the tremendous tipping of the
_Albemarle_ showed she had received a mortal hurt.

It was accomplished at the critical second, for the rifled gun, filled
with 100 pounds of canister and pointed at the launch ten feet away, was
immediately discharged. The careening of the ram deviated the aim just
enough to prevent the crew from being blown to fragments, but confident
that not a man could escape, the Confederates twice called upon their
assailants to surrender, and several did so, but Cushing was not among
them. With the same marvelous coolness he had displayed from the first
he took off his coat and shoes, flung his sword and revolver aside and
shouted:

"Every man save himself!"

Then he leaped into the water and began swimming with might and main
down stream, the bullets skipping all about him, but he soon passed
beyond sight and was still swimming when he heard a plashing near him.
It was made by one of the acting master's mates, John Woodman, who was
exhausted. Cushing helped him until he himself had hardly an ounce of
strength left, when he was obliged to let go, and the poor fellow,
calling good-by, sank from sight.

When unable to struggle longer, Cushing let his feet drop and they
touched bottom. He managed to reach land, where he sank down so worn
out that he lay motionless until daylight. Then he crawled into a swamp,
where he remained hidden until a friendly negro appeared, who extended
every possible kindness to him. From him Cushing learned that the
_Albemarle_ had been destroyed and was at the bottom of the river. It
was thrilling news, and the following night, after he had thoroughly
rested and been fed by his dusky friend, he moved down the river, found
a skiff and in it made his way to the fleet, bringing the first news of
the success of an exploit which it is safe to say has never been
surpassed in the history of our navy. Even the captain of the
_Albemarle_ declared that "a more gallant thing was not done during the
war."

While conceding to Lieutenant Hobson the full credit for his daring
achievement in sinking the _Merrimac_ in the channel of Santiago harbor,
on June 3, 1898, it was by no means the equal of that of Lieutenant
Cushing, thirty-four years before.

For his superb work Cushing received a vote of thanks from Congress and
was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. He led a division of
sailors in the second and what proved to be the successful attack upon
Fort Fisher, in Janu