How the Union Army’s Lt. William Cushing Defeated the Seemingly Invincible Ironclad, the CSS Albemarle

Copy of a painting illustrating the battle between the Sassacus and the Albemarle in May 1864. Public domain

In October 1864, Union officer Lt. William Cushing became an instant hero for his leadership and daring that resulted in the destruction of CSS Albemarle, a ship which, at the time, seemed unsinkable.

Back in early 1862, Union Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside had conquered the North Carolina Sounds. This action stunned the Confederacy. The capture of North Carolina’s Great Inland Sea took away a vast agricultural region and threatened or disrupted vital transportation links between Richmond, Virginia, and the Deep South.

Thus, to regain this region, in April 1864, the Confederacy unleashed the ironclad ram CSS Albemarle to challenge Union superiority on the Sounds. The Confederate ironclad sank USS Southfield on April 19, 1864, which enabled them to liberate the North Carolina towns of Edenton, Plymouth, and Washington. The undefeated CSS Albemarle remained a thorn in the side of the Union at its dock at Plymouth, North Carolina.

Rear Adm. David Dixon Porter was the commander of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Porter was determined to destroy the Confederate ram. He wrote to all of his commanders:

“There is but one chance for wooden vessels in attacking an ironclad. You will make a dash at her with every vessel you have, and “lay her onboard,” using canisters to fire into her ports, while the ram strikes her steering apparatus and disables her. You will see that every vessel is provided with proper grapnels, to hold on by while going along side, and a boarding party will be appointed to lash the vessels together. Even if half of your vessels are sunk you must pursue this course.”

A portrait of Lt. William B. Cushing photographed between 1861 and 1865. Public domain

His commander, Lt. Cushing, submitted two daring plans, one of which Porter believed might be successful. The lieutenant had purchased two 30-foot launches in New York—each armed with one 12-pounder Dahlgren boat howitzer and one 14-foot-long spar torpedo. These launches were known as Picket Boat No. 1 and Picket Boat No. 2. The plan was to steam up to the Albemarle and detonate the spar torpedo beneath the ram’s hull.

Adm. Porter had approved this expedition with some misgivings. He advised Cmdr. William H. Macomb, “I have directed Lieutenant Cushing to go down in a steam launch, and, if possible, destroy this ram with torpedoes. I have not great confidence in his success, but you will afford him all the assistance in your power and keep boats ready to pick him up in case of failure.”

Engaging the Plan

Picket Boat No. 2 was lost on the trip down from New York to the North Carolina Sounds. The launch had run aground and was captured by the Confederates in Wicomico Bay, Virginia. Picket Boat No. 1 arrived in the Albemarle Sound on October 24, 1864.

On October 26, Cushing left the Union North Carolina Squadron with the goal of destroying or capturing the CSS Albemarle. At 10:30 p.m., he ran aground on a sandbar. The next day at about 2 a.m., the torpedo launch was freed with the rising tide, and Cushing and his 14 men got underway. The launch towed a cutter containing seven men, who were brought along to silence any Confederate lookouts that might be stationed on the sunken USS Southfield. The wreck’s superstructure still remained above the river. It was rumored that the Confederates had even placed a small howitzer on the ship as a sentry post to block any attempt to reach the Albemarle. Just before midnight, Cushing’s expedition entered the Roanoke River.

Jasmina Zhang for American Essence

Cushing hoped to capture the Albemarle live; however, as the picket boat steamed past the Southfield into its approach to the ram’s wharf, a sentry spotted Cushing’s approach. A bonfire was lit and a fusillade of shots rang out. Rifles and revolvers were focused on the launch. Cushing’s coat was pierced by at least four bullets and his hand creased by a Minie ball (a muzzle-loading rifle bullet).

Cushing cast off the cutter and ordered full steam. Then, as he neared the ironclad, he noticed a log boom—anti-torpedo protection—surrounding the ram. So he circled the launch to gain momentum, which made the craft an easy target. Then, the launch lurched ahead at a full head of steam through a hail of fire, crashing over the log boom. The bonfire and gun smoke made it a desperate scene as Cushing calmly stood at the launch’s bow and lowered the spar torpedo, releasing the explosive charge. Just as he pulled the lanyard to explode the device, a point-blank-range shot from the ironclad’s 6.4-inch Brooke rifle smashed the launch, throwing Cushing and his men into the river.

The Albemarle immediately sank in eight feet of water with a gaping hole in the ram’s port quarter. Lt. Warley later reported that the “water gained on us so fast that all exertions were fruitless merely leaving her shield and smokestack out.”

Sepia wash drawing of the CSS Albemarle by R.G. Skerrett, 1899. Public domain

After the Battle

Cushing found himself alone in the water. He took off his coat and shoes and swam for shore. Later, he was able to steal a skiff and hand paddled down the Roanoke River to the Sound. He was almost captured twice and came close to drowning. Yet when he was retrieved by a Union ship, all rejoiced and labeled him a hero for all times. The only other to escape was Seaman Edward Houghton; the 11 other crew members were captured and sent to Andersonville POW Camp.

The Union North Carolina Squadron quickly came up the Roanoke and bombarded Plymouth, North Carolina, on October 29. The Confederates abandoned the town on October 31, 1864, leaving behind the wreck of their high hopes of regaining and retaining the North Carolina Sounds.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.