Admiral David D. Porter, The Naval History of the Civil War.

When the steam launch and her tow neared the wreck of the Southfield, there were anxious feelings on the part of the brave fellows whose lives it was thought by many would all be sacrificed on this hazardous expedition; but no one faltered, and Cushing's keen eye looked into the darkness intent only on the Albemarle. The Southfield was passed by the party unobserved by the enemy, and the pickets along the river banks, depending on those at the outpost to give the alarm, were not on the alert. This was a fortunate circumstance for Cushing and his comrades, for he was thus enabled to approach unmolested within a few yards of the Albemarle.

The look-out on board the iron-clad finally hailed, when Cushing, casting off the cutter, ordered her to proceed back to the wreck of the Southfield and capture the picket guard. Cushing then dashed ahead under full steam for the Albemarle, which was secured to the wharf within a pen of logs extending about thirty feet from the vessel. A fire on shore lighted up the surroundings and Cushing's quick eye at once took in the situation. He dashed at the logs, which the steam-launch shoved aside, and struck the Albemarle bows on.

In the meantime the enemy had become thoroughly aroused, and the men on board the ram rushed to their quarters and opened a severe fire on the assaulting party; but they were swept away by a discharge of canister from the 12-pound howitzer mounted in the torpedo-boat's bow. A gun loaded with grape was also fired at the launch, but the fire from the howitzer disconcerted the gunner's aim and the shots were harmless. While all this firing was going on, the torpedo boom was deliberately lowered, and by a vigorous thrust Cushing drove the torpedo under the ram's overhang and exploded it. There was a tremendous crash and a great upward rush of water which filled the steam-launch. The pumps of the Albemarle were manned, and her commanding officer, Lieutenant Warley, encouraged his crew to try and keep the vessel free, but the water gained so rapidly through the great aperture made by the explosion that the Albemarle soon went to the bottom, her smoke-stack only showing the place where she had last floated. As the enemy had none of the necessary appliances at hand for raising the iron-clad, they made vigorous efforts to still further disable her, anticipating that the Federal gun-boats would soon be on the spot to try and secure the sunken vessel.

The Albemarle, although apparently taken by surprise, had been quite prepared for the emergency. There were two fieldpieces on her deck loaded with grape, and manned by a company of artillery ready to fire at a moment's notice. That a good watch was kept on board is proven by the quickness with which the crew got to quarters, and opened fire on the torpedo-boat. It was fortunate for Cushing that he succeeded in passing the pickets along the river undisturbed, otherwise the sailors on board the Albemarle and the troops on shore might have given him such a warm reception as would have prevented the carrying out of his design. But Cushing seemed ever to be the child of fortune and his good luck followed him to the close of the war.

But to return to the torpedo-boat: when the fire was opened on her by the enemy, Paymaster Swann was wounded at Cushing's side, and how many others had been injured he did not know. It seemed as if a shower of grape-shot had struck the boat. but in the confusion the aim was misdirected and the grape did little injury. The torpedo, exploding directly afterwards, filled the launch with water, when, seeing that she would be captured, Gushing and others jumped into the river and swam down stream under a shower of musketry, which, however, failed to do any harm.

As soon as the Confederates saw the torpedo-launch filled with water and floating away, they sent boats to take possession of her, and captured most of her crew. Some of the latter were drowned in their efforts to reach the opposite shore; and, so far as Cushing knew at the time, only one escaped besides himself, and he in a different direction. As he swam down the stream lie met Acting-Master's Mate Woodman struggling in the water, almost exhausted, and endeavored to assist him to the shore; but the attempt was a failure, and Mr. Woodman was drowned. Cushing himself could barely crawl out of the water when he succeeded in reaching the bank, half a mile below the town. He dragged himself into a swamp, and, while lying concealed a few feet from the path along the river, two of the Albemarle's officers passed, and from their conversation Cushing learned for the first time that the iron-clad was at the bottom of the river.

As soon as his strength would allow, Gushing plunged into the dense swamp, where he would not likely be followed, and after incredible difficulty in forcing his way through the mud and slime, he reached a point well below the town; and met a negro, whom he sent into Plymouth to find out the particulars of the sinking of the ram. The negro soon re turned with assurances that the Albemarle was actually sunk. Thus cheered, Gushing pursued his tedious journey through the swamps, till, coming suddenly