The Ram, Albemarle
For a while she was a thorn in the side of the
Yankees, lint eventually she was sunk as
the result of one of the most daring' exploits
off the Civil War.
MODERN naval warfare had
its birth in Sweden, for the
Swedish inventor, John
Ericsson, invented the screw pro¬
peller. In 1862, the Confederate
naval authorities raised a former
United States frigate from the bot¬
tom of the Elizabeth River at Nor¬
folk. plated her sides with iron,
renamed her the Mcrrimac, and
sent her out to do battle against
the Federal fleet in Hampton
Roads.
The Merrxmac wus having her
own way, as the wooden frigates
were impotent against her. but on
the morning of the second day. a
"cheese box on a raft" appeared
on the horizon, which gave battle
to and vanquished the iron clad
Merrimac. This was the famous
Monitor, the invention of Erics¬
son. which had not only ironclad
decks and sides, but a revolving
turret.
Nineteen year old Gilbert Elliott
of Elizabeth City designed a ram
for the Confederate government,
and its construction was under¬
taken in a corn field near the banks
of the Roanoke River at Edwards
Ferry, some twenty miles above
Plymouth. It was *152 feet_ long,
with an extreme beam of 45 feet;
it was built of unseasoned timber;
with tools and forges from ordi¬
nary blacksmith shops. Her ma¬
chinery was improvised, but it
served* its purpose, for a time at
least.
The Fcderals had captured
Plymouth and had a considerable
garrison at that point. They knew
the ram was in process of building,
but on account of "low water" in
the river, the Federal gunboats
had not been able to reach the
scene. Just why the Federal com¬
mander did not send out a regi¬
ment from his troops at Plymouth,
and destroy the ram by this means,
does not appear.
In April, 1864, when Major Gen¬
eral Robert F. Hoke was charged
with the task of attacking Plym¬
outh. he sought the cooperation
of Commander James W. Cooke
of the ram Albemarle. Cooke was
a native Carolinian, born at Beau-
Bi/ R. C. LAWRE.YCE
- — -
fort in 1812, and had been an officer
of the United States Navy prior to
the outbreak of the Civil War.
Part of his service had been on
the famous ship, Guirrcre: and he
also served on the more famous
ship Constitution, or Old Ironsides.
When the Civil War broke out
he was named Lieutenant in the
Confederate Navy, and commanded
the "musquito" gunboat Ellis at the
battle of Roanoke Island. When
his tiny craft was pursued to Eliza¬
beth City, he did not surrender
his boat until he hud been wounded
by a bullet in his arm and by a
bayonet thrust in his leg.
When General Hoke sought his
assistance, although the Albemarle
was by no means finished. Com¬
mander Cooke caused it to be
launched, placed ten portable
forges with numerous sledge ham¬
mers aboard, so that work might
continue, and the ram dropped
down the river to engage the enemy
licet. She had to pass the Federal
batteries at Warrens Neck, but
the cannon balls made no impres¬
sion upon her sloping sides, and
she passed the batteries in safety.
Below the batteries lay two
Federal gunboats, the Southfield
and the Miami, under Lieutenant
Commander C. W. Flusser. The
Albemarle made for the Southfield.
full steam ahead, and drove nine
feet of her iron sheathed prow into
it. at the same time firing a broad¬
side into the Miami, a broadside
which killed or wounded many of
the crew, among the killed being
Lieutenant Flusser. In a few min¬
utes the Southfield sank, carrying
with it the prow- or ram of the
Albemarle, and endangering the
safety of that vessel. However,
the Albemarle worked itself free
and returned to her base.
On May 5, 1864, the Albemarle
came down the river to escort a
troopship going to General Hoke's
assistance at Washington, and she
encountered the full Federal fleet.
Included in this were the "double-
enders” the Maltabessett. Sassacus.
Miami. Wyalussing, and the smaller
vessels Whitehead, Ceres, Commo¬
dore Hull and Seymour. The
Wyalussing was sunk and several
shots were sent through the Sas¬
sacus. During this engagement the
smokestack of the Albemarle was
riddled, her after gun was disabled
and she was herself rammed by the
Sassacus. Notwithstanding all this,
the Albemarle finally got back to
her base in the Roanoke at Plym¬
outh.
The Albemarle was such a
menace that her destruction be¬
came a military necessity, and
several efforts were made to des¬
troy her as she lay at anchor in
her Roanoke River base, behind
the protection of a "boom" of logs.
Finally on the night of October
27, 1864, the Federal Lieutenant
W. B. Cushing led a party up the
Roanoke in two launches for the
purpose of sinking the Albemarle.
Fires on the river banks betrayed
the presence of the raiders, and
they were greeted by a hot fire.
Notwithstanding this, they pressed
on. and Lieutenant Cushing drove
his launch directly against the
boom of logs which protected the
Albemarle. The launch slid over
the slippery logs, and Cushing
with his own hands affixed the tor¬
pedo, the explosion of which sent
the Albemarle to the bottom. But
his launch became entangled in the
boom, and was captured, with its
crew. But Cushing himself refused
to surrender. Diving overboard
into the Roanoke, he swam the
river, waded through several miles
of swamp on the further side, and
finally reached the protection of
the Federal lines.
The Albemarle was finally raised
by the Federals and towed to Nor¬
folk. but she was not thereafter
used in battle. There was another
Confederate ram North Carolina
built on the Cape Fear. In 1864
tli is ram came out of New Inlet
and exchanged a few shots with
the investing Federal fleet, but
withdrew and was not thereafter
engaged in battle.
THE STATE. February 9. 1946
