St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-03-13

Sks Msfrl6ac struck her bows, making =
h@ m6eEat the water line seven feet in
extent. ThesI Cumberland commenced
siee14h ~bep she aNsrri4pao,ss backing a
short distanee1 ran ia,a herta ~ SECOND tune,
making another terrible hole in bel, caus-
ing ~ aaer.to run in ats, furioae rate.
ThU& ubassahd aonsin aed -fnin4 tilthe
water entered her port holssishen she ca
;seees eys' .lsrt aB4 :4 q.|g se sp> about
O'Clock. :o2iT;J <A4r2i4 SILT ia l,g
re Newport News battery, sdd guns
of the Cumberland fred continuously oil
the Merrimac, but no apparent effect was
psodueed upon her. a044 a.: Z
L The Minnesota got aground, On, thej way
up, and could afford but little assistance.
rshor.ly before 8 o'clock the Yorktown
md Jamestown arrived from up the James
river; the former was disabled early in
the afternoon and put into shore for re-
pairs. =. y..,'.;s
After sinking the C Cumberland, the Mer-
rimac turned her attention to the Congress
andintless than an hour afterwards white
aas was hoisted on the Congress.
.sA;Irebel gnaboat - Immediately. went
along side and took the officers aud ma.
rincs= prisoners. Thq seamen We're allow
ed to escape to the Shore, - =, -7'
81 rhe tnghtai6 .zIa1repseIarriyed hue
during the afternoon, and without drop
ping her, aneothSots pprooeesaaa N the river
and followed the example of the Minneso+
ia and RoaueFs-in firing on the}battery at
.sewalrs Point, but IKE the rest: her, Shot
fell short The gunboat Mystic was ALSO
,toved; up il heafterndoh, but At shutdown
the Roanoke, St. Lawrence aud ystic all
returned: ha"H :.:H ajn4s' :~."~4 ~
1 o'clock The Merrrilm,;aac| continued
Ito throw iato the camp at Newport News
while the jamestown ana other rebel quo
boats commenced firing on the Minnesota.
The latter replied as vigorously as posi-
sble, and the conflict was continued with
out any apparent effect until dark. -.
During the evening the Congress was
set on FIRE. At midnight she was blown
up, making terrible explosion. During
the evening the Monitor arrived, and at
once proceeded to take part in the action.
During the night only an occasional gun
was. fred. Re,nforcements Of men and
ammunition was sent to Newport News
early in the afternoon. But little serious
damage was done, and no one was killed.
This morning the conflic. was renewed.
!" Until the, presence Of the Monitor was
known to the ;Mcrrimac, the latter was en-
gagged with the Minnesota; and but tor the
fortunate arrival Of the Monitor, the Min
nesota might have been lost q
The Monitor and DIerrimao" engaged
each other for two or three hours without
perceptible effect upon either. They
went aloux sidsreach2otherr once or twice
and seemed almost to run each other down
but they soon appeared again to renew
the action The Ericsson battery finally
succeeded in forcing a long hole in the
! port side Of the Mer,imac, and she retir-
ED with che whole rebel feet to; Norfolk at
about one o'clock. The y. s. guuhoat, Or
egon vas struck by the Merrimac in her
boiler and was blown up this morning.
The U. s. gunboat Zorave was also Sc
riously damaged and obliged to return.-
The principal loss of life was on board the
Cumberland where it is thought as many
az one hdfhdredand City nensmust have
been killed or drowned. But six lives
were lost on, board the Minnesota. &C.
cerding to the report Of one Of her officers
a rebel ;gunbeat was cut in two yesterday
BY the Cumberland. ii. The; Merrimac. is
understood to have been under command
Of Commander Buchanan, late Of the navy
yard.
.>WAsHIsaroN, March 10.
7 Il Lieatanant Wise, Commanding the 70,
tomac. aqtiila, irhs official report TO- the
Navy Department, confirms the rumorl ot
the abandonment of the rebel batteries at
eoekpitJ Shipping. and other points along
the Potomac, and also a 81 the burning Of the
steamer Page and other rebel craft -.
Lieut.. Wise arrived this P. NJ, bringing