Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/92

62 water, Cooke moved her farther and farther down the river into deeper water. The officers, crew and workmen suffered great hardships from bad fare, bad water, and bad climate. But the indefatigable Cooke encouraged them by his example.

By April, 1863, the vessel was partially completed, and a combined movement against the Federal forces at Plymouth, N. C., was planned. About the middle of April, General Hoke, commander of the Confederate land forces, visited the ship, then at Hamilton, and Captain Cooke promised to be at Plymouth by the i8th to assist the army. Few men would have ventured to make the promise. Workmen were still at work ; the engine had not been tried, nor the crew drilled. Cooke had, however, an excellent executive officer in the brave Lieut. F. M. Roby.

On the 17th and 18th of April, 1864, vigorous attacks were made upon the forts at Plymouth by the Confederates under General Hoke. At this time the United States vessels present were the Miami, the Southfield, two small picket boats, the Bombshell and Whitehead, and the gunboat Ceres, all under the command of Lieutenant Flusser. In Albemarle sound were several United States vessels, technically called double-enders. Captain Flusser helped materially in the defense of the forts on the iyth and i8th; his two larger vessels carrying one rifled 100-pounder and five or six 9-inch shell guns each. On the evening of the 18th, expecting the advent of the Albemarle, he chained the Miami and Southfield together, a somewhat novel proceeding. In this condition he confidently awaited the attack, having some months before expressed the opinion that "we shall whip them if they venture down."

In the meanwhile the Albemarle, having landed her mechanics in the afternoon of the i8th, was slowly making her way down the river, stern foremost, as she was difficult to steer. About 3 a. m. on the 19th, Captain