PLYMOUTH (N. C.), Engagements at. When General Burnside had occupied Roanoke Island and Newbern in February and March 1862, the Union gunboats became active in pa troling the waters of North Carolina and seiz ing the coast and river towns. Plymouth was occupied in June by Lieut. C. W. Flusser, United States Navy, and was held by him until relieved 15 June by a company of the 9th New York infantry; 10 Dec. 1862 the town was held by about 300 men under command of Captain Ewer, 3d Massachusetts infantry. Early that morning Ewer was attacked by Lieut.-Col. John C. Lamb, with the 17th North Carolina, a few cavalry and some artillery, in all about 600 men. Ewer's pickets were quickly driven in, and his men took refuge in the custom-house. Lamb's artillery opened fire; the town was fired in sev eral places; and the gunboat Southfield, lying abreast of the place, received a shot in her boiler, which disabled her, and she the stream. The gunboat Commodore Perry coming up, Lamb retired after being in the town about an hour and reducing most of it to ashes. From 10 to 13 March 1863 the 17th North 'Caro lina hovered about the place and made demon strations upon it, but the regiment retired when the gunboats came up from Albemarle Sound. The gunboats had been relied upon to hold the place, but it was now strongly fortified on the land side andgarrisoned, and early in April 1864 was held by Gen. H. W. Wessells, with four regiments of infantry, detachments of cavalry and artillery, in all about 3,000 men. As before, the principal reliance for the defense of the place was the navy.
In the spring of 1864 the Confederate au thorities at Richmond determined that an at tempt should be made to recapture Plymouth, and Gen. R. F. Hoke was put in command of a division for that purpose, and was to be assisted by Capt. J. W. Cooke of the navy, with the Albemarle then nearly completed. The Albe marle was an iron-clad vessel, similar to the Merrimac, carrying two heavy guns, and was built at Edwards Ferry, on the Roanoke, 30 miles below Weldon. She was built in a corn field, and all the old iron in that section of the country was collected to make her armor. Hoke's division proceeded to the vicinity of Plymouth, drove in Wessell's pickets 17 April, surrounded the place on the land side from the river above to the river below, opened with ar tillery, made assaults on parts of the line on the 18th, which, with the aid of the gunboats, were repulsed, and prepared to storm the works as soon as the Albemarle could clear the river front of the Union vessels protecting the place with their guns. On the 18th the Albemarle
left Hamilton, passed down the Roanoke and, favored by unusually high water, ran over ob structions placed in the river, ran past heavy shore-batteries, and at 3 A.M. on the 19th discov ered the Union gunboats Miami and Southfield lashed together about half a mile below the town. Capt. C. W. Flusser was in command of the two vessels and had lashed them together with long spars, with chains festooned between them, it being his intention to get the Albe marle between the two vessels, which would have placed the Confederate vessel at a great disadvantage. Cooke avoided this by running the Albemarle close to the southern shore, and then, suddenly turning toward the middle of the river, dashed obliquely into the side of the Southfield, the long knife-like prow of the Al bemarle penetrating 10 feet, making a large opening into the side of the Southfield and car rying her to the bottom within a few minutes, with a part of her crew. The Albemarle's prow had become entangled with the Southfield. The Miami, close alongside, opened with her heavy guns, and a shell fired by Flusser struck the Albemarle, rebounded and exploded, killing Flus ser instantly. Lieutenant French took command, and attempted to board the Albemarle, but was repelled, and the Miami withdrew from the con test and ran down into Albemarle Sound. Next morning the Albemarle opened fire upon the forts and works near the river, and Hoke, moving around to that side, attacked the works. After being several times repulsed, he carried them, Wessells surrendering his entire com mand. In killed, wounded and captured the Union loss was 2,834 men. The Confederate loss is not fully known, but Ransom's brigade alone suffered a loss of about 500 killed and wounded.