History of Dare County North Carolina United States of America

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Albemarle Sound, N. C., May 5, 1864. United States Gunboats. In the afternoon, the side-wheel boats Mattabesett, Sassacus and Wyalusing lay at anchor in Albemarle sound, 20 Miles Below the mouth of the Roanoke river. They were charged with an encounter with, and if possible the destruction of, the Albemarle, A Confederate ironclad ram, whose presence in the waters was, in view of her past achievements, a menace to Federal occupancy. The Miami, with four or five of the smaller boats of the federal fleet, had been sent down to the mouth of the Roanoke to decoy the Albemarle from under the protecting batteries of Plymouth, into the open waters of the sound. At 3 o'clock falling back before the ram, they drew it and its consorts, the Bombshell and the Cotton Plant, into a position favorable for an attack. The last named, manned by 200 sharpshooters and boarders, Put Back Toward Plymouth on the approach of the Federal gunboats. The Bombshell closed up on the ram's quarter in position for the impending action. The Mattabesett, Sassacus and Wyalusing came on in the order named, under command of Capt. Smith, Senior Naval Officer. The Miami, some distance in the rear of these vessels, fired over them, striking but not harming the Albemarle, which immediately responded. The Mattabesett passed the ram and delivered a harmless broadside. The Albemarle tried and failed to ram the Sassacus, now passing in her turn. The latter sent a broadside of solid shot against the ram's iron armor without making any impression. Then sweeping around the stern of the Albemarle, the Sassacus poured a disabling broadside into the hull of the Bombshell, which brought the latter's Confederate flag down and her White Flag up and the conquered steamer anchored out of fire. Meantime the Mattabesett had again passed the ram, delivering a well directed fire; and the Wyalusing, which had previously passed, serving its guns skillfully, was now astern of the Sassacus, diverting the attention of the Albemarle from the latter, to which her whole side presented A Fair Mark. The Sassacus dashed furiously upon the ram and received a 100-pound shot through her, but succeeded in penetrating a vulnerable part of the side of the Albemarle. A Duel of ponderous ordnance ensued, but the Albemarle Gave Way as the prow of the Sassacus pressed deeper and deeper into her side. It was a fight with cannon almost muzzle to muzzle; with musketry and hand grenades, the latter hurled from the foretop of the Sassacus into the enemy's hatches. The other Federal vessels helped all they could, but most of their missiles glanced from the iron-clad sides of the Albemarle. The machinery of the Sassacus was disabled, its penetrating stem gave way and the two vessels swung side by side. Blackened, scalded, sightless, the engineer of the Sassacus kept his post and rallied the scalded, pain-maddened and fleeing men to prevent the explosion of the boilers by putting out the fires under them. The Sassacus poured shell and solid shot into the Albemarle's port-holes. One shot from a 100-Pounder Parrott Gun was shattered on the port-side of the ram and pieces of it rebounded to the Federal deck whence it had come. The Albemarle was finally repulsed and driven into the mouth of the Roanoke river, somewhat damaged, but with its machinery not disabled. The Sassacus was disabled in guns, hull and machinery, but the Bombshell was a prize of war, her 37 officers and men were prisoners and the Federals were in undisputed possession of the sound.

SOURCE: The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.

History of Dare County North Carolina

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