The war having proven the immeasurable value of ironclads of the Merrimac type, the Confederates strained every nerve to build them, often succeeding under the most trying conditions.  One of the most formidable of these craft was the Albemarle, upon which work was begun early in 1863, at Edward’s Ferry, several miles up the Roanoke River.  Iron was so scarce that the country was scoured for miles in every direction for bolts, bars and metal.  As stated by Maclay, the keel was laid in an open cornfield, and an ordinary blacksmith’s outfit formed the plant for building; but the makers persevered and completed a craft 122 feet over all, with 45 feet beam and drawing 8 feet of water.  The casemate was 60 feet long, constructed of massive timbers, covered with 4-inch planking, over which were placed two layers of 2-inch iron.  The motive power was furnished by twin screws operated by engines of 200 horse-power each.  Her armament consisted of an Armstrong 100-pounder in the bow and another in the stern, the casemate being so pierced that the guns could be used at broadside or quarter.

At midnight, April 19, 1864, the Albemarle gave a proof of her prodigious power of destruction.  On the preceding two days the Confederates had made a determined attack on Plymouth, held by the Union forces, and the ironclad now set out to render assistance.  The wooden gunboats Miami and Southfield offered just the sort of targets the monster fancied.  Under a full head of steam, the Albemarle rammed her iron beak clean into the fire room of the Southfield.  The latter was skewered upon the projection and began slowly sinking.  The snout was so entangled with the Southfield that the victim could not be shaken off, and as she sank she carried her foe with her.  The bow of the ironclad dipped below the surface, and a most extraordinary and inglorious end seemed inevitable, when the Southfield touched bottom, rolled over and freed itself from the bow of the ram, which popped up again.

Meanwhile the Miami was pounding the iron hide of the monster, which shed the missiles as the Merrimac shed the broadsides from the Cumberland and Congress.  When only a few feet from the Albemarle, Lieutenant Flusser, standing directly behind a gun of the Miami, let fly with a heavy shell, which, striking the armor of the Albemarle, was shivered into a thousand fragments, most of which rebounding, instantly killed the officer and wounded a dozen men.  The Miami retreated, and the next day Plymouth surrendered to the Confederates.

In May, the Albemarle steamed down into the Sound and attacked the Union gunboats, which made a heroic defence.  The monster received broadside after broadside and was repeatedly rammed, but suffered no material damage, while she killed 4, wounded 25 and caused the scalding of 13, through piercing the boiler of one of her assailants.