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320 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65. the boat sounded no louder than pebbles thrown against an empty barrel. At Boyle's Mill, lower down, there was an-other fort upon which was mounted a very heavy gun. This was also safel}' passed, and we then discovered two steamers coming up the river. They proved to be the Miami and the Southfield. The Miami carried 6 9-inch guns, 1 100-pounder Parrott rifle, and 1 24-pounder S. B. howitzer, and the ferry boat Soutlipcld 5 9-inch, 1 100-pounder Parrott and 1 12- pounder howitzer. The tAvo ships were lashed together with long spars, and with chains festooned between them. The plan of Captain Flusser, who commanded, was to run his vessels so as to get the Albemarle between the tAvo, which would have placed the ram at a great disadvantage, if not altogether at his mercy ; but Pilot John Luck, acting under orders from Captain Cooke, ran the ram close to the southern shore ; and then sud-denly turning toward the middle of the stream, and going with the current, the throttles, in obedience to his bell, being wide open, he dashed the prow of the Albemarle into the side of the Southfield, making an o])ening large enough to carry her to the bottom in much less time than it takes to tell the story. Part of her crew went down with her. Of the of-ficers and men of the Southfield, seven of the former, includ-ing Acting Volunteer Lieutenant C. A. French, her com-mander, and forty-two of her men were rescued by the Miami and the other Union vessels ; the remainder were either cap-tured or drowned. The chain-plates on the forward deck of the Albemarle be-came entangled in the frame of the sinking vessel, and her bow was carried down to such a depth that water poured into her port-holes in great volume, and she would soon have shared the fate of the Southfield, had not the latter vessel reached the bottom, and then, turning over on her side, re-leased the ram, thus allowing her to come up on an even keel. The Miami, right alongside, had opened fire with her heavy guns, and so close were the vessels together that a shell with a ten-second fuse, fired by Captain Flusser, after striking the Albemarle rebounded and exploded, killing the gallant man who pulled the laniard, tearing him almost to pieces. Not-
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Title | Page 388 |
Full Text | 320 North Carolina Troops, 1861-65. the boat sounded no louder than pebbles thrown against an empty barrel. At Boyle's Mill, lower down, there was an-other fort upon which was mounted a very heavy gun. This was also safel}' passed, and we then discovered two steamers coming up the river. They proved to be the Miami and the Southfield. The Miami carried 6 9-inch guns, 1 100-pounder Parrott rifle, and 1 24-pounder S. B. howitzer, and the ferry boat Soutlipcld 5 9-inch, 1 100-pounder Parrott and 1 12- pounder howitzer. The tAvo ships were lashed together with long spars, and with chains festooned between them. The plan of Captain Flusser, who commanded, was to run his vessels so as to get the Albemarle between the tAvo, which would have placed the ram at a great disadvantage, if not altogether at his mercy ; but Pilot John Luck, acting under orders from Captain Cooke, ran the ram close to the southern shore ; and then sud-denly turning toward the middle of the stream, and going with the current, the throttles, in obedience to his bell, being wide open, he dashed the prow of the Albemarle into the side of the Southfield, making an o])ening large enough to carry her to the bottom in much less time than it takes to tell the story. Part of her crew went down with her. Of the of-ficers and men of the Southfield, seven of the former, includ-ing Acting Volunteer Lieutenant C. A. French, her com-mander, and forty-two of her men were rescued by the Miami and the other Union vessels ; the remainder were either cap-tured or drowned. The chain-plates on the forward deck of the Albemarle be-came entangled in the frame of the sinking vessel, and her bow was carried down to such a depth that water poured into her port-holes in great volume, and she would soon have shared the fate of the Southfield, had not the latter vessel reached the bottom, and then, turning over on her side, re-leased the ram, thus allowing her to come up on an even keel. The Miami, right alongside, had opened fire with her heavy guns, and so close were the vessels together that a shell with a ten-second fuse, fired by Captain Flusser, after striking the Albemarle rebounded and exploded, killing the gallant man who pulled the laniard, tearing him almost to pieces. Not- |