error of the Sounds is at the
bottom of Roanoke river. She was blown up by a torpedo early on the
morning of the 28th ultimo; and her destruction is due to the
personal heroism and reckless daring of Lieut. W. B. Cushing, of
the Navy. All the particulars I have been able to collect
concerning this feat, which stands prominently forth as one of the
most gallant of the war, I hasten to forward for the information of
the _Herald's_ readers.

"On the night of Thursday, October 27, Lieutenant Cushing, who has
on several previous occasions especially distinguished himself,
manned a steam-launch with a party of thirteen officers and men,
mostly volunteers, and proceeded, under cover of the darkness, up
the river towards Plymouth. Eight miles from the mouth of the
stream the Albemarle lay, surrounded by a pen of logs and timber,
established to prevent her destruction by torpedoes.

"As he approached this framework, Lieut. Cushing was discovered by
the officers of the ram, who hailed him. He gave no answer, the
enemy meantime maintaining against him a severe and galling fire,
to which he replied effectively with frequent doses of canister.
Finding that he could not approach the ram as he desired, a
complete circle was made by the Lieutenant, and the launch was
again brought fairly against the "crib," bows on, pushing back a
portion of it, and leaving the bows of the launch resting on the
broken timbers.

"At this moment, by a most vigorous effort, Lieut. Cushing
succeeded in driving a torpedo under the over-hang of the ram, and
exploded it. Simultaneously with the explosion, one of the
Albemarle's guns was fired, and the shot went crashing through the
launch. At the same instant a dense volume of water from the
torpedo came rushing into the launch, utterly disabling her.

"Lieut. Cushing then ordered his men to save themselves. He himself
threw off his coat and shoes and sprang into the water. Several of
his men were captured and some were drowned, but I have not been
able to ascertain his exact loss. Lieut. Cushing, taking to the
swamp, managed to secrete himself from the enemy's pickets, and
brought up alongside of the steamer Valley City at about 11 o'clock
the next night, in a small skiff which he discovered and
appropriated on his way.

"The steamer Valley City brought