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

Tog funs 47 LONDON, TritymoAv EVITNING, MAWR 1861.

211 i? 4IEIUUMAC AND 211-B AIONITOII.

The following is from an officer of the Cum-
berland :
"The Cumberland and the Congress were at
anchor at some distance from each other at New-

porL's News—about 300 yards apart. This was on
Saturday. At about half-past 11 a.m. the rebel
steamer Merrimac came in sight, and we were all
on the alert, watching her movements. There was
not very much surprise expressed, as she had been
expected for some days. The men were beat to
quarters almost immediately, and every prepara-
tion made for active resistance. The captain of
the frigate, Com. Radford, was not on hoard, being

•
then occupied on a court of inquiry on board the
Roanoke. In his absence the command was assumed
by First-Lieut. George U. Morris, executive officer.

As soon as the Mer;imae got within a mile of the

Cumberland we opened fire upon her from our 10-
inch pivot guns and our rifled c,-.nnon. Some of the
shots struck her, and others passed or fell short.
She paid no attention whatever to our firing until
she got near the Congress, when she fired into her.
The Congress immediately returned the compliment
by discharging a whole broadside, followed by an-
other. She continued on her course, still firing at
the Congress, but seeming not to care much for her,
and on coming much nearer passed her, and made
direct for the Cumberland under a full head of
steam. On approaching sufficiently near she fired
one shot at us, which killed five men, and cut away
our main rigging, hammock netting, &c. The Cum-
berland at once replied by firing into her most
vigorously. The Merrimac then drew off for a short
distance, rounded to, and ran into us, striking us on
the port bow, backing off again, and firing into us.
We continued all the while pouring shot and shell
against her from our 9-inch guns and 10-inch pivots
without producing any effect on her whatever. The
Cumberland now began to sink. The iron monster
had only run into us once, and still we knew that
there was no chance at all of saving the vessel. Al-
though in this dangerous and momently sinking
condition, the men and officers nobly stood their
ground. The Merrimac continued all this while fir-
ing occasional shots into us, killing four or five men
at every shot. The cockpit was soon filled with
wounded men, and poor fellows maimed for life
were scattered over the upper gun and berth decks.
Still our men continued working and fighting their
guns in the most gallant manner. Our forward
magazine was soon filled with the water which
was rushing into the ship, so that it became en-
tirely useless. The best order, under the circum-

see what it all meant. Away off in the direction
of Sewall's Point were seen four or five distinct
volumes of smoke, and shortly after, wi'h the aid
of a small glass, I saw what appeared to me to be
the roof of a house moving along in the water, on a
line nearly parallel with the rebel batteries there.

This novel-looking vessel soon changed its course,
however, and pointed its bows directly towards us.
Our guns were all shottcd, every man was at his
post, and word went round the ship, "rhat's the
Merrimac.' This fact, however, seemed to alarm no
one.
" Faith in the power and efficiency, not to say
impregnability, of our vessel was a peculiar charac-
teristic on board the Cumberland. How well

founded the idea was you will soon see. It was now
about two o'clock, and another movement of sur-
prise was observable—another proof that sorrows

come in battalions.' Another signal from the shore,

close to us this time. Turning eyes up James River,
we saw onr quondam friend, the Patrick Henry (the
old Jamestown of the New York and Richmond
line), accompanied by the Yorktown, a vessel that
has been her consort in her more peaceful pursuits.
These last vessels, armed to the teeth, steamed down
and joined the smoking, queer-looking thing below.
They soon began to get uncomfortably near. We
were all anxiously waiting for the command to
give it to them.' At last an order was given, and
two of our heaviest ' playthings' spoke out their
compliments and sent their substantial respects to
the monster, which still appeared to be making for
us particularly. To our intense disgust, not to say
astonishment, the two solid iron messengers, after
having been so well directed as to strike our anta-
gonist fairly and squarely, ricocheted from her roof
and disappeared in the distance beyond. On she
came, without returning the compliment, and we
occasionally giving her a taste of our metal, until
within, I should judge, about a hundred yards of
us, when she suddenly yawed around, and we had
no more than time to eount five guns on her side
before their contents came crashing through our
bulwarks. We gave her as many as she sent, with
some by way of interest, but it did not seem to
affect her in the slightest. Then the Congress,
which was lying further down, and the water bat-
tery of heavy columbiads on the Point commenced
playing upon the monster in a way which must
have given those on board a very good idea of a very
seven; hailstorm. But, bless you, the only notice
she took of them was to occasionally throw a shell
or two into or over the camps at the News. She
entirely ignored the existence of the American fri-
gate Congress.

stances, prevailed, but the cries of the wounded
were dreadful. At one time a shell burst
through the sick bay or hospital, killing four men
who were on the sick list and unable to report for
duty. At last the water rushed into the gun deck
ports, and it was seen that the ship would not float
much longer. She was now all down by the head
and going fast to the bottom. The boats were there-
fore ordered out, and with difficulty brought along-
side. It was, however, almost impossible for the
men to get from the gun deck to the spar deck, but
some of them climbed into the rigging, and others
sprang overboard ,as the ship was settling out of
sight. Everybody was naturally endeavouring to
reach the boats ; some 50 or 60 men were seen float-
ing and swimming about, catching at spars. The
rule now was every one for himself. Quite a number
were crushed by the after pivot gun, which rolled
about in a dangerous manner.
" The Merrimac, seeing she had finished up the
Cumberland, then drew off finally, and returned to
the Congress, firing at her as she approached. The
two other rebel steamers, the Jamestown and York-
town, were now seen coming down the James river,
and soon after onened fire on the fort and on the
ships. The Congress had been fighting gallantly all
the while, but now having had about 100 men killed,
and being at the same time so riddled with shot
that she was rapidly sinking, was taken in tow by

the gunboat Zouave, but the firing still continuing
she hoisted the white flag and surrendered. A Con-

federate steamer then went alongside and took off
the officers as prisoners, allowing the men to leave
in their boats. Lieut. Smith, who commanded the
Congress, was killed, with a number of other officers
and men. Only officers were made prisoners.
" The officers of the Cumberland suffered consi-
derably. Among those killed was the chaplain, J.
L. Lenhart, who used to reside on Staten Island.
He was not heard of after the fight, and is therefore
supposed to have been drowned. Master's Mate
John M. Harrington, of Boston, had his head shot
off. All the poor fellows who were wounded went
down with the ship, as they were totally unable to
help themselves.

"In less time than I have been writing the last
ten lines our antagonist steamed round and came up
within 40 yards of us, and gave us another of these
terrible broadsides. The shrieks of the wounded
were heartrending to hear ; but a sailor in action
has no time to think of anything but his work, and
such of our guns as were not disabled still kept up
their fire. But our rival now adopted different
tactics. Drawing off a few hundred yards, she
put on a full head of steam and came directly i
at us for the purpose of running us down. She
struck our port side, as near as I could judge
(for I was thrown completely across the deck
from the force of the collision), about opposite
the foremast, making a tremendous cavity
below our water line. The water came rush-
ing in, in spite of all efforts to prevent it, and it
was soon noised around that we are sinking. This
rumour had hardly time to go round the ship when
the monster had disengaged herself, and was again
coming:at us at the top of her speed. There was
no'escaping, of course, but all who were left alive
and uninjured managed to seize something where-
with to withstand tie force of the blow. On she
came, striking us in the waist. The crash was
terrific. The good ship careened over fearfully;
men, guns, everything, were tossed about the deck
promiscuously. Many were injured; and, as the
rebels could see as well as we that we could do them

little harm, our antagonist now directed his atten-
tion to the batteries on shore and the Congress.

" Of course every one on our ship sought personal
safety. Many of the boats had been injured, but in
those left such of the wounded as could be readily
got at were placed, and all who could get in or
around the boats were hurried to the shore. As for
me, I climbed up in the rigging, with many others,
and was almost displaced from my seat when the
ship gave a final lurch. At last, however, a steam-
tug came out from the wharf at Newport's News,
and we were all picked up and carried in safety to
terra firma.
"Of course all was excitement and alarm on
shore. Some of us assisted in working the heavy
guns of the water battery ; but the most of the de-

" The fight between the Monitor, or Ericsson bat- Tunct Cumberland's crew had had ' enough fight'
tery, and the Merrimac was very exciting. The for one day. Soon after we got on shore we saw
former vessel was in no way injured, but there is no the Congress hoist a white flag as a token of sur-
doubt that the Merrimac had two or three holes put render. Shortly after six, or between that hour
into her port side. and seven, the whole rebel fleet departed in the
" The men on the Cumberland (all who were un- direction of Craney Island.
able to help themselves owing to their terrible "At about 10 o'clock last night we heard at our
wounds) sank before any effort could be made to camp here of the arrival of the Monitor, and in the
get them off. But the good old frigate went down cabin in which lam writing this I can tell you the
with the Union flag flying, as no man on board intelligence was received with three hearty cheers.
would haul it down, officers and men declaring that During last night the Congress was burnt. Whether
they would go down before they would surrender. she was fired by the rebels or our own forces from
On the same night the flag was nailed to the fore- the Point here I have not learnt, Of the
topmast, which remained above water after she fight this forenoon, between the Merrimac and the
sank, by some sailors who left specially to do so, and Monitor, I saw but little, but heard enough to sa-
is still floating there in defiance of the rebels. tisfy me that the antagonist of our good old ship
" During the whole engagement between the met her match and more too. As I had lost my
Cumberland and the Merrimac there was but
one little glass at the sinking of the Cumberland, I had
man seen on the latter vessel. He came out of her no means of seeing the interloper driven off in such
hatch, and as soon as he was seen a shot was fired excellent style by Lieutenant Worden and his brave
at him, which cut him completely in two, sending crew."
his head flying in one direction and his legs and A correspondent who witnessed the second con- 1
part of his body in another. When the Cumberland flict gives the following full and interesting account,
was going down the men on board cheered lustily, commencing where the Merrimac first meets the
as they also did when the rebel flag and flagstaff Monitor :
were shot away from on board the Merrimac. There "At first the rebel craft seemed nonplussed, and
were no cheers or shouts on board the Merrimac, hesitated, no doubt in wonderment at the queer-
which it may be stated is a screw steamer, come- looking machine approaching her. The Merrimac
pletely covered. The other two secesh steamers then closed the distance between her and the Mo-
had French flags flying, which could be plainly seen nitor until they were within a mile of each other.
at a great distance ; but nobody could give any rea- Both batteries stopped. The Merrimac fired a shot
son for this. To all appearance there were 10 guns at the Minnesota, to which no reply was made. The
on board the Merrimac, four on each side, and one rebel craft then fired at the Monitor; the latter re-
each at her bow and stern. They seemed to be 9- plied, hitting the Merrimac near the water line.
inch or 10 -inch guns, although one or two might The Merrimac then commenced firing very rapidly,
have been larger. She began to fire at about half- first from her stern gun at the Monitor, and then
past 1 o'clock, but we could only occasionally see from her broadside guns, occasionally firing a shot
the men who wore working the guns. They were at the Minnesota. The fight went on in this way
behind their ports, and we could only get a glimpse for an hour or two, both vessels exchanging shot
at them on the recoil of their pieces. Several attempts pretty freely. Sometimes the Merrimac would re-
were made to pick them off with rifle shots, but tire, followed by the Ericsson, and vice versa.
with What success cannot now be ascertained. Every While the fight between the batteries was going on,
shot fired by the Merrimac went through our ship, one hundred solid nine-inch shot were sent up from
but we could make no impression at all upon her, Fortress Monroe on the steamer Rancocas to the
although we gave her over 20 broadsides of solid Minnesota, At a quarter past ten o'clock the Mer-
Shot and shell from our.9-inch and 10-inch guns. rimac and Monitor had come into pretty close
"
Our officers behaved very bravely all through quarters, the former giving the latter two
the action, losing everything they had, and escap- broadsides in succession. These were promptly
ng only with their lives and the clothing they had replied to by the Monitor. The firing was so
on at the time.
rapid
-
that both craft were obscured in columns
"The elmaberland sank in water about 54ft deep.
of white smoke for a moment or more. The ram-1
The steamer W
hilden saved a great number of part of the fort, the rigging of the vessels in port,
those who fell into the water and were clinging to the houses and the bend, were all covered with
wood. The engagement lasted
for about two hours,se sailors, soldiers, and civilians. When the rapid
until the Cumberland finally firing alluded to-took place these spectators were
went down with
her Raga a in
4, thaty le Congress was not ular
singly silent, as if doubtful as to the result.
It must be mentioned
destroyed by the rebels, but h Their impatience was soon removed by full figure
y two Union sailers of the Monitor, with the Stars and Stripes flying at
who were sent on board for tha
posed by order of General IA purpose_
' ttuaneld.e it is sup- her stern, steaming around the Merrimac, moving
One of the crew of the Cumberland with the ease of a duck on the water. The distance
makes the between the vessels was 40 feet. In this circuit the
following statement :
Monitor's guns were not idle, as she fired shot after
“Camp Butler, Newport's News, March ,
"At last I have news to write to Toe.
• shot into her antagonist, two of which, it is alleged,
ley last penetrated the Merrimac's sides.
letter from on board the Cumberland, as 'well as all
oint
have preceded it from this p , must have
At 11 a.m. the Minnesota opened fire, and as-
that
r ctl the ea Fisted the Monitor in engaging the Merrimac. She
been devoid of interest entirely, for si .
P" fired 9 inch solid shot with good accuracy, but with
ture of Hatteras, with the exception of the little a,
' 1 Henry some apparently little effect. The Merrimac returned
escapade of the rebel steamer Patrick . . the fire, firing shell, one of which struck and ex-
time since, the old ship has seen nothing in the
Ploded the boiler of the gunboat Dragon, which was
way of service. alongwide the Minnesota, endeavouring to get her
Yesterday morning, about 10 o'clock, a sudden off. g-
I'this unfortunate affair Joseph M'llonald,
1 t ,
eKeitement was observable on board our gal.4ln I was seriously scalded. For the next hour
vessel. For -myself I was not keeping a very go ged fiercely
between the Merrimac on
t the rebel side and th
look-out, as I was not at the time detailed for t:b.a
re Minnesota, and Whiettnion vessels, the Monitor,
service, and sailors do not usually attend to mare
than -
is required of them. Soon came the boomil f g .
result. The Minnesotuablle;. but with no particular
of signal lklerrimac, the latter fired liy_the best mark for the
guns, and in a remarkably short space of . at
her frequently, alter-
time the ,1h
nately
given the Monitor a sot.
crew were called to quarters and ' prepart '- The Merrimac
for action: 'then made several attempts to run at full en 1 had time to look around me ,az La in speed past the

Monitor, to attack and run down the Minnesota.
All these attempts were parried, as it were, by the.
Monitor. In one of these attempts by the Merri-
mac she ran her plough or ram with full force
against the side of the Monitor, but it only had the
effect of careening the latter vessel in the slightest
degree. The rebel boats Yorktown and Patrick
Henry kept a safe distance from the Monitor. The
former vessel, at the beginning of the fight, had the
temerity to come within respectable range of the
Monitor. The latter fired ono shot at her, entering

her pilot-house, carrying it away, and no doubt
killing a number of rebels. She retired out of range.
" The fight raged hotly on both sides, the oppos-
ing batteries moving round each other with the
skill, ease, and dexterity of expert pugilists. The
Merrimac, though the strongest, did not move with
the dexterity of her antagonist; hence the Monitor
had the advantage of choice of position. At a
quarter before 12 o'clock, noon, Lieut. Hepburn, the
signal officer on the ramparts at Fortress Monroe,

reported to General Wool that the Monitor had

pierced the sides of the Merrimac, and in a few
minutes the latter was in fall retreat, heading for
Sewall's Point, and chased for a few minutes by the
Monitor. The Merrimac has evidently suffered to
some extent, and it was thought at one time that
she was sinking. After she got safely under the
guns of the rebel battery at Sewall's-point she
stopped and signalled for help from her consorts,
who were beating a retreat. Subsequently two
tugboats or gunboats went alongside and took her
in tow, and proceeded to Norfolk. This ended the
engagement."
A correspondent of the New York Tribune de-
scribes a visit to the Monitor after the engagement :
" I visited the Monitor to-day. Two shots of the
enemy struck her on the edge, above the surface,
and tore up a few inches of the deck plating, and
penetrating about half the diameter of the ball,

Merrimac seemed not inclined to give her an oppor-
tunity to do, being afraid even to approach her at

close quarters when aground. At 8 o'clock, when
the Baltimore boat left, a fleet of steamtugs were
being sent up to the relief of the Minnesota and

affording a complete illustration of her impregna;

St. Lawrence, and an endeavour was to be made to
draw them off from the bar on which they had
grounded. 'rho loss of life could not he ascertained
and must be principally on board the Cumberland,
from drowning. She received one broadside from
the Merrimac, and Was left sinking with all on board.

bility. As the worst the enemy, with the most
powerful guns afloat, could do, the fact settles all
questions on that point. The shots referred to are
as mere scratches on a pugilist after his antagonist
has done his best for four hours to knock him down.
On her tower, where the Merrimac's shots struck
square and with full force, there are three or four in-
dentations not exceeding three inches in depth.
Her deck is blazed in several places where shot struck
and glanced off. The wheel-house has several
similar indentations, though not as deep. These
are all the marks the Monitor bears as the result of
the action. The officers and men declare that they
are perfectly willing to take hor anywhere for all
that the enemy's guns can do, no matter with what
skill they may be served.
" The Merrimac undertook to run the Monitor
down, and ran bows on, her prow projecting over
her deck. The shock that cut the Cumberland and
I Congress down made an indentation scarcely per-
ceptible, and produced no extraordinary effect. In
this attitude the two ships exchanged shots, the
mouths of their guns being but a few yards distant,

She was not more than 200 yards from the shore,
and it is probable that the greater portion of her
crew escaped. Of those on the Congress all escaped
except the officers, who were taken prisoners. There
was also probably some loss of life on the Min-
nesota and St. Lawrence, the latter vessel being
commanded by Commander Purvianco, of Balti-
more. The Merrimac was understood to be under the

command of Captain Buchanan, of Charles county,
Maryland, who, after he had resigned, desired to

withdraw his resignation and enter the Federal
service against the rebellion.
" On Saturday night, after the above occurrences,
Mr. Ericsson's iron-cased steamer Monitor, in

command of Lieutenant Worden, arrived in
Hampton Roads, and immediately went to the
assistance of the Minnesota, then aground just
below Newport News, in whose company
she continued during the night, and was un-
successfully assailed the next morning by the Mer-
rimac, Jamestown, and Yorktown, which had re-
turned to engage the Minnesota. The Monitor,
whose presence there must have greatly surprised
the enemy, promptly took them in hand, paying
her attentions especially to the Merrimac, which,
after an exciting conflict of several hours, much of
the time at very close quarters, was :towed off by
her consorts, aided by some tug boats, towards Nor-
folk. To what extent she is damaged is not known.
Lieutenant Worden thinks she is seriously crippled.
With the exception of Lieutenant Worden, who was
injured, it is hoped not seriously, by the cement
from the pilot house being driven into his eyes, no
one on board the Monitor was hurt. It is reported
that in the engagement of Saturday the Minnesota
had about five killed and nine or ten wounded ; no
officers among either. The Cumberland had her
chaplain (probably) drowned, master's mate Har-
rington and 20 men killed, and about 130 drowned,
including some 50 who were wounded. On board
the Congress Acting Commander Joseph Smith (a
son of Commodore Joseph Smith) was killed. Pay-
master Buchanan was her only officer not taken
prisoner. None of the rest of her officers were killed
or wounded. It is not known yet how many men
she had killed or wounded. Captain Radford, the
commander of the Congress, happened to be absent
On a court .martial, and thus escaped capture. Lieu-
tenant Morris (who is safe) fought the Cumberland
until she sunk—which she did with her flag flying
—a worthy son of a glorious:naval sire.
"The following are lists of the officers, supposed
Ito be nearly correct, who were on board of the lost

and it was here that the Merrimac was penetrated
though the Monitor was scarcely scratched. It was
doubtless the intention of the enemy to board her,
and some of the Merrimac's men actually jumped
aboard of her. But there was no opening or place
of entrance to be found, nor were there any men to
be seen. At this moment the tower began to re-
volve, and the ports to open, and the men scam-
pered back, and the Merrimac drew off, probably
confounded at the results of her hasty visit."
The Baltimore American contains the following
interesting account, from an eye-witness :
"The dulness of Old Point was startled at one
o'clock on Saturday by the announcement that a
mysterious vessel, supposed to be the Merrimac,
looking like a submerged house with the roof only
visible above water, was running down from Nor-
folk by the channel in front of Sewell's Point bat-
teries. Signal guns were immediately fired by the
Cumberland and Congress to notify the Minnesota,
St. Lawrence, and Roanoke of approaching danger,
and all was excitement in and about Fortress Mon-
roe. The monster steadily approached, and there
was nothing protruding above the water but a flag-
staff flying the rebel flag, and a short smoke stack.
She moved along slowly until she passed Sewell's
Point, and, turning into the channel leading to
Newport News, steered direct for the Federal
frigates Cumberland and Congress, which were
lying at the mouth of James River. As soon as the
Merrimac came within range of the Cumberland
the latter opened on her with her heavy guns, but
the balls struck and glanced off, having no more
effect on her than peas from a popgun. The ports
of the Merrimac were all closed, and she moved on
in silence, but with a full bead of steam. In the
meantime as the Merrimac was approaching the
two frigates on one side, the rebel iron-clad steamers
Yorktown and Jamestown came down the James
River and engaged our frigates on the other side.
The batteries at Newport News also opened on the
Jamestown and the Yorktown, and did all in their
power to assist the Cumberland and the Congress,
which, being sailing vessels, were at the mercy of
the approaching steamers. The Merrimac, in the
meantime, kept steadily on her course and slowly
approached the Cumberland, when she and the
Congress,:at the distance of 100 yards, rained full
broadsides on the iron-clad monster. The shot, how-
ever, took no effect, glancing upwards, and flying
off, having only the effect of checking her progress
for the moment. After receiving the first
broadside of the two frigates the Merrimac ran on
to the Cumberland, striking her about midships,
and literally laying open her side. She then drew
off, fired a broadside into the disabled ship, and
again dashed against her with her iron-clad prow,
k and, knocking in her side, left her to sink, while
she moved off to engage the Congress, which lay
about a quarter of a mile distant. The Congress
had in the meantime kept up a sharp engagement
with the Yorktown and Jamestown, and having no
regular crew on board of her, and seeing the hope-
lessness of resisting the iron-clad monster, at once
struck her colours, The crew had been discharged
several days since, and three companies of the naval
brigade had been put on board temporarily until
she could be relieved by the St. Lawrence, which
was to have gone up on Monday to take her posi-
tion as one of the blockading vessels off James river.
On the Congress striking her colours the James-
town approached and took from on board of her all
the officers as prisoners, and directed the crew' to
leave the vessel in the boats. The vessel being thus
cleared was fired by the rebels, when the Merrimac
and her two iron-clad companions opened with shell
and shot on the Newport News batteries. The
firing was briskly returned. In the meantime the
steam frigate Minnesota, having partly got up
steam, was being towed up to the relief of the two
frigates, but did not get up until too late to assist
them. She was followed by the frigate St. Law-
rence, which was taken in tow by several of the
small harbour steamers. It is, however, rumoured
that neither of these vessels had pilots on board of
them, and after a short engagement both of them
seemed to be, in the opinion of the pilots on the
Point, aground. The Minnesota, either intention-
ally or from necessity, engaged the three steamers
at about a mile distance with only her two bow
guns. The St. Lawrence also poured in shot
from all the guns she could bring to bear, and
it was the impression of the most experienced naval
officers on the Point that both of them had been
considerably damaged. In the meantime dark-
ness approached, though the moon shone out
brightly, and nothing but the occasional flashing
of the guns could be seen. The Merrimac was
also believed to be aground, as she remained
stationary at the distance of a mile from the Min-
nesota, making no attempt to attack or run into her.
The rebel battery at Pig's Point was also enabled to
join in the combined attack on the Minnesota, and
several guns were fired at her from Sewell's Point
as she went up; none of the shot, however, struck
her, but one or two of them passed over her. Pre-
vious to the departure of the steamer from Balti-
more no guns had been fired for half an hour, the
last being fired from the Minnesota. Fears were,
of course, entertained for the safety of the Min-
nesota and St. Lawrence in such an unequal contest,
but if the Merrimac was really ashore she could do
no harm to them. It was the intention of the
Minnesota, with her picked and gallant crew, to
have run in CO close quarters with the Merrimac,
_ avoid her iron prow, and board her. This the

ships :
" Officers of the Cumberland—Commander Wil-
liam Padford ; Lieutenants G. U, Morris and Thomas
0. Selfridge; Surgeon Charles Martin; Paymaster
Cramer Burt; Chaplain John L. Lenhart ; First
Lieutenant Marines Charles Heywood ; Assistant-
Surgeon Edward Kersher ; Acting-masters M.
Sturvesant, William P. Randall, and William M.
Kennison ; Boatswain Edward B. Bell; Gunner
Eugene Mack; Carpenter William M. Leighton;
Sailmaker David Bunce.

" Officers of the Congress.—Lieutenant Com-
manding Joseph B. Smith ; Lieutenant Austin Pen-
dergrast ; Master A. De Haven Mauley ; Surgeon
Edward Shippen ; Assistant-surgeen Edward D.
Payne ; Paymaster M‘K. Buchanan; Acting-master
Thomas Moore; Third Lieutenant of Marines Jos.
Baker; Boatswain Charles Johnson; Acting-gunner
G. W. Omensetter ; Carpenter H. M. Lowry; Sail-
maker J. C. Herbert."
The Congress was a 50-gun frigate, built in 1841,
of 1,867 tons burden. The Cumberland was a sloop
of 24 guns and 1,726 tons burden, and was built in
1842. The Roanoke, which declined the contest,
is a first-class steam frigate of 40 guns and 3,400
tons. She was built in 1855 ; she is of the same
class and rather larger than the Minnesota, which
was only saved by the opportune and fortuitous ar-
rival of the Monitor. The latter was intended to
operate against the Confederate batteries on the
Potomac, and arrived at Fortress Monroe by chance
just in time to render the most vital service. Her
iron deck is not two feet above the water, but on
going below she is found to be fitted up with as
much luxury as a yacht, and 0 be comfortable and
commodious ; all that is to be dreaded is her "turn-
ing turtle" in a seaway. Her construction is com-
plicated and ingenious—one vessel inside another.
The sides of the vessel are formed of plate iron,
half an inch thick, outside of which is white oak
26 inches thick, outside of this again is rolled iron
armour five inches thick. The deck is supported by
heavy braced oak beams, upon which is laid plank-
ing seven inches thick, covered with rolled plate iron
one inch thick. The turret consists of a rolled plate
iron skeleton, one inch thick, to which are rivetted
two thicknesses, of one inch each, of rolled iron
plates. Outside of this again are six plates of rolled
iron, all firmly bolted together with nuts inside,
so that if a plate is started it can be at once
tightened again. The top is covered with a bomb-
proof roof perforated with holes. The lower part of the
gun carriages consists of solid wrought iron beams.
These are planed perfectly true, and are placed
parallel in the turret, both of the guns pointing in
the same direction. The ports through the side of
the tunnel are only large enough to permit the
muzzle of the gun to be thrust through. Inside of
them are wrought-iron pendulums, which close
them against the enemy as soon as the gun recoils.
She is armed with two of the largest Dahlgren
guns, made to revolve by a pair of steam-engines
placed beneath the deck, and the guns are trained
by bearings on deck, visible through side-sights.
The turret is, in fact, one of Cowper Cole's cupo-
las, slightly modified. The lower vessel is of iron,
one half inch thick, and made in the usual manner.
She carries her machinery, coal, &c., aft, and for-
ward the officers' quarters, ammunition, and stores.
The two partitions of the vessel are separated by a
wrought-iron bulkhead. The officers' quarters are
very roomy and handsome, and are ventilated and
lighted by openings from the deck. Her machinery
consists of two horizontal tubular boilers, contain-
ing 3,000 square feet of fire surface, and two hori-
zontal condensing engines of 40-inch diameter of
cylinders and 22-inch stroke of piston. The pro-
peller is 0 feet in diameter and 16 feet stroke. It
has four blades. For the better ventilation of the
vessel there are two fan-blowers, drawing air down
through bomb-proof gratings in the deck. Though
not exactly intended for a sea vessel, she can pro-
ceed to sea or to any point along the coast without
fears of the least injury. She carries generally
three months' provisions, and is supplied with a
condensing apparatus for supplying fresh water.
As an evidence of the rapidity with which this
vessel has been completed, we may state that her
keel was laid on the 25th of October, 1861, and
steam was first applied on the 31st of December in
the same year. She was launched on the 30th of
January last. The blowers got out of order on her
voyage, and the crew suffered a little in conse-
quence before she arrived at Monroe.
The Merrimac was for a long time supposed to be
all but destroyed by the conflagration at Norfolk,
when the
vessels. She is a 40-gun steam frigate, of the same
Federal officers burnt the dockyards and
class as the Minnesota, and built in the same year.
She is reported to have 12 guns, of which the broad-
side guns are 11-inch Dahlgrens, and the bow and
stern guns 100-pounder Armstrongs, but the latter
part of the report must be untrue ; it is more likely
that she has Blakely guns on board, as some of these
pieces have been run through the blockade, and it
is said—though, I think, incorrectly--that the
Nashville, which
got so ingeniously into Beaufort
the other day, under the very nose of the United
States' blockading ship, had some of them on board.
She has been razeed and iron-plated, with a rostrum
or beak at the bow. Lieut. Wise, of the United
States' Navy
Department, who witnessed the en-
gagement, in company with Mr. Fog, Assistant-
Secretary of the Navy, says that she went away
with a full head of steam, but that she appeared to
him as if she were deepening at the stern, Her

consorts, the Yorktown, about 1,400 tons, and seven
guns, Jamestown, 1,350 tons, six guris. are paddle-
wheel merchant steamers, which have been plated.
They do not seem to have done much mischief. One
gunboat on the Federal side was also disabled, one
tug steamer was blown up by a shot in her boiler,
with all her crew, and another suffered severely
from a shell from the Merrimac. The New York
journals will probably contain full details of this
singular naval action, in which the Confederate
commander appears not to have understood the
extent to which he could have pushed his successes,
by destroying the whole fleet of transports and the
rest of the wooden ships at Fortress Monroe. If he
has not been seriously injured by the Monitor, he
can do just as he pleases, and pay us a visit at
Washington if he lists. The only thing that
can he done against such vessels, if they are
proof against running down, is to board and take
possession of their decks. Captain Buchanan was
formerly head of the Navy Yard here. Mr. Lin-
coln, as soon as he heard of Lieutenant Norden's
arrival, wounded and in pain, went to pay him a
visit and to thank him for his services. I must now
conclude this long but hasty letter, leaving many
matters untouched. The debates in Congress are
interesting—dealing with important subjects. The
President's Message respecting gradual abolition
has been met by a strong opposition from the De-
mocrats. There are signs that the Confiscation
„Bill will fail, or be passed with destructive modifi-
cations. To the great regret of the Diplomatic
world, M. Mercier, the French Minister, and his
wife were burnt out of their house at Georgetown
on Shrove Tuesday n3:,-,ht, losing papers, library,
and even clothing. We expect a good many Bri-
tish officers—as many as can get leave—down here
to look at the battle which is now likely to occur
immediately, and several have come here already.
Colonel Conolly, Major de Winton, R.A., Captain
Massey, Lieutenant Stevenson, Colonel Shaw Ken-
nedy, &c. It is probable Colonel Wetherall will be
here in a few days, and if Sir Fenwick Williams
could give longer leave many others would come to
witness a very remarkable sight in its way, and the
largest army of volunteers ever seen in the world.
It is well worth studying, both for its defects and
is merits.