forced the launch up onto the log apron where it came to rest. The picket boat was "ten feet from the muzzle of a rifled gun [on the Albemarle] and every word of command on board [the ram] was distinctly heard." Cushing lowered the torpedo by vigorously pulling "on the detaching line and succeeded in driving the torpedo under the overhang [of the ram]." He waited a moment for the torpedo to rise before pulling another line attached to the torpedo and exploding it at the same time that the gun on the Albemarle fired. "One hundred pounds of grape crashed in [the] midst" [of the men in the picket boat] and a dense mass of water rushed in from the torpedo, filled the [boat] and completely disabled her." The torpedo had blown a hole in the hull of the ram "big enough to drive a wagon through."
The Confederates continued to fire at Cushing and his men "at 15 feet range" and repeatedly demanded he surrender, which he twice refused. After ordering his men "to save themselves" Cushing threw off his overcoat, shoes, revolver and sword and jumped into the Roanoke River. The cold water "chilled the blood while the whole surface of the stream was ploughed up by grape and musketry." Cushing and several others swam toward the "middle of the stream, the rebels failing to hit them."
"The rebels were [soon] out in boats picking up [Cushing's] men." Eleven were captured. Two were drowned. Only one man, ordinary seaman, Edward J. Houghton, escaped besides Cushing. After swimming for a time in clothing that was "soaked and heavy, Cushing, completely exhausted...reached the shore. [He] was too weak to crawl out of the water until daylight, when he managed to creep into a swamp. Some hours' traveling in the swamp brought [the lieutenant] out well below town, when [he] sent a negro in [to town to find out] that the ram was truly sunk."
William B. Cushing "proceeded through another swamp [and] came to a creek where [he] captured a skiff, belonging to a picket of the enemy, and with this by [about 10:00 p.m. he] had made his way out to the mouth of the Roanoke River where he hailed a ship." "Boat ahoy! Send a boat!"
"A boat was sent out [from the Valley City]...Cushing was brought on board in his stocking feet, with only a coarse flannel shirt and pantaloons to cover him. He was wet, cold, tired, hungry and prostrated. [He was given a little brandy and water and taken to the Shamrock.] [Rockets were fired and] Commodore Macomb ordered the riggings of the fleet to be manned, and at the general signal to give Captain Cushing three hearty cheers; and such cheering-it made those swamps, forests and waters resound with the voices of glad-hearted men."
On October 29 Macomb's fleet steamed up the Roanoke River toward Plymouth. They recaptured the batteries and the town on October 31, 1864, and also took possession of the sunken hulk of the Albemarle and Picket Boat No. 1.
The Valley City was detached on October 30th and ordered to take Lieutenant Cushing to Fortress Monroe, Virginia. On November 1st he was "received on board [Rear Admiral Porter's] flag-ship, with a salute of twenty-one guns." Cushing then proceeded to Washington D. C., and other northern cities, where he received a heroes welcome.
**Lieutenant John L. Worden received the thanks of Congress on July 11, 1862 for his action in command of the USS Monitor in March 1862.
Information for this article is derived from various sources including but not limited to Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, Series I, Volume 10, Outline Story of the War Experiences of William B. Cushing by Himself, US Naval Institute Proceedings, September 1912 Volume 33/3/145 and Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy by John, M. Batten, Lancaster, Pa., Inquirer Printing and Publishing Co., 1881.
The words " a more gallant thing was not done during the war" come from the commander of the Albemarle, Lieutenant A. F. Warley.
*The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. Lt. William B. Cushing. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-70a6-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
