The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-03 00:00:00

THE A_RNY.

The annual change of quarters ..of the brigade of
Household Cavalry took place yesterday. The Ist
Life Guards removed from Knightsbridge to Wind-
sor to succeed the 2d Life Guards, which regiment
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officially reported at the War-office since the Ist of
Col. 42d Royal Highlanders, and Sir W. H.
Sewell, K.C.8., Col. 79th Highlanders; Major-
Generals J. Gordon, Royal Artillery, and P. Cole,
Royal Engineers; Colonels W. T. Crawford, C. 8.,
Royal Artillery, and H. P. Bourchier, 19th Dra-
goons ; Lieut.-Colonels J. F. L. Baddeley, Royal
Artillery, and G. Spiller, Royal Artillery ; Majors
B. Lawson, Royal Artillery, and J. W. Pringle,
Royal Engineers ; Captains C. A. Hand, 63d Regi-
ment, and T. Potter; Lieuts. J. H. Bridger, Mili-
tary Train, F. M. Pearson, 24th Regiment ; J. T.
Pack (Adjt.), 64th Regiment, C. G. Humphreys,
14th Dragoons, and J. Brinckmann, King's German
Legion ; Ensigns A. Rice, 72d Highlanders, andC.
Brew; Commissary-Gen. G. H. Dinwiddie ; Deputy
Assist. Commissary Gens. H. L. Mesurier and T.
Wilson ; Surgeons W. Galliers, H. Davies, M.D,,
100th Regt., and P. Macarthur ; Deputy Assistant
Superintendent of Stores W. S. Dawson.

THE MONI7 OR AND THE MERRIMAC.

Lieut. W. M. Jeffers had been appointed to the
command of the Monitor. A correspondent, who
accompanied him on board, gives an interesting
description of the vessel :
" As we approached this novel naval wonder I was
struck with the pertness of the Norfolk description
of her as ' A Yankee cheese box on a raft.' It gives
a better idea of her appearance than any of the
engravings or descriptions in the New York papers.
They all fail to afford a correct idea of the general
appearance of the vessel, and especially when she
is in action. She is oval-shaped, 172 ft long and
41ft in with at the centre. Her hull rises perpendi-'
cularly out of the water, as straight all round as
the sides of a stone wall, and as flat on the top as a
table, without any rail or guards around her.
She has two square smoke stacks, about 7 feet
in height, but in time of action these are re-
moved, and the smoke and steam come through
grates in the deck, the iron of which is about 8
inches thick. Nothing remains on her deck but the
pilot house, which is a square iron statue, about 3ft
high, about the size of an ordinary dry-goods box.
When walking her deck, although anchored at the
end of Hampton Bar, where the sea is quite rough,
not the slightest motion of the waves could be felt.
Her deck is as firm and steady as a reek. The tower
rises about 9ft. from the deck, and looks, when close
to it, like a large gasometer or gas holder. On
closely examining it, however, you find that its
sides and tap are about 0110 Moot thicdr, while the
whole tower is 22 feet in diameter, and that it has
two oval-shaped port-holes, close together, on one
side, not more than two feet apart, and not more
than three feet above the deck. The interior of
the tower exhibits still stronger the superior strength
of the vessel. There is a solidity about it that makes
the thought of any earthly power disturbing its
movements or penetrating its interior seem simply
ridiculous. An examination of this part of the
vessel explains the confidence which her officers and
men have in her entire and complete invulnera-
bility. They say, 'We fear nothing on land or
water, and are ready, whenever the order is given,
to proceed to Norfolk or Richmond.' The guns set
side and side in the centre of the tower, and are
intended to be fired simultaneously, the close proxi-
mity of the muzzles of the two guns enabling the
two balls to strike the sides of the enemy in similar
proximity to each other. The moment the guns are
fired two immense pillars of steel on the inside,
about six feet long, two feet in width, and one in
thickness, slide before the portholes, completely
closing them, and protecting the gunners from the
balls of the enemy. There are marks on the tower
and hull of about 20 balls, and some of them seem
to have struck the tower fair and square, with no
more apparent effect than could be produced by the
blow of a sledge-hammer. The paint is rubbed off,
and, if repainted, it would be difficult to discover
where most of the shots struck. The gunners of the
enemy seem, however, to have clearly abandoned
the attempt to damage the tower, though most of
their balls, even there, were aimed at the portholes,
three striking in close proximity. Two of the six
or seven marks on the tower are said to have been
accidental shots from the guns of the Minnesota.
The greater part of the shot-marks are on
the edge of the hull, which, it should be remem-
bered, does not rise more than 12 inches out of
the water. They seem to have been under the
impression that there must be a weak spot under-
neath the water-line, and they hammered away
all round, but here too the invulnerability of the
Monitor was equally great, and the indentations
are only to the extent of the fraction of an inch.
There is a small fracture of the edge of the iron at
one point, which only seems to show its great
strength at a point which might be supposed to be
the weakest. The shot that struck the square
pilot-house did little more than knock the cement
out. Had the pilot-house been round instead of
square, as it is now proposed to make it, the ball
would have glanced off and lost half of its force,
and failed to injure the eyes of the gallant com-
mander. He is, however, lam pleased to learn,
rapidly recovering. The retiring of the Merrimac
from the contest with her insignificant antagonist
is not to be wondered at when the exercise of all
the power she possessed, for 5 hours, had done little
more than deface her paint. The attempt of the
Merrimac to run her down left no mark on the
iron except some splinters from her timbers,
are sticking to a nut and screw on
. herreetly eppo_ which
hull.
She struck her precisely
amidships,
directlyl
site the centre of the. tower, and, this experiment
having so entirely failed, it was evident that no
hopes could be entained of its repetition. The
not
.ovear.
b five knots an
hour, while that of the
speed of the Merrimac is
is out seven. On
lVionliel.
to one of her gunner, as to
patting the que.4t.
the ability of the Merri-
their relative speed, and
from the Monitor, I
mac to run away le replied,
We would like to see her attempt it.
She would
mercy, and, by follow'
then be at our
w© could soon cripple,
wake, it not destroy, her
rudder and propeller.' A more enthusiastic and
confident set of men never manned a ship, and they
all express an anxiety that they will soon have
another opportunity to meet her."
One of the crew or the Monitor, describing the
passage of that vessel from New York to Fortress
Monroe, says

" The vessel proceeded safely and comfortably
until the afternoon of Friday, March 11, when the

weather, which had been for son
ing, broke into a severe gale ; this
did not mind at all, but unforti
which lead to the blowers vacn
enough, and the water came down &I torrents, .
tirely destroying the draught, and driving the gaa
ill large quantities into the fire an d engine-rooms.
This proved nearly fatal to Asstistant-Engineer
Campbell, and the Chief Engineer, .Isaae Newton ;
both these gentlemen were taken from the fire
room insensible. The chief enginee,e, Isaac Newton,
,
appreciating the urgency of the case, after being
restored by a draught of fresh air very injudi-
ciously returned to endeavour to do what was pos-
sible to remedy matters. He felt, 041 rcomo by the
noxious gases, and was removed kv a fireman.
Chief Engineer Stimers now took ellarg e, and after
some hard work, the sea in the meantime subsiding,
succeeded in righting matters."
Of the engagement he says :--
"The noise on board the:Monitor was terri.qc—the
striking of slAot against her sides and the tut e
awful noise of her own guns, the whizzing al! ..111
over the decks, and the eraasion of those cnol-nitAis
rifle shells when they struck, made a terriblo
When the guns recoiled the noise of the mat•eve
pendulums swinging by and cles.;ng the ports re-
verberated throughout the vessel;, The men on
board worked like heroes, covered with perspiration
and begrimed with powder. Once or twice (luring
the action all hands ' spliced the main brat e."
It is related by an official who took charge of
Lieutenant Warden, of the Monitor, on his
.I,aurney
from Fortress Monroe to Washington, that—
" Leaving him to the care of my
wife, I want
with the Secretary to the President, and gave him
the particulars of the engagement. As soon as I
had done, Mr. Lincoln said, Gentlemen, I ara
going to shake hands with that man,' and
presently
he walked round. witkmcto our little: house.
.r.
led him Upstairs to the room 3v4oB:WordeL rai-
lying, with fresh bandages over his scorched eyes
and face, and said, Ja.ek, here's the President, who
has come to see you.' Re raised himself on his
elbow, as Mr. Lincoln took ,him by the hand, and
said, ' You do me great honour, Mr. President, and
I am only sorry that I can't see
earnest gaze he bent over his wounded
jou,' The Presi-
dent was visibly affected, as with te
all frame and
subordinate,
but, after a pause he said, with a quiver the tones
of his voice, You have done me more honour, sir,
than I ever can do to you.' He then sat down,
while Worden gave him an account of the battle,
and on leaving he promised, if he could legally- ,do
so, that he would make him a captain.'

Advices from Fortress Monroe to the 16th report
the arrival of a committee from Washington to in-
quire into the recent naval engagement
" These gentlemen arrived at an early hour this
morning, and at once proceeded to inspect the vci-
sels in the harbour and report upoo their condition,
as also to examine the Monitor and make a full re-
port to Congress, They first took a steamer and
proceeded to Newport News, but nothing was to be
seen of the noble Cumberland but her uppet. yards,
which were above the water. The Congress had
disappeared. The Whitehall lay a charred mass.
The Minnesota was next visited and inspected; she
is not injured in any material way. The little
Monitor was next the subject of inspection. The
committee were shown over every part—the various
places where shot had struck, the blow which she
received from the prow of the Merrimac, then the
deck, the interior arrangements, the tower—every
part was carefully and critically examined. The
Engineer-in-Chief, Mr. Stimer, explained every-
thing to the committee. The committee leave to-
night, delighted with the Monitor, and unanimously
believing she will whip the Merrimac next time
she ventures out. The Merrimac is looked for
daily. The committee will recommend permanent
batteries for harbours, and vessels for sea-coast de-
fence, on the same plan of defence."

RAILWAY INT.ELLIGENC.E.

GREAT WESTERN OF CANADA.

It appears from the statement of accounts for the
the year ended the 31st of January last that
net earnings of the line will justify the hoard in re •
commending a dividend for the half-year at the
rate of 3 per cent. per annum, leaving a balance of
£21,508 to be carried over, which includes the sur-
plus of the previous half-year.