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Cushing (WILLIAM BARKER an American)

WILLIAM BARKER, an American naval officer; born in Delafield, Wis., Nov. 4, 1842. He entered the navy as a volunteer officer in 1861, and distinguished himself in a number of brilliant operations. His greatest exploit was in October, 1864. For some time previous nothing had been able to cope with the Confederate ram "Albemarle" in the sounds of North Carolina. She had successfully encountered a strong fleet of Federal gunboats and fought for several hours without sustaining material damage. Cushing volunteered to destroy the ram, and on the night of Oct. 27 accomplished the feat. For this he received the thanks of Congress, and was made a lieutenant-commander, becoming a commander in 1872. He died in Washington, D. C., Dec. 17, 1874.