Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy

by John M. Batten

"It is very singular that they, in their account of the brush, should italicize the word wooden, as much as to say we had an iron-clad.

"I saved one of their shells that lit on the deck of the Valley City, which fortunately did not explode. If the Valley City had been afloat, she would have silenced their batteries sooner."

On Saturday, October 1, at 4 o'clock a.m., the Valley City got under weigh, and steamed to Edenton. Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Acting Master James G. Green, J. W. Sands and myself went ashore, and visited Mr. Samuel B.'s, and spent the time very pleasantly. At 4 o'clock p.m. we returned to the Valley City, and got under weigh, and proceeded to our old station at the mouth of the Roanoke river. On the 3d, the U.S. steamers Commodore Hull and Tacony and the tug Belle came up and anchored near us. On the 6th, I was ordered aboard the Otsego, to hold a medical survey on one of the officers of that vessel, for the purpose of sending him to the U.S. Naval Hospital at Norfolk. When I returned aboard the Valley City, I found a refugee aboard, suffering from yellow fever. She was taken to Edenton aboard the Valley City, where she died of the disease. We called on Mr. Samuel B.'s family. At 5½ o'clock p.m. we got under weigh, and proceeded towards Roanoke Island. At 12 p.m. we anchored. Early in the morning of the 7th, we steamed to off Roanoke Island, where we arrived at 8 o'clock a.m. On the 8th there was a breeze from the northwest, and the day was clear and beautiful. At 2 o'clock p.m., Paymaster J. W. Sands, Acting Master's mate John Maddock, and myself, with six men, sailed in a small boat to Roanoke Island. There was a heavy sea, and the wind was blowing quite a gale. We landed at Roanoke Island, but did not remain long ashore before we took the boat for the purpose of sailing back to the Valley City. We did not succeed. We then took the sails down, and the men rowed us to the vessel.

On the 9th, at 6 o'clock a.m., we got under weigh, and steamed up to the mouth of the Alligator river, where we arrived at 9 o'clock a.m. The Shamrock was lying close by. The weather was cold. At 1:30 o'clock p.m., the Valley City proceeded up the Alligator river. At 7 p.m. we anchored off Newport News. On the 10th, at 4 a.m., two armed boats' crews were sent ashore on a reconnoitering expedition, but returned at 1 p.m. without accomplishing anything. At 2 p.m. the Valley City got under weigh, and proceeded down Alligator river, and anchored at 3 p.m. The weather is cool, and there was frost last night.

Thursday, October 11th, at 5 a.m., the launches were ordered up Frying-pan river. At 10 a.m. I went with Captain J. A. J. Brooks in pursuit of the launches, and after rowing about six miles we came in sight of them. At 2½ p.m. we returned with the launches. At 4 p.m. the Valley City weighed anchor, and at 8 p.m. anchored in Albemarle Sound. On the 12th, at 6 a.m., we got under weigh, and arrived at the fleet at 8 a.m. At 9 a.m. we got under weigh, and at 10 a.m. arrived at the mouth of Roanoke river. The ram was expected to come out to-day. On the 15th, at 11½ a.m., the Valley City got under weigh, and arrived off Edenton at 11½ o'clock p.m. Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Paymaster J. W. Sands, and Acting Master James G. Green, went ashore. At 5 p.m. they returned, and the Valley City got under weigh, and proceeded to the mouth of Roanoke river. The weather is cool and beautiful. At 10 a.m. of the 20th, I went aboard the Commodore Hull. At 12 m., returned aboard the Valley City. At 9½ p.m., the Valley City steamed to off Edenton, to protect the tug Belle, which had got hard and fast aground during the day. On the 21st I went ashore at Edenton, and spent a pleasant time. I returned to the Valley City, when she proceeded to off Roanoke Island, where we arrived on the 22d at 8 o'clock a.m. At 9 o'clock a.m., Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Acting Assistant Paymaster J. W. Sands and I went ashore, and made the acquaintance of Dr. Walton, of the 103d Pennsylvania regiment, and Colonel Wardrobe, Commandant of Roanoke Island. I spent a very pleasant time in company with these gentlemen. In the evening I became acquainted with Lieutenant Wm. B. Cushing, U.S. Navy. I will quote a war reminiscence which was published in the Philadelphia Weekly Times of June 7, 1879:

"CUSHING, THE BRAVE.

"Reminiscence of His Heroic Adventure in Albemarle Sound:
By J. M. Batten, M.D., late U.S.N.

"It was on the evening of October 22d, 1864, I first met Captain Wm. B. Cushing. I was then attached to the United States steamer Valley City, Captain J. A. J. Brooks commanding. The vessel was anchored about a mile west of Roanoke Island, in Pamlico Sound. Captain J. A. J. Brooks, Paymaster J. W. Sands and myself, left the vessel in the morning, the wind blowing a strong breeze from the west, and arrived at Roanoke Island. The wind continuing to blow almost a hurricane, we attempted to return to the vessel in the evening, but failed; consequently we were compelled to remain on Roanoke Island all night. As I said, it was on this evening I first met Captain Wm. B. Cushing. He then was a young man of twenty-one or twenty-two years of age, wore long, light hair falling around his neck, and was rather reserved in his manners. Captain Cushing, Captain Brooks, Paymaster Sands and myself, occupied a room together that night. The next morning when I awoke, I found that Captain Cushing had gone. Upon making inquiry about him, I learned he had departed at 4 a.m. of the 23d, in his torpedo launch, a boat he had constructed at the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, for a certain purpose, and had proceeded this far on his expedition with the steam launch.

"In referring to my diary, I find that on Friday, October 28, at 5:30 a.m., the Valley City weighed anchor and proceeded toward the fleet. The weather was clear but windy. We arrived at the fleet at 6 p.m. The fleet was composed of twelve double-ender side-wheel vessels, manned, armed and equipped, and commanded by Commodore Wm. H. Macomb, and was anchored about six miles from the mouth of Roanoke river, in Albemarle Sound, and fourteen miles from Plymouth, where the Albemarle was stationed. My diary states that at 7 p.m. we got under weigh, and proceeded to the mouth of Roanoke river, where we arrived at 8:30 p.m. At 11 p.m. we were hailed by a voice at the mouth of Roanoke river: "Boat ahoy! send a boat!" A boat was sent, and the man who had left us so early in the morning of the 23d of October—Captain William B. Cushing—was brought on board the Valley City in his stocking feet, with only a coarse flannel shirt and pantaloons to cover him. He was wet, cold, tired, hungry and prostrated.

"My diary states that after leaving us on the morning of the 23d of October he steamed to the fleet in his torpedo launch, having received from the crews of the fleet twelve volunteer men to accompany him. On the evening of October 27th he proceeded with his small torpedo launch, with a torpedo rigged on her bow, up the Roanoke river. At 3:15 a.m., October 28th, exploded torpedo under the ram Albemarle and sunk her. He (Captain Cushing) and another man were the only ones saved from drowning or capture. Captain Cushing, after blowing up the ram, jumped into the river, swam ashore, lay in the swamps near Plymouth till night, then proceeded through the swamps till he came to a creek, where he captured a skiff belonging to a Confederate picket, and paddled himself to the Valley City. The torpedo boat was sunk, and about a dozen men were either drowned or captured. In the meantime, the fleet had moved up to the mouth of Roanoke river. Upon learning that Captain Cushing was on board the Valley City, Commodore Macomb ordered the riggings of the fleet to be manned, and at the general signal to give Captain Cushing three hearty good cheers; and such cheering—it made those swamps, forests and waters resound with the voices of glad-hearted men.