That night, in anticipation of an attack by "Albemarle", "Southfield" was brought alongside , and the two ships were lashed together for mutual protection and concentration of firepower. Before dawn on the morning of April 19, "Albemarle" emerged from the Roanoke. "Miami" and "Southfield" raced toward her. When the three ships collided, the ram scraped across "Miami's" bow, smashed through "Southfield's" starboard side, and pierced the wooden gunboat's boiler. For a moment, both "Miami" and "Albemarle" were entangled with the fatally wounded double-ender. The forward ropes which had lashed "Southfield" to "Miami" were snapped by the collision, and the aft lines were cut by "Miami"'s crew. "Albemarle" had a harder time extricating herself from her bested and rapidly sinking adversary.