The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-05-24

what one er The Msrsanac,e Crew says
g her right Win shs Monitor.
/. From Tie New York Herald. 18Th
James Thompson sailor BY vocation, citi.
rem Of Massachusetts,, nd:.formerly resident OF
this city, srrf7ed here on Saturday night last
from Norfolk, and furnishes us With very In
terestipg statement OF affairs IL rebeid0m. He
Vas one Of the crew Of the NsrrImac during the
Eight with the Monitor, having been impressed
into the rebel navy, and had also been one Of
the crew Of the rebel gunboat Lady Davis du-
ring the crossings Of that vessel OF Charleston
and thu coast
Having sunk the two vessels We steamed up
James River, the rebel officers being in high
glee, and came to an anchor about five miles
from the scene Of action. Here We remained
oil night. On the morning of the 9ta we pre-
pared to 60 down again, the rebel officers think.
ing to complete the work of destruction BY sink
ing all the vessels in the Roads. When day.
light had revealed the situation of affairs, the
officers Of the Merrimsc discovered what they
ct first thought was small tug boat, steaming
towards rs. We hailed her but receiving no re-
ply, let fly at her from one of our bow guns; but
she very impudently took no notice Of the mess
epger We had sent and kept steaming on. Then
our officers began to be fearful OF the 'lttle
cheese box" and were fairly trembling in their
shoes" for the result of contest with her
They soon found out Uhat she Sas. Soon the lit
tie Monitor sent Us her compliments in the shape
of round shot, which struck gun on our star.
board eide, broke It completely in two, killed
two and wounded four of the crew. The firing
was then kept up for about three hours, the
vessels being very often side by eide. After an
hours firing the Aerrimac thought to try the
virtue of her plough on her antagonist, and
struck her with il amidships. The effect pro-
duced was very unsatisfactory to the rebel, how
ever. The Monitor then turned on her giant
compeer and struck her rudder, producing great
CONSERVATION on board, but not rendering the
rudder unserviceable. Every time the two guni
from Thea Monitor we're discharged, each of the
two shots seemed to strike US in nearly the
same spot, bursting in the timbers Of the Mer
rimsc, loosening the bolts Of the iron plates and
timbers, and doing us very great damage gener
ally. It was noticeable also that her shot
struck US near the water line, and caused ouI
vessel tn leak badly.
Mr.. Thompson also corroborates what We
published some time since from the Richmond
Dispatch, that the iron plates on the Aerrimse
were welded together in many instances by the
heat and force Of the Monitors shot, The Mer
riElacs crew, during the engagement, were made
to swear that if q large number of the rebels or
board we're killed, they would not reveal the fac
to any one on their arrival at Norfolk. Seeing
that the tide OF battle was against rs, We vert
ordered to "'bout ship" and put back to Nor
folk. We had not proceeded far when VI
grounded, ard orders had been already given te
scuttle the ship, when We made another effort t
get off the shoal, and succeeded, and We made
our way up to Norfolk slowly, arriving there a
six P n, with about six feet Of water in the hold
The rebel steamer Patrick Henry, which Dor,
down to the Monitor during the fight, was driv
en- back by shot aud having steam turned OF
her from the Monitors boiler. She had six mer
scalded and two badly wounded. After reach
ing Norfolk she was put upon the dry dock 70,
repairs, and for five weeks men we're working OF
her night and day, giving her q thorough over
hauling. When destroyed she was in excellen
condition. and her loss, Mr.. Thompson thinks
will prove incalculable to the rebels Will,
these repairs were going on great fear was ex
pressed that the Monitor might come up Eliza
beth river and shell the city. If she bad don
so no resistance could or would have been offer
ed (as the authorities and people were frghtene,
at the very name Of her, and the evacuation o
the batteries and the city was already decide
on in the event of her visit Commodore Blu
chanan was badly wounded in the thigh, and va
taken, Immediately on our arrival, to the hospi
tai, where, at last accounts, he still remains.