 Late in October, "Shamrock" served as the mother ship of the steam launch which Lt. William Barker Cushing had brought to the sounds from New York City to attack "Albemarle".On the night of 27 and 28 October 1864 Cushing and his team began working their way upriver.The small cutter accompanied them, the crew of which had the task of preventing the Confederate sentries stationed on a schooner anchored to the wreck of .