yards of the “Albemarle” before he was discovered. Casting off the boat that was in tow, he ordered its crew to attack a picket-post near by, while, with a full head of steam, he drove the launch straight at the huge bulk of the iron-clad, whose crew rushed to quarters and at once opened fire. The launch replied effectively with her howitzer. A raft of heavy logs surrounded the larger vessel, but the launch was driven over them, and by the time she had received her death-wound from the “Albemarle's” guns Gushing had coolly swung the torpedo-boom under the great ship's overhang and exploded the charge. A large hole was blown in the iron-clad's side, she sank at her moorings. and was never raised. Telling his companions to look out for themselves, Cushing left his sinking launch and swam down stream, reaching the bank, thoroughly exhausted, half a mile below. As soon as he recovered his strength he plunged into the dense swamp, and after many hours of tedious wading came out upon the shore of a creek, where, with his usual good luck, he found a picket-boat, and at 11 P. M. the following night reached a U. S. gun-boat at the mouth of the river. Of the gallant fellows who risked their lives with him, only one escaped besides himself. Two were drowned, and most of the others captured. Lieut. Cushing did not expect to return alive from this enterprise. When he set out to destroy the ram, he said laughingly to the companions he was leaving, “Another stripe, or a coffin.” Five times the secretary of the navy officially wrote him commendatory letters, and for the “Albemarle” affair he received the thanks of congress, and was promoted lieutenant-commander, 27 Oct., 1864. At Fort Fisher, under a constant and heavy fire, he buoyed out the channel in a small skiff, and continued the work for six hours till he had completed it. At the final assault on Fort Fisher he led a force of sailors and marines from the “Monticello” in an attack on the sea-front of the fort, and amid an unceasing fire at short range, which cut down his men in windrows, he crossed a hundred yards of sand, rallied his men, and lent such efficient assistance to the troops that before midnight the fort was surrendered. After the war he served in the Pacific and Asiatic squadrons, being in command of the steamer “Lancaster” in 1866-'7, and of the “ Maumee,” in the Asiatic squadron, in 1868-'9. On the return of the “Maumee” to the United States, Lieut.-Com. Cushing was advanced to the rank of commander, 31 Jan., 1872, being the youngest officer of that rank in the navy. He was allowed leave of absence, but his health, which had been impaired by over-exertion, failed completely, and he died of brain fever.
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CUSHMAN, Charlotte Saunders, actress, b. in Boston, Mass., 23 July, 1816; d. there, 18 Feb., 1876. She was a descendant in the eighth generation from Robert Cushman. Her father rose from poverty to be a successful West India merchant, but lost his fortune, and died, leaving his family in straitened circumstances. Charlotte was a remarkably bright, sportive child, excelling her schoolmates and developing a voice of remarkable compass and richness, with a full contralto register. Two friends of her father, one of them John Mackey, in whose piano factory Jonas Chickering was then foreman, provided her with the best musical instruction. She sang in choirs, and aided in the support of the family from the age of twelve. When Mrs. Joseph Wood visited Boston in 1834, Capt. Mackey introduced Miss Cushman, who sang with her in two of her concerts. Through Mrs. Wood's influence she became an articled pupil to James G. Maeder, that lady's musical director, and under his instruction made her first appearance in opera in the Tremont theatre as the Countess Almaviva in the “Marriage of Figaro” with great success, and her second as Lucy Bertram in “Guy Mannering.” She went with his company to New Orleans, where her voice, which had been strained by the soprano parts assigned to her, suddenly failed. Seeking the counsel of James H. Caldwell, manager of the principal theatre of New Orleans, she was advised by him and by Barton, the tragedian, to become an actress, and given the part of Lady Macbeth to study, in which she made her appearance with complete success in 1835. Going to New York, she declined a trial at the Park theatre, to enter into a three years' engagement with Thomas Hamblin, of the Bowery theatre, where she appeared for a season in leading tragic roles. Miss Cushman brought her mother, who had supported the family by keeping a boarding-house, to New York; but soon after this the theatre was burned, and her wardrobe, for which she was in debt, was destroyed. Miss Cushman then secured an engagement in Albany, where she acted for five months, and made many acquaintances among politicians through her relative, Gov. Marcy, then in the U. S. senate. Convinced that she had not served a proper apprenticeship in her art, she applied to the manager of the Park theatre for any place that might be vacant, was engaged to do general utility business, and soon made her mark as a leading actress. This engagement lasted from 1837 till 1840. In 1842 she assumed the management of the Walnut street theatre in Philadelphia, which she retained till 1844, when she accompanied Mr. Macready on a tour in the northern states, in the course of which she undertook the higher range of tragic parts with great success. She was an ardent student, and rapidly added new characters to her list, such as Elvira, Bianca, Helen McGregor, Emilia, Queen Katherine, Cardinal Woolsey, Ophelia, Pauline, Viola, and Katherine in “Taming of the Shrew.” She was powerful and electric in tragedy, masterful in the depicting of every passion, great in Shakespearian characters, and in her young days was distinguished as a performer in high comedy parts. On 26 Oct., 1844, Miss Cushman sailed for England. In London she immediately achieved a triumphant success in the parts of Lady Macbeth, Rosalind, Mrs. Haller, Bianca in “Fazio,” and Emilia. She sent for her family, and began her second season at the Haymarket as Romeo, a part she had chosen in order to bring out her sister as Juliet. The power of her impersonation created a sensation in London, and afterward in Dublin, while her sister's grace and beauty added to the success. She played other male companion parts with her sister, achieved a great success as Julia in “The Hunchback,” Meg Merrilies, a part that she had first performed at the Park theatre, New
