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| The “Commodore Perry.” The “Commodore Perry,” under Lieutenant-Commander C. W. Flusser, was in the division of Commander Rowan, which distinguished itself at Roanoke Island. An old converted ferryboat, she was on the advance line of the action of February 10, 1862, when the signal for a dash at the Confederate gunboats was given. She pursued and captured the “Sea Bird,” the flagship of Captain Lynch, C. S. N., upon that occasion, making prisoners of nearly all her officers and crew. On July 9, 1862, she led two other frail gunboats up the Roanoke River on a reconnaissance. Commander Flusser's orders were to go to Hamilton; and despite the fact that the river banks were lined with sharpshooters, he braved their fire for ten hours, reached his destination, took possession of the Confederate steamer “Nelson,” and returned with his prize. Flusser in the old “Perry” achieved a brilliant record on the shallow Carolina waters, where he finally lost his life. |
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