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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-
Object Description
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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- |
