Soon after the capture of Plymouth General Hoke was ordered to the army in Virginia, but the place was held by the Confederates in some force, aided by the Albemarle. On 5 May 1864 the Albemarle, with two other vessels, ran down the river into Albemarle Sound and engaged a Union fleet of seven vessels, inflicting much damage, and returned to Plymouth. There was no Union ironclad that could cross Hatteras Bar and enter the North Carolina sounds, no other vessels could cope with the Albemarle, and it was reserved for Lieut. W. B. Cushing (q.v.) to execute a plan for her destruction. On the night of 27 Oct. 1864 he entered Roanoke River with two steam lauches, each carrying a 12-pound howitzer and a torpedo. The launches carried 20 men, well armed with revolvers, cutlasses and hand-grenades. Pass ing near the pickets on the shore, Cushing ap proached the Albemarle at 3 A.M., and was hailed and fired upon with musketry from the shore and the vessel. Discovering that there was a circle of logs around the ship and about 10 feet from it, he turned back, and when about 100 yards away again turned, at full headway struck the logs and slid over them, and, in face of a crashing fire of canister and musketry, ex ploded a torpedo under the vessel and tore a large hole in her, %big enough to drive a wagon in," her commander says, and she soon settled to the bottom. Cushing with his men took to
the water, he and one or two others escaping, while two were drowned and 11 captured. - On the 29th October Commodore Macomb, with his fleet, went up Roanoke River, and, arriving at the wreck of the Southfield, ex changed shots with the Confederate batteries, hut finding that the channel of the river had been effectually obstructed, he returned, next day went by way of Middle River into the Roanoke, and on the morning of the 31st en gaged the batteries on shore, which were sup ported by musketry from rifle-pits and houses. After an hour's contest, in which 10 vessels were engaged, a Confederate magazine was blown up; the works were abandoned, and the Union forces took possession of the town. Con stilt Official Records> (Vol. XXIII) ;