New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-12
nrY7 crrRT MAYA EI1ZT'
nav TIP HoyIToR BAFFLRD THE MnRRINiC
AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT.

Hamilton. anu occupied l"'"'"ic P'-'"'"'
has furnished us the following description:
"ln the early dawn, through vale Of thick haze,
TIE long tran Of emokc drifting lazy across the shy
gave warning Cha; the Merrimac and her consorLe
were firing MP for the coming strife Our hopes that
at high water the Minnesota wOuld be extricaied
from her rcrilous position, died within us as we saw
the wel-known srars Of cur old favorite piercing
bank of mist in the same place in which we had seen
her the evening before.
"Soon the three Rebel vessels distinctly seen
surrounded with busy crowd Of boats, and the
'turtle.bacl,' Of the Merrmac covered with people
4 long time passed, however, bcioIe any movement
was made per.cd OF terrible apprehension followed,
since we knew hat the MinnesCts was perfectly
helrlets We strained our eyes to see II she mad
any assistance, but the gallant frigate and gnbodt
tlat closed NE action last night were nowhere to be
seen. Prescot,y a gun wac fired. TIE smoke Of II
vas seen in the direction OF Pigs Point. Away
across James River could gee, appSrenily, Rebel
tug II lay opposite the mouth OF Nanscmondhlver, IN
the exact spot where the Rebels yesterday dealt such
stunning blows NJ our devoted steamer. There was
no repetition of he shot; but as if signal gun had
boen fired the Nerrimac shut off her waste steam,
which had been piercing the sky like tail White
monument and slowly passed around the jamestown
ard Patrick Henry keeping on in The direction OF
Newport News.
"She moves very slowly; but her course was
scsrcely taken before tall feather Of steam arose
nom what appeared to be the Rebel tug near Pigs
Point The air was now clearer and closer inspection
revealed the fact that it was the Ericsson steam
Id L.. sba met
come in during the night, and just in Tine 1t war
one ray Of hope that tie Minnesota might be saved,
but / must admit it was feeble one with me. She
kept her place, however, az sentinel over the EN-
bouchure Of James River, and calmly awaited the
coming of her huge antagonist. Really the dispro-
portion between them was almos! startling. The
one O mountain Of iron, and the other MAJ; low,
black crah with queer erection in the middle OF II
like the commencement Of an immense smoke stack.
"The Merriinac fred first. Her shot fell short.
She fred again with the same resut. The Monitor
now moved, but not in retreat. Though 1t looked
ike madness 10 approach tho Merrimac, whose guns
shook the earth at the distance Of ten miles at every
discharge; yet che steamed down to meet her, white
plume of steam toying with the folds Of the Stars
and Stripes Aging from her stern. Three or four shots
were thrown toward and over her before she degned
TO reply. Bu. a last there was fash, swallowed in
clouds OF smoke, nearly even with her deck, and
some time before the sound Of the gun reached rs her
shot was seen 70 rcochet within short distance OF
the Rebel. About thi- time, the Jamestown came up
70 share the fun, and in her eagenees to punish the
tug as dare cay they supposed she was, ran IA
considerable distance ahead Of her fellow. The third
Il l.. A -. ,nHa a ,..ss
amusing TO sec how quickly she drew off. She bad
fired three four shots she came up but no sooner
WAS che hit than her nusc ccased and, Ike fright
ened dog she hurried back to cover under the guns
of Sewelrs Point. We heard no more from her Till
near the close Of the action when, 10 help cover the
lierrmacs retreat abe fired few spiteiul fhots at
too long "a range 10 be harmful.
"But look al tie two iron-cal championsl They
still approach each other; tie Merimscs speed is
perceptiby diminished She has found foemsn
worthy Of hor steel and thunders fearfully she
cautiously approaches. They stop and maneuver,
and advance again. The Herrimac shuts OF
her escape steam, a. II holding her breath
for fatal plunge. Suddenly shc starts forward, and
in moment tho foam hashes from her Prov, and
one turns the glass in difmay 10 see how the Monitor
viii receive ii, but is happy 70 lind the movement
anticipated, and the agile craft rapidly withdraw
ing They seem but a short distance apart, but the
distance is maintained and two srighiful shots are
fred INTO the foe Us she presses forward. She
stops Tie Monitor hats, too. and receives the
bowling metal messenger hurled at her unscahed.
She then advances, shying round TO get a clean
sweep at the eide of tho Merrimac. The latter.
having come TO dead rest, finds il difficult to start
and the Monitor passing by her iron snout and along
her exhausted brosdside, ires Of her huge guns
into the Merrimacs steering apparatus and though
fred az she passes the serD turns her bows TO the
larboard aide of her foe, and runs against her with
fearful force. AS she did go she fired her other gun
at the distance Of few yards and reeed the rebel
over to such extent that we thought she sink
ing. All this time the Merrimac wa. shaking the
very ekies with tho stunning boom Of her cannon,
But if any struck the Monitor they did no harm,
though believe nearly all Of them passed harmlessly
by or over her,
The Merrmac now drew OF, and the Monitor
reste1-possibly 10 cool her guns. Again they APP
preached and wrestled amid the fire and smoke the
Monitor payng the daah of her foe by presenting her
side at a very acute angle, 20 as to neutraze the
colding force. Although it rolled her over consd.
eIably and dashed tie water over her deck it caused
her no inconvenience whatever II WAS adroitly
done it enabled her at the distance of two or three
yards to fire her guns with telling effect When they
parted large hole was torn through tho M,rrimscs
mail, and in additional portfolio, not on the exact
line with the original four, became clearly discern
ible.
Several times did they thus try to ovorreach each
other, but luckily no harm came to the Monitor
The Minnesota, meantime, whenever the positions
II IL. L.. IL 4