Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy Part 4

"The Albemarle was an iron-clad vessel, similar in general features to the Merrimac and Tennessee, but much stronger. It is said her iron mail was twelve inches in thickness, and backed by several feet of solid timber. She was armed with two two-hundred pound Brooke's rifles, and was perfectly shot-proof. Her weak point proved to be below. She could have been captured only by ramming, and for that purpose much heavier vessels were needed than any that could be got into the Sound. The torpedo was the only means of destroying her, and that proved successful when tried.

"The Albemarle is probably the last formidable vessel that the rebels have in the inland waters of North Carolina, and they will hardly have an opportunity of building more."

"THE HERO OF THE ALBEMARLE IN WASHINGTON.

"WASHINGTON, NOV. 2, 1864.

"Lieutenant Cushing arrived here to-day, bringing with him the official report of the particulars attending his destruction of the rebel ram Albemarle. This act relieves all the sounds of North Carolina from floating enemies, and thus leaves them free to the operations of our fleet. Lieutenant Cushing is a citizen of, and was appointed from, the State of New York. He is satisfied that a large number of lives must have been lost by the blowing up, as the Albemarle's guns were all manned. The Secretary of the Navy will recommend to Congress a vote of thanks, and he will be promoted to a Lieutenant Commander."

After landing Captain Wm. B. Cushing aboard the flag-ship of the fleet, the Valley City the same day, at 2-1/4 p.m., weighed anchor, and proceeded to Norfolk, Va., and from thence to the United States Navy Yard at Gosport, Va., and was put there on the dry dock for repairs.

After the repairs of the Valley City were finished, on Sunday, November 27, at 4-1/2 p.m., we got under weigh, and arrived at Hampton Roads, Va., at 6-1/2 o'clock p.m. On Monday, November 28th, at 11-1/2 o'clock, a.m., we weighed anchor, and arrived at Hatteras Inlet at 9-1/2 o'clock a.m., Tuesday, November 29. At 2 o'clock a.m., on Wednesday, November 30, the Valley City arrived at Plymouth, and at 3-1/2 o'clock of the same morning the Valley City was ordered to Newbern: we weighed anchor and proceeded towards Newbern. We arrived at Roanoke Island at 11-1/2 o'clock a.m. Our orders were then countermanded, and at 2 p.m. the Valley City steamed towards Plymouth, where we arrived at 10. p.m.

During the month of November, 1864, whilst the Valley City was absent at Norfolk, the remainder of the fleet, commanded by Commander Wm. H.

Macomb, steamed up the Roanoke river, then across through Middle river, and then up the Cashie river to Roanoke river, down which it steamed and made an attack on Plymouth, which, after a hot action, fell into the hands of the Federals. The ram Albemarle was soon afterwards raised by the United States government.

On Thursday, December 1, I went ash.o.r.e at Plymouth, and observed the ram Albemarle as she lay at the bottom of the river. At 12:15 p.m., we left Plymouth, and arrived at off Edenton at 2 p.m., and at 4 p.m., the Valley City weighed anchor for Roanoke Island, where we arrived at 8 o'clock, a.m., December 2, and at 9-1/2 o'clock p.m. the Valley City left Roanoke Island, arrived at Newbern at 1 o'clock p.m., Sat.u.r.day, December 3d; Sunday, December 4, I attended church at Newbern.

Monday, December 5, I visited the graves of Captain Charles W. Flusser and Acting a.s.sistant-Surgeon George W. Wilson. The latter died after two hours' sickness, of yellow fever. He was stationed, at the time, on the United States steamer Hetzel, off Newbern, and was the surgeon of that vessel when he contracted the disease. He was a young man, and was expecting soon to return North and visit his aged parents, and also a betrothed young lady. They waited, but he never came.

On Tuesday, December 6th, at 4 o'clock p.m., we left Newbern, with Commander W. H. Macomb and his son on board, and on Wednesday, December 7, at 8-1/2 o'clock a.m., we arrived off Roanoke Island. The Valley City left Roanoke Island at 12 o'clock m., and arrived at Plymouth at 10 p.m. On Thursday, December 8, at 12-1/2 o'clock p.m., we left Plymouth and arrived at Edenton at 2-1/2 o'clock p.m. We left Edenton at 8 o'clock p.m., and anch.o.r.ed at 10 o'clock p.m., at the mouth of the Roanoke river, where the U.S. steamer Ceres and a schooner were anch.o.r.ed. On Friday, December 9, at 9 o'clock a.m., the Valley City weighed anchor and proceeded to Plymouth, where she arrived at 10 o'clock a.m.

RAINBOW BLUFF.

HOW A FLEET WENT UP THE ROANOKE AND CAME DOWN AGAIN.

In the fall of 1864, when General U.S. Grant was shortening his lines around Petersburg, it was his policy to have every man, both in the army and navy, employed, in order to draw off as many as possible from General Lee's forces at Petersburg. Accordingly, for the purpose of capturing Rainbow Bluff, the fleet composed of the United States steamers Wyalusing, Otsego, General Berry, Bazeley, Valley City, Chicopee, tug Belle, and the picket launch No. 5, weighed anchor at 5 p.m., December 9, 1864, and proceeded up the Roanoke river, with Commander W. H. Macomb on board the Wyalusing leading, the Valley City second, and the Otsego third, followed by the Chicopee, Bazeley, General Berry, tug Belle, and the steam launch No. 5.

Commander Macomb was informed by what he supposed was reliable authority that there were no torpedoes in the river from Plymouth to above Jamesville, twelve miles up the river. A fortunate occurrence for the Valley City took place on our pa.s.sage to Jamesville. The engine of the Valley City gave out, and the engineer slowed up and repaired the damage, the Otsego in the meantime pa.s.sing on ahead. By this circ.u.mstance the Valley City became third, and the Otsego second. We arrived off Jamesville about 9 p.m. The Wyalusing signaled the fleet to come to anchor, and just as the fleet was slowing up previously to anchoring, we heard a loud report, the concussion of which shook the Valley City, which was a short distance off, as if there were an earthquake in the locality. Presently it was reported that the Otsego was lost, two torpedoes, one before and the other aft, striking her simultaneously, and sinking her to the bottom of the river. From some fortunate occurrence, the Wyalusing had pa.s.sed safely over the place where the Otsego was blown up.

On the following day, December 10, there was found to be a perfect nest of torpedoes in the river off Jamesville, and while pa.s.sing near by the wreck of the Otsego, the Bazeley was blown literally to pieces, Captain Aimes, in command of her, and the pilot and also paymaster, Louis Sands, of the Shamrock, were in the pilot-house at the time the explosion took place, and were blown with the pilot-house about thirty feet into the air, and alighted in the river unhurt. William C.

Rossell, a lad, and John Gerrard, first-cla.s.s boy, were killed. Captain Aimes then immediately reported to Commander Macomb that "the Bazeley is gone up," but by that time she had gone down.

The Roanoke river, from Jamesville to Poplar point, a distance of thirty miles, was dredged for torpedoes. In all, in the river between these two points, the dredging party took up and exploded eighty torpedoes. From Jamesville on, the Valley City took the lead, having previously rigged a torpedo-fender on her bow. The river was dredged by means of six boats' crews, each two of which were paired, rowing about twenty feet apart, with a chain suspended between them, dragging along the bottom of the river. Each torpedo was anch.o.r.ed at the bottom of the river by means of a rope, one end of which was tied to the torpedo, the other end to a staple fastened in the centre of the surface of a hemisphere of iron six inches in diameter, resting at the bottom of the river. The rope was sufficiently long to float the torpedo just beneath the surface of the water. The torpedoes were made of tin, each about eighteen inches long and ten inches in diameter, and divided into two separate apartments, one for air, the other for powder. Through the centre of each torpedo, running longitudinally, there was an iron bar placed, extending beyond each end. On the upper end there was a spring trigger, which was held by a light iron cross bar, ingeniously attached to the longitudinal bar, so arranged that from the lightest touch it would fall off, letting the trigger fall on the upper part of the torpedo, striking a percussion cap immediately underneath it in the powder chamber, thus exploding the torpedo.

The boats were protected as much as possible by the Valley City following close after, watching the banks of the river on either side.

There were d.y.k.es on each side of the river, behind which in the undergrowth the rebels often lurked. To obviate this, Commander W. H.

Macomb ordered the marines to march a short distance ahead of the dredge-boats on either side of the river; but notwithstanding this precaution, the men in the dredge-boats were fired into, and several were either wounded or killed by the sharpshooters. Sometimes the marines ash.o.r.e would be driven back. The farther up the river we proceeded, the more numerous the rebels became, and the more our difficulties increased. The men in the dredge-boats did not consider the place a very safe one by any means, and often went into the boats with many forebodings. It was not a desirable place either on the Valley City, for there was a constant dread of torpedoes below and sharpshooters above.

UP AND DOWN THE RIVER.

The Valley City left Jamesville at 8 a.m., December 12, and dredged the river, as I have described. In the evening we had proceeded a few miles above Jamesville. I will now quote as I have it in my diary, which was written at that time.

Tuesday, December 13, at 5:30 p.m., we were ordered back to Jamesville to cover the army. (I will state by way of parenthesis that the army forces at Plymouth, commanded by Colonel Frankle, had promised the fleet their co-operation, but in this the fleet was disappointed.) We proceeded down the river as far as the fleet, when our orders were countermanded and we returned to dredge the river. The remainder of the fleet would lay at anchor, whilst the dredging party, with the Valley City, would proceed four or five miles up the river; then the balance of the fleet would get under weigh and steam up to the Valley City, and then come to an anchor again; but when the rebels commenced to thicken in the woods along the river, the fleet kept together behind the dredging party.

Friday, December 16.--We have been dredging the river, and have advanced to within a short distance of Williamston. At 12 m. we arrived at Williamston. I went ash.o.r.e at this place. It is a small place on the right bank of the Roanoke river--the ground rising gently from the river to the rear of the town. The houses are built of frame, and very much scattered. A family I visited there showed me a hole in their house made by a Federal sh.e.l.l pa.s.sing through it. One of the inmates of the house had been sitting in a chair in a room in the line of the sh.e.l.l, and just a moment before the sh.e.l.l came crashing through the house the lady went into an adjoining room, thus escaping. The chair in which she had been sitting was knocked to atoms. At 1 p.m. we left Williamston, and at 5 p.m. we anch.o.r.ed.

Sat.u.r.day, December 17.--We lay at anchor all day. In the morning I was astonished to see a hog swim across the Roanoke river immediately in front of us, because I have always heard it said that swine will not swim. This was the first and only hog I ever saw swim. At 11 a.m. I went ash.o.r.e to where an old man lived; he was covered with rags, and lived in a secluded spot close by the water's edge. He had no family but a little boy about eleven years of age. There was not even a cow or horse to be seen--everything around him betokened distress and misery.

I asked him how long he had been living here. He replied, "I have been living here six years." I then asked him if he enjoyed this sort of life. He answered, "No." I asked him if he had an education. He said, "I can neither read nor write." I then asked if he intended to give his son an education. He replied that before the war he had intended to give his son an education, but now times were so hard that it was barely possible for him to get sufficient to eat. After bidding him farewell, I returned aboard.

Sunday, December 18.--At 2 p.m. we got under weigh to dredge the river.

At 5 p.m. we anch.o.r.ed for the night. The nights are dark and foggy, and the rebel musketeers and sharpshooters frequently come up under cover of the darkness behind the d.y.k.es, and give us a wholesome dose from their rifles; but they are soon hurled back again by a dose of grape from our guns. During the nights, to prevent floating torpedoes coming down the river, small boats or skiffs that we had captured from the enemy were tied in line across the river above the fleet.

Monday, December 20.--The launches that have been dredging the river have been fired into, and Acting Master Wells and two men of the Chicopee were wounded. This event caused the rowers to become so much panic-stricken that they dropped their oars, lay down in the bottom of the launches, and allowed their boats to float down with the current.

It was with much difficulty that Captain J. A. J. Brooks, by calling to them from the Valley City, could get them aroused; but finally they came alongside. We, however, kept on dredging the river till we came to a point in the Roanoke river, where we anch.o.r.ed. The river at this point where the fleet is anch.o.r.ed makes a bend like that of a horseshoe. The ground on the inside of the bend, on the right bank of the river, is low and level, and covered with young saplings or undergrowth. At the heels of this horseshoe bend ran a high ridge, covered partly with poplar trees and partly with white-oak trees. The fleet lay on the Plymouth stretch of the river, or near stretch, and at the end of the far stretch where the river runs under the high bluff, the rebels, as we ascertained afterwards, had fortified with artillery, and an army said to be ten thousand strong. We did not then suspect we would find the rebels in force, till we got to Rainbow Bluff. This place was known by the name of Poplar Point.

All the fleet was at anchor, and had been since 3 o'clock p.m. The day was beautiful. The fish were nibbling at pieces of hard tack which had been thrown overboard by the sailors. The current of the river rushed swiftly past, making the rudder flap in the water. The men were lounging about on the berth deck, resting. The cook was preparing supper, the messenger boys were carrying victuals from the galley to the ward-room, and placing them on the table. The officer of the deck was pacing to and fro on the starboard side of the vessel. Captain Brooks was in his cabin. Many of the officers were in the ward-room.

All else was quiet. I was pacing the port side of the Valley City.

Pilot John A. Lewis was standing on the after hatchway, a little above the gun-deck amidships. As I approached him in walking from the bow of the vessel towards him, I said to him, "Pilot, what do you think of the prospect of getting to Rainbow Bluff?" He replied, "I think we will get there by and by, if we have patience and the rebels don't blow us up."

Just as I was turning to pace to the bow of the Valley City, I heard a report ash.o.r.e like that of a number of barrels of fire-crackers exploding. Simultaneously with this explosion, I heard the zipping of bullets in the air close to my head, and striking the bulwarks of the vessel close by me. Then artillery fire commenced.

In the meantime three loud and prolonged rattles were sprung by the officer of the deck, calling all hands to quarters. I ran down the forward hatchway and through the berth-deck to the dispensary, which was my station, and which was just in front of the boiler on the berth-deck, and at the foot of the steps of the hatchway on which John A. Lewis was standing when the firing commenced. He was pa.s.sed down to me, killed by a bullet from a sharp-shooter, pa.s.sing through his head from ear to ear. John A. Lewis was pilot of the ill-fated Otsego, and had been ordered aboard the Valley City for general duty after the sinking of that vessel. At the time that pilot John A. Lewis was killed, I had my full officer's uniform on, but he had on a blouse and soft felt hat. I felt certain at the time that the ball that killed John A. Lewis was intended for me, as I was nearly in line of the shot.

The rebels made it pretty warm for us from 5 to 9 o'clock p.m. The Valley City was struck three times with sh.e.l.l, and fired one hundred and thirty-six shots. One of the sh.e.l.ls that struck the Valley City came into a lamp-closet just over my head and near the end of the boiler, but did not explode. An old sailor sitting near by where I was standing, upon seeing the ceiling broken above my head, said, "Don't be alarmed; lightning nor sh.e.l.ls never strike twice in the same place."

Another sh.e.l.l went crashing through the ward-room, down through an old family Bible (which Acting Ensign Milton Webster had captured ash.o.r.e), and then out of the ward-room through a pa.s.sage-way in which some negroes off the Otsego were lying concealed, killing them, and then exploding in the river. In the meantime, the remainder of the fleet kept up a constant fire.

During the battle, Acting Ensign Milton Webster performed some acts of daring, by taking the end of a hawser in a cutter, manned by negroes, ash.o.r.e, and making it fast to a tree, under a shower of bullets and sh.e.l.ls. The cutter was pierced several times with bullets, but n.o.body in it was hurt. The hawser was made fast to the tree for the purpose of drawing the stern of the Valley City around so as to bring her guns to bear on the enemy.

After a brisk fire from the fleet for four hours, the rebels ceased firing, but annoyed the fleet during the night by squads of infantry firing from behind the d.y.k.es and then running away. It was dangerous to have a light aboard the vessel, and we were therefore compelled to take our suppers as best we could in the dark.

Tuesday, December 20.--We are engaged in burying the dead and skirmishing with the enemy, the rebels with their accustomed barbarity firing on the burying party. We were annoyed all day by the sharpshooters and batteries of the enemy, but continued to hold our own and to keep the enemy back.

On Wednesday, December 21, the Valley City weighed anchor at 2:10 o'clock p.m. The Confederates were firing musketry at the Wyalusing. At 2:40 p.m. the Valley City steamed ahead, around the turn which opened up the far stretch of the river. This stretch of the river was covered by rebel artillery. The Valley City had scarcely showed her bow around the turn, till she received a severe shot from the rebel batteries, which plunged diagonally through the pilot-house, which was lined outside with half-inch iron, knocking off the door thereto, wounding three men--the pilot John A. Wilson, Charles Hall, and John Wood: the latter two were mortally wounded. The Valley City immediately dropped out of range of said battery, and came to anchor at 3:05 p.m. In the evening the fleet dropped farther down on the near stretch of the river. The Valley City lost her torpedo-fender.

December 22.--Last night we were again annoyed by musketry and sharpshooters ash.o.r.e. During the day, after burying the dead, the Valley City dropped down below the fleet to arrange on her bows another torpedo-fender. About 2:20 p.m. we heard loud whistling from steam launch No. 5, which was bringing up the mail from Plymouth. I was standing on the p.o.o.p-deck, and through the bushes on the flat on the inside of the bend I saw a regiment of rebels running towards the launch, at the same time keeping up a rapid fire at her. The Valley City dropped her torpedo-fender, steamed down, and after firing a few shots of grape at the rebels, they retreated. In the meantime, Commander W. H. Macomb learned that the rebels had been removing their batteries that commanded the far stretch of the river to a point below us, so as to command the near stretch, and if possible prevent our returning down the river, and thereby capture the fleet. Matters were becoming desperate, and Commander Macomb therefore determined to retreat down the river. The Valley City was the first to go by the rebel batteries, the remainder of the fleet keeping up a rapid fire at them. The current of the river was so strong, and the bend under the rebel batteries so sharp, that the Valley City whirled round like a water-wheel, first striking the bow against the sh.o.r.e, and then the stern. I was fearful we might be boarded. An attempt was also made to fell trees on the fleet whilst pa.s.sing. After the Valley City had pa.s.sed safely by the rebel batteries, she came to anchor, trained her guns on the enemy, and in conjunction with the remainder of the fleet above the bend of the river, kept up a rapid fire whilst a second vessel pa.s.sed; and thus one vessel of the fleet after another pa.s.sed safely around the turn of the river, under fire of the rebel batteries.

Commander Macomb now gave the Valley City orders to proceed down the river cautiously, and have the river dredged in our rear. For a short distance Captain J. A. J. Brooks had the men in cutters, dredging the river; but after consulting his executive officer, Milton Webster, Acting a.s.sistant Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself, as to the propriety of steaming down the river without dredging it, it was agreed upon to call the dredge-boats in, and we proceeded down the river, sh.e.l.ling the woods on right bank of the river and then came to an anchor above Williamston.

Friday, December 23.--The Valley City continued steaming down the river, and anch.o.r.ed off Williamston at 12 m. At 1 p.m. she weighed anchor and steamed to off Jamesville, where she arrived at 5 p.m., the remainder of the fleet following close in our rear.

On Sat.u.r.day, December 24, the Valley City proceeded two miles up the river to tug the Chicopee off, which had got transversely across the river, preventing the fleet behind her from descending. The Valley City returned and anch.o.r.ed off Jamesville at 10 o'clock a.m. The fleet is all now anch.o.r.ed off Jamesville, and is engaged in destroying the wreck of the Otsego. During this expedition I never had my clothes or shoes off.

On Thursday, December 29, at 11-1/2 o'clock a.m. the Valley City weighed anchor and proceeded to Plymouth, where we arrived at 12-1/2 p.m.

[Published in the New York Herald of January 9, 1865.]

NEWBERN.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF THE EXPEDITION UP ROANOKE RIVER.

THE FLEET REACHES POPLAR POINT.

FROM OUR NEWBERN (N.C.) CORRESPONDENT.

NEWBERN, N.C. DECEMBER 27, 1864.

The expedition that left Plymouth, N.C., on the 9th instant, has returned and anch.o.r.ed off Jamesville, Roanoke river, having by arduous labor accomplished results that reflect great credit upon the commanding officer and his subordinates.