William Barker Cushing

William Barker Cushing 1842-74, Union naval hero in the Civil War, b. Delafield, Wis., educated at Annapolis. Cushing became noted for a series of daredevil exploits, particularly for his sinking of the Confederate warship Albemarle at Plymouth, N.C., in Oct., 1864. In Jan., 1865, he took part in the seizure of Fort Fisher.

Bibliography: See biography by R. J. Roske and C. Van Doren (1957, repr. 1973).

Cushing, William Barker (1842–74) Union naval officer, born in Delafield, Wisconsin. After being dismissed from the U.S. Naval Academy, Cushing volunteered for blockade duty and rose from acting master's mate to flagship commander. On blockade duty off the Carolinas, he led daring and successful night raids behind enemy lines. He used a small boat and an improvised spar torpedo to destroy the powerful Confederate ironclad Albemarle at Plymouth, North Carolina, (October 27, 1864), and received the thanks of Congress at President Abraham Lincoln's request. At Fort Fisher, commanding the Monticello, Cushing led a charge over the parapet (January 15, 1865). Commanding the Wyoming, he landed at Santiago, Cuba, intervening to stop executions of crew of the American steamer Virginius (1873).

Only weeks before his class was to graduate, Cushing's examination included the evaluation: “General conduct: bad. Aptitude for Naval Service: not good. Not recommended for continuance at the Academy.”