East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-03-18

Stars and Stripes flying at her stern,
steaming around the Merrimac, moving
with the ease Of duck on the wster.--
The distance between the vessels was
forty feet. In this circuit the Monitors
guns we're not idle, as she fred shot after
Shot into her antagonist, two of which, II
is alleged, penetrated the Merrimae's
sides.
At eleven A. NJ. the Minnesota opened
fire, and assisted the Monitor in engaging
the Merrimac. She fred nine.inch solid
shot with good accuracy, bat with appa.
rcntly little effect. The Mcrrimao re-
turned the fire, firing shell, one Of which
struck and exploded the boiler of the
gunboat Dragon, which was alongside
the Minnesota eudeavoring to get her off.
BY this unfortunate affair JOS. Mcdonald,
sailor, WAS seriously scalded. For the
next hour the battle ragged fcrcely be.
tween the Merrimac on the rebel side and
the Union vessels, the Monitor, Minnesota
and Whitehall, but with no particular
result. The Minnesota being the best
mark for the Merrimac the latter fired at
her frequently, alternately giving the
Monitor a shot. The Merrimac made
several attempts to run at full speed past
the Monitor to attack and run down the
Minnesota. All these attempts were
parried, as 1t were, by the Monitor In
one of these attempts by the Mcrrimac
she ran her plough OF 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
at 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 one shot at her, entering her
pilot house, carrying it. away, and. no
doubt, killing number of rebels. She
retired out of range.
The fight ragged holly on both sides,
the opposing batteries moving around
each other with the skill, ease and dex-
terity of expert pugilists. The Merri.
mac, though the strongest, did not move
with the dexterty Of her antagonist ,
hence the Monitor had the advantage OF
taking choice of position. Alta quarter
before twelve o'clock, noon, Lieut.. Hep
burn, 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 few min
utes the latter was in full retreat, heading
for SewalPs Point, and chased for few
minutes by the Monitor. The Merrimac
had evidently suffered to some extent,
and it was thought at ono 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 OF
gun boats, went alongside aud took her
in tow, and proceeded to Norfolk. This
ended the engagement.
The Monitor was handled with unsur.
: passed Skill decision and GOODNESS, for
which all praise should be given her Off
GERS. She has come up to the expecta
| tons that were formed of her and has
proved herself impregnable to the heavi
est shot at close quarters.
Lieut.. Worden, who handled the Mon
itor SO skillfully, is in Washington, in
the hands of the surgeon. lie was in
the pilot house Of the Monitor when the
Mcrrmao directed a whole broadside al
it, aud received his injuries from the mi
mute fragments of powder which were
driven through the lookout holes
Lieut.. Worden was stunned by the con
cussion, and was carried away. On re
> covering, he asked, "Have saved th,
! Minnesota" The reply was, ayes, and
: whipped the Merrimac." To which he
answered, "Then | don't care what be
comes of me-"