The Confederate States Ship (CSS), Albemarle
is considered by historians to be the most successful Confederate
ironclad of the Civil War. It is a fascinating story!
The CSS Albemarle was built under contract with 19 year-old Gilbert
Elliot from Elizabeth City, NC. It was built up the Roanoke River in
a cornfield at Edward’s Ferry near Scotland Neck. It took over a
year to construct. The iron needed for the armor was so difficult to
find that at times it was collected at gunpoint from the surrounding
area! Peter Evans Smith, the plantation owner where the ironclad was
constructed, invented the modern twist drill to speed up the process
of drilling through the 2” iron plates of the Albemarle.
According to a naval survey performed on May 18, 1865 by three
officers, the Albemarle was 158’ long, 35’3” wide (beam) and drew 9
feet of water. She had two reciprocating compound 200 hp. steam
engines with two 6’ propellers that had a 9’ pitch. Her cruising
speed was only 5 knots! The casemate housed two 6.4 Brooke Rifled
Cannon, one fore and one aft, that could each be pivoted to fire out
of three different gun ports. The casemate was 60’ long and was
covered in two layers of 2” iron plating. The slope of the casemate
was at a 35-degree angle to deflect enemy shot and shell.
The Albemarle was baptized by fire under the command of James Cooke
in a short but fierce fight during the Battle of Plymouth, when on
April 19, 1864 she swept the Federal Navy from the Roanoke River.
Charles Flusser, the commander of the Federal fleet, was killed by
his own shell when it ricocheted off the casemate of the Albemarle
and back at his feet on the deck of his flag ship, the USS Miami.
The USS Southfield was rammed by the Albemarle in the same battle
and still lies on the bottom of the river where she sank.
Later on May 5, 1864 the Albemarle faced down another Federal fleet
of seven gunboats, three of which where three times the size of the
Albemarle. The battle took place in the Albemarle Sound east of
Plymouth. Together the Union fleet mounted 60 guns against the
Albemarle’s 2 Brooke Rifles and fired 557 shells at the Albemarle,
but could not sink her! After a 4 hour battle, finally the Union
commander raised a signal flag to the rest of the fleet to
cease-fire.
CushingShe was destroyed on October 27, 1864 in the most daring
commando raid of the war by 21 year-old Lieutenant William Barker
Cushing who was avenging the death of his friend, -Charles Flusser!
He steamed up the Roanoke River to Plymouth in a 30’ steam launch
with a group of volunteers at night and sank the Albemarle with a
spar-mounted torpedo. Cushing became an instant hero in the North.
The “Cornfield Ironclad” nevertheless overcame overwhelming
circumstances on her way to twice defeat the Federal Navy and become
the most successful ironclad of the Civil War. Today a 62’ replica
plies the Roanoke River in Plymouth in tribute to her predecessor.
Launched in 2002 the powered replica is a 3/8 scale of the original
Albemarle with guns that still echo on “The River of Death”.