The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-27 00:00:00

The American papers which have now come to
head bring &Mild amounts of the recent naval engagement
sag Feeteme Nemec
TIM bet day's action, if so it can be called, is thus des
a lido from Fort Monroe, published in the New
erk d la
Herald :—" The dulness of Old Point was startled to-
aaPpOanassient that • suapicions looking vessal,
ba the Merriac, looking like • submerged
Maas the root only above water, was moving down
teen Medea by the Memel in front of Sewall's Point
Weida Signal gnus wen also fired by the
the Cumberlan
aid Crow to notify the Minnesota, St. Lawrence, and
=lfthe approaching danger, and all warn excite-
lad about Fortress Monroe. There was nothing
above the water but a flagstaff dying the rebel bzfrehort smokestack. She moved along slowly,
turned into the channel leading to Ne 'a
gz,essvami steamed direct for the frigates Cum and
which were lying at the mouth of James River.
As soon ea else came within range of the Cumberbad the
lather opened on her with her heavy guns ; but the balls
struck and glanced off, having no more effect than peas
treat adcwini . Her ports were all dosed, and she moved
on ba but with a full head of steam. In the mean•
tin as the mimeo was approaching the two frigates cm
or side, the rebel iron•clad rtoamers Yorktown and
Jamestown came down James River sad *pied our frigates
on the other side. The batteries at Newport's News
the, Yorktown and &mete and did all in
= on
power to assist the Cumberland and bongr era, which,
hies useingessels, were at the mercy of the approaching
Arran.-he Karim° in the meantime kept steadily oa
bat coma; and disely'approsched the Cumberland, when
• ribmialleare of 100 yeeteseddrivfen •
• that took we offset,
gledeing • " • V= =Zing holy the effect of
propose for 6 eseissat. After the
two bled* she ran on teethe
temeiVnm-
' her abet" mitinhaps, and literatlasag
meg Had drew and Sod a
is* the dimaded dip lad apes a
ideed wipe her Mira
hoe troweled pew, and Wed** la her sick, lift la to
dd. wails she segeged the Congress, which laid about a
pulse el • Ude &Wok The Owagrese had le the mean-
thee beet up • them wagegemed whit the Yorktown sad
JaMestown, and,having air repthr dew on board of her,
awing the kiindess el tee the iron-clad downer,
et cam dusk bee ashram. Oa Oespies etrff&g her
edam the Jamestown sal took pent esboard
el her aft bee elides r saae,bd.:Mowed the dew to
tayaz a lealw;riunThe vedd
hie arasthirdersrered.t.owiragisilired
dad
*impudent opened with, shellaiyhot in the Newport's
News boded* The Wag was retuned.'"
The Jemmied* bad lathe. got egroesd, and
Coal only datribute to the Ms' at keg nage the
amiss& ef batty° bow sues. Asir
-ess apprombed the
rim m bod sides cases&
&drama erawdeg theism-mewl Mediae appeared upon
the mese. A leder dated de :
fees* like eight o'clock the hew to move
*towed the Miamods, abeeethres miles ester.. Her
path lay MINS the bows of the Ilaakkaa. whose presence
it reel charades Ii is probable she me not the aware af.
EMON II lain% a mile, the ball was opened by the
itonftring aid, which ulna& She d& el the bow
teseehr, 531012i[12110 at the isms tads alsekeniag
bit pert The Meg was lelP up for some 'time at the
died*. ef shod one nee, Atee the Mother bspa to
mews letwatabilteradereditity deliveries her he delibento
end whit preihion. The
atfl six times her
wiet so areamert equally an proportion, swaitt.d Ler at
net. At a distance of a quarts* of a mDe re Id., both
.611•1 their terrible batteries—lM *anima.' iriag mach
the Amok 'of course. . . By this time tie two
troweled sowieleals serassi to teach, *Meg at close
pedant, demise their deb amemiagly ute the reugeles
el sad other's gams. Bat so far from being equal to
beradvereary, the Mealier moved around her, plan her
dots where Me would. Thee:whet was se *t that a
time the make dewed both the Monitor ad the Mir-
sham As if mulling that she bad found at bed her
math. if met lar astatirt. Om Media= drew off towed
Cream Isiewd. the Maritaa madam pleating her shoe
yid the man deliberation which had characterised
bar ibarermis front the cutest. After keeping up
the pollee ler beftme-hour, the Wait* retuned
toward the Ifiesseite. I should have mediated that
shortly after
spthri eappenrot cominseced one of the rebel
Ekend
e eat ort cY.
orlrt °Z en; t hat roma het which
role lave der earions injury, @apt her back agar, and
she filet TICIRIZO within range of the guns of the new
comer &deg de day. As if having rested from the first
roved, sad reorred from the bewilderment resulting from
f. seek a terrible antagonist in so small a one, the
Merriam vetureed to the coated, sad, as before, was met
by the Monitor. The Merrimac being now within
ragiel" ,the Minnesota, delivered several of her thundering
beroaddilm mad showers d solid shot went crashing against
the aide ef the iron ax
tamba • The ganhats also went into the
e tern 2e ,Thh 144 (2.6 u
tia7oh tfa I rti of
thing, kept at' a preheat diehmot For more Z‘l
it an
hoar the Wee was kept up without either side showing
dump, when, at about 11 a.m. the Monitor retired be-
yond the Minnesota, to allow her pus to cool. The con-
test now raged between theMzeriatao and Minnesota sad
tie paled* The terrible broadsides of the frigate,
abduct to the bottom, as it were, shook the earth, and the
solid shot gamed in every direction from the aides of the
Men** Having given her guns an hour to cool, the
Monitor returned to the contest, and the Merrier was ap-
parently ready for her, for she did not retreat, but stood her
Nothing could ord the accuracy of the firing on
m
sides. After keeping up the onset for half en hour at a
range of half *three-quarters of a mile, the Monitor began
to advance on her antagonist, who awaited her with apparent
misfidanoa. Delivering her Are with deliberation and ninejione/
precision, the Monitor went straight ahead and at full s
for the Merrimac, till the men on both boats, if they not
been hidden by the iron coved*, might have engaged in a
hand-to-hand fight. Now followed one of the most remark-
able and exciting ernes ever witnessed in naval warfare.
The yawls touched, and delivering their broadsides "fund-
taasonely, the shot crashed upon the sides of both, either
shades off and falling into the water, or mumbling into
atoms. As if determined that the combat should have an
end, the Monitor moved round the Merrimac et a distance
of only a few yards, plunging her shots into her sides.
With well-directed aim she planted one into her hull below
bar iron coating, and below her water line. Three gaping
holes now appeared in her iron coating. Passing deliberately
round the stern of the Merrimac, the Monitor aimed a shot
at her screw, and several other at vital points. The
Merrimac now began to make off toward the cove flanking
Oraney Island ; and, as it became apparent that she was
disabled, cheers went up from the ramparts and the
shore. The Monitor did not pursue. probabl on account of
the heating of her guns, or some other equally good reason.
After lying for a short time near the shore, the Merrimac
slowly rounded out, and turned her prow toward the place
she was seen in the morning, where the other rebel boats
were 'rambled, spectators of the fight.

FIELD-LsitE RAOOED SCHOOII4.—A meeting of the
friends and subscribers of this school was held last evening
in the large School-room, Field-lane, "for the purpose of
awarding prizes to 231 of the scholars, who have kept good
situations with good character for 12 months and upwards."
The Earl of Shaftesbury preaided, and was supported by Sir
Robert Carden, Mr. Joseph Payne, and others. Mr. Hick-
man Smith, previously to the distribution of prizes, read •
very interesting letter from the poor children of the school
to the chairman, condoling with him in an earned manner
on the decease of his daughter. He then read a report,
which stated that the 231 prizes awarded that even-
ing war the highest number of prizes given by the
school. On the present occasion lti children had re-
calved prizes previously, end 126 would receive them
for the first tune ; of this number 88 boys and 38
girls would have Vs. 6d., a Bible, end a certificate of good
conduct
dsted to them ; ss. of this sum was contributed
by the School Colon and 2s. 6d. by the schooL
Sixty-five and 40 girls would receive a prise card
from the Union end 2a 6d. from the school. Those
children had kept the same place from 12 to 54 months.
Ninety-one had orphanage to add to their taken conditiou.
To those who may be curious to know the nature of the
occupation in which those poor children were engaged, •
few may be mentioned: the boys were employed as
gilder., fancy wire workers, bookbinders, gold and silver
lace makers, papermakerv, type makers, smiths, carpenters,
minters, watchmakers, shoemakers, tailors, pages, errand
boys, &c. ; the girls were employed as domestic eervante,
French polishers, envelope makers, bookbioders, paper and
bag makers, silk spinners, milliners, Sr. Three hundred of
the former scholar, of the school were now in the Royal
Navy. The Rev. Mr. Smith, Mr. Joseph Payne, and
others, having addressed the children, the chairman, pre-
viously to presenting the prises, delivered an ad.dreas on
the importance of the ragged school movement.
Samos Bedew.—The bill to amend the laws
relating to the security and management of savings banks
emote that "so trustee or manager of a savings bank shall
be petionally liable except for his own acts and defaults, nor
for anything done by him in virtue of his office as trustee or
manager, except In cases where be shall be guilty of
wilful neglect or default to fulfil the duties imposed upon
him by this act, and by other acts relating to saving! banks ;
but such trustee or manager of • savings bank shall be per-
vocally liable for all moneys actually received by him on
account of such savings bank, and which he shell not pay
over or dispose of in the manner directed by the rules
thereof."
CRYSTAL PALACE. Own SHILLING DAY. ••••
WM:wit/38AZ ILtace 26.—Adiniesious on payment, 599;
ditto by season tickets, 498—total, 1.081.
LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS COMPANY (Lnereiri).
—Traffio receipts, week indica March 23, 9,6131. 19a.