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 January, 1865.  It was a desperate fight and none displayed more heroism than the young officer who had destroyed the Albemarle.

Hon. J.T.  Headley, the biographer of Cushing, in an article written immediately after the close of the Civil War, used these words:  “Still a young man, he has a bright future before him, and if he lives will doubtless reach the highest rank in the navy.  Bold, daring and self-collected under the most trying circumstances—­equal to any emergency—­never unbalanced by an unexpected contingency, he possesses those great qualities always found in a successful commander.  No man in our navy, at his age, has ever won so brilliant a reputation, and it will be his own fault if it is not increased until he has no superior.”