In an instant more his torpedo struck the side of the "Albemarle" and exploded, tearing a great hole in her hull, which sank her in a few minutes.

At the moment the torpedo went off the "Albermarle" fired one of her great guns directly into the launch, tearing it completely to pieces.

Lieutenant Cushing and one comrade rose to the surface of the seething water and, swimming ashore, escaped.

What became of the rest is not known, but their fate can hardly be a matter of doubt.
We were ferried across the river into Wilmington, and marched up the streets to some vacant ground near the railroad depot, where we found most of our old Florence comrades already assembled.

When they left us in the middle of February they were taken to Wilmington, and thence to Goldsboro, N.C., where they were kept until the rapid closing in of our Armies made it impracticable to hold them any longer, when they were sent back to Wilmington and given up to our forces as we had been.
It was now nearly noon, and we were ordered to fall in and draw rations, a bewildering order to us, who had been so long in the habit of drawing food but once a day.