Daniel Ammen, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 7.2, The Atlantic Coast
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[207] Sassacus had sheered to starboard, and when nearly abeam delivered her port broadside into the Albemarle, and keeping her helm hard aport to avoid being rammed, described a circle, and passing the stern of the Albemarle, was again in line following tile Mattabesett. That vessel passing ahead, had fired her forward rifle and howitzers into the Bombshell, when she surrendered, and was ordered to follow in the wake; the Sassacus coming up, fired a broadside into the Bombshell also, in the belief that she had not surrendered, and when informed of the fact, directed her to pass astern and anchor; the Wyalusing then coming up, was on the point of running her down, not knowing that she had surrendered (as was afterward seen), and backed barely in time to prevent injury. The Mattabesett, followed by the Sassacus and the Wyalusing, passed ahead of the Albemarle, delivering their fire as they could, and found themselves in the line of fire of the left column and of the Whitehead; that vessel, owing to inferior speed, had reached the Albemarle when the Bombshell had fallen back to anchor as ordered.

Here the three forward vessels of the right line reversed their engines to keep out of the fire of the other vessels, and as the Albemarle drew ahead the Mattabesett was on her starboard quarter, the Sassacus on her beam, and the Wyalusing on her bow. The Sassacus pointed fair, and at a distance of from two to three hundred yards, with open throttles, thirty pounds steam pressure, and making twenty-two revolutions when striking, ran head on to the Albemarle, striking her nearly at right angles, just abaft the casemate on the starboard side, at a speed estimated by her commanding officer of ten knots, and by Captain Smith on board of the Mattabesett at half that velocity. On being struck, the Albemarle heeled considerably, the water washing over the