So, Robert Hoke's force is at Plymouth and his expected help from the Albemarle isn't. A series on infantry attacks on April 18, 1864, had limited success, but Union naval gunfire from the river inflicted heavy losses on the Confederates. The battle continued well into the night before Hoke called a halt.
The Albemarle reached Plymouth the following day after being delayed by both mechanical problems and sunken Union boats. During a longboat reconnaissance conducted on the 18th, with the help of volunteers, Elliott took measurements and found that his ship could make its way over the Union hulls safely.
On its approach to Plymouth, the Albemarle's iron plating easily withstood the artillery fire from the Union forts. "[T] those on board," Elliott wrote, "the noise made by the shot and shell as they struck the boat sounded no louder than pebbles thrown against an empty barrel."
As the Albemarle came abreast of Plymouth, the USS Miami and USS Southfield were spotted steaming up from the sound. In an effort to trap the Confederate ship between them, the two ships were linked by an iron chain.
--Old B-Runner
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