The New York herald., 1862-03-14
rHE MONITOR AND MERRlMAc.
,nSrNryEr FROM FIRST PAGKl

rauee 30 remark that we treat the Two eomoats as
sSo grcat pictures which have not space to in
srotsoe ali the details that If, indeed we omit to men,
ton many deeds Of personal vaor and heroic courage
shas in short report s imperfect in these or any
sshe9 particulars II must remembered that have
Is vet but mperscty obtained the numerous particu-
hars which adorn the whole
Flag officer Franklin Buchanan commanding, left her
rings at the dock yard and ATTENDED by ne steam
sues Beaufort Lieutenant commanding Parker and the
Raleigh Lieutenant commanding Alexander, steamed
down the harbor.
sding noiseessy through the water flying the red pen
non Of commander Al the fore flagstaff and the gay
Confederate ensign aft.
was that gallant crew, under a commander and OIL
osrs worthy direct their destiny and defend the flag
abe bore thus boldly with smiles and huxzas TO
solye a new problem in maritime warfare-to make the
stral trp the Virginia the trial OF battle. Nor could
apy man behold the little tugs with their gay ensigns at
peak and masthead their battle lags set steaming in
Aor wake without emotion OF admiration for the brave
they thus bore and prayer for their deiiverance
Thus down the harbor passed the wharves thronged
with citizens past the batteries whose parapets
were dark with soldiers, steamed the squadron
Through the barricates and then the Virginia put
hcr helm a-starboard and took the south channel.
Meantime the morning still as that Of a Sabbath.
The two frgates lay with their boats at the booms and
wash clothes in the rigging Did they the long dark
hul Had they made her outs Was 1t ignorance apathy or
composure9 These the questions discussed we
steamed the fats to the south Of the rgate with
che two gallant little gunboats well ON our starboard
by tho heavy boom of gun beyond Sewalls Point The
reverberation rolled the lit and died
away, but still the clothes hung in the rigging still the
boats lay at the booms Another gun (twenty minutes
past one) broke the air, and tug started from Now
ports News, while at the time two others left Old
Point taking the channel inside Hampton bar. Steadily
with q grim and ominoas silence the Virginia gdes
Through the water, steadily and with defiant valor the
Beaufort and Raleigh followed where she led At ten
minutes TO two, rifle gun from Of these little
sells rang out, then white pun from her consort Still
she clothes in the rigging still the boats at the BOOM
"aof tta ~al In Annl hs
moan torpedocs submarine batteries internal machines?
The gupboats have fired again and ol hereaway TO the
e0stward-were the Roanoke and Minnesota rising like
prodgous castles above the placid water the first under
steam, the second in tow Other pufs Of smoke ether
sharp reports from the gunboats, but the vir-
work. Now, the inshore frigate, the Cumberland
fres now the Virginia close aboard, sewas Point
battery now tho Minnesota now the Roanoke now tho
air trembes with the eannonade Now the Virginia de-
lvers both broadsdes, she full against the
Camberland's starboard bow, now the smoke clears
away and she appears heading up James river This at
twenty two minutes to two The Congress fall
foretopsai and then the main, and So with tug along
SIDE starts down the North channel where the MnnesO
IN has grounded and presently plump ashore Mean
while the Virginia opens upon the Yankee fort; slowly
she stcams back, and the Cumberland, sunk
now to her white streak, opens upon her again.
gallant fought that ship-d seoythy hare
nsaintaned better Gun after gun he fired o,cer
and loaer sgk his sh-hi last discharge from his
ot 0un-Le ship iurches 10 aa,6odd poi hisGag
Streams tciiiy, and the Cumberland goes dou1a
ends at once a monument and an e.taph of
tas gallant soho fought her. The Virginia stops.
is she agroundf And the gunboats' Raleigh
and Beaufort Glorious Parker Glorious Alex.
the Congress hammerng away, and creeping up closer
and closer all the time AZ ten minutes to four the
gress struck Parker hafled down the ensign run up
his battle flag in its place. there the heroic Tyoe
who fought the Fanny at Roanoke Island and Elizabeth
C:ty, got his wound-there the gallant young Huter .e
all shot by the dastards who fired from tho ship and
shore when the white nag was flying at the main and
mizzen Of the Congress
Hero, too, and In inc wcy Flag opcsr Buchanan
and Flag Lioutoraut X. Miner, wounded. Now
james river gunboats whose smoke had been seen
against blue distance ever sire, three O'Clock came
dashing along past the shore batteries Tucker the
coury and chivalrocs, leading tbs van the
town Lieutenant Commanding Barney close aboard and
bswlegged bull dog in chase Of the long, lean stag
hounds II was gallant dash, and past the
kne o battle, while tho Tsassr dashed at the Mia.
nesota, looking no larger than cock boat And right
well she maintained the honor Of her nag and tho appro
prateness Of her name. Now the Roanoke puts her
beim up and declines the battle Now The Virginia ia
laundering away again Tho Teaser 8 still closer in
Wear closer in Sizz comes a shell ahead presently
another asern, finally third with clear, sharp whzz
just overhead to the great delight Of the Commodore
who appreciated the compliment Of these good shots,
which were the last of six directed shots the Harmony
Now tho schooner Reindeer foanng along OUT
from under the shore batteries she reports and n seq.
up in charge OF Acting Master Gibbs.
And next the gallant Beaufort down Parker steps
and brings On board the great piece OF bunting
hao cd down just now lie brings Also some thirty
and some wounded msn--mcn wounded under that white
flag yonder dssscrasd by the Yankees One Of 's
stretched out decsly corered eap,ng 1i his fe
bioeiy and gaasly Killed BY the fnAoa Gr. or his og
psopie Anoher pale and stern, the ccfsaH Of The B-ds
forts g"n, lies there soo. noble specimen q man. ho he,
since gone wheve the ,cc1y at rest gallant man
brave seaman. We shake hands with Parker: he gets
back to his vessel eighty wounded IS Alexander Also
And steams back calamity 10 ths fight. The pair,s Hen
ry the Jamestown the Teassr The Beaufort the Raleigh
and the grand old Virginia all Numbering away We
steam down and speak the nrst. We hsar report OF
casualties, we shake habds with friends, shove on,
cheer and steam towards the Swash Channel Presently
through ths thieksnng gloom wa see red glare !;
grows larger and BRIGHTER ami fuller aud reader II
creeps higher and higher and gun after gun boom
ing tho s night. the Gre reaches them the
terics Of the Congress discharged the
hlrmcss thunder. " was grand sight TO see and by
the light of the burning ship made way back %
Norfolk ~ ha pas, slevsn the act OF rinuion was
complete, for al that hour, with gTca; noise, she
blew up.
tFrom the Norf ok nay Book, March H..
II s a grave task. hazardous ambition ic write
cotemporaneous histo when collsc,. his
materials under Flag 6cer Forrest whose taste lo4 get,
ting ''wthin range is rrovcTbal Knowing the hazard
OF attempting description of the sores ~ conbst3
fought the sth and 9th in Hampton Hoads, yaF.
tcuarly guarded agsinst miscons;ractof by s.tis
yesterday, in our Hrst ~ sr the inpossily of coni
cling all the graud features c! such Ws csnnted
an errar or two, which We ow propose 70 correct and
the printer devil bsped We along with few o! his Own,
which ihe reader bias aifrsfy noted f9r himself. The
chief Of these the siaieI!tat lia lieutenant ar~ei
uaa,sd down the ensign Of hs cner Al. Tia. .-iIsian
himself correcs th; error, and informs tnal wtcn
the Congress struck 10 the Virginia he board
Dy Oliccf BucIAnal 70 ISL tne LDN sHefste
and er removing the wounded aai pf soncs 10 a. ,n
ship II vas IN the discharge OF tlns a4is ,h es,n
fort aud Rsle Oh h~ed uHcp and iere hs iyes OF
two valuable officers aIS several sacrif,sd by
the pertdy cl The sueny Here also and aDcu, this ns
Flag oH1sr buchanan received severe wosnt after
which, ard in all subsequent 0ye-a,ons 0l tie Virginia
she fought aud comnardei ~ her rus, lieutenant
Catesby 80 X Jones. one UthoT srrorfroOah.y that o
the wrer-rnnsi bo noted before he gees back 20 his
divdua narrative
The previous chsplsr OF ihis strange history was
he AIDED the s'Ccmbst of the NiIsh w6sa. u .ty
a descrp Of That of .be shos at.rGsys per
formauco, and not Sunday as ould appear from the
caption OF which We speak.
On Sunday m rang amt csnnoaadng was haarc be-
low. Whea the lniCg vriors that overhlns hsnp,ou
Roads llt-d Lieutenant Ctinin iniins q. ~ H. Jones
got under wogh, auc began bic a.sc. upon thc cgcny
A. ten O'Clock the steamer HARMONY showed 90 rog The
Dock Yard and shot GaSn nn isIJor amer threading
our way through u9 bs-riols and passag tie f1rte,
dark as on the previous day. Will q soldiers .!
AL arms we saw strange p.cturca picture al once
novel aud boautHgi Tie sGpDosts lying IA ns Of
battle under sewafs Point, wth he thick masses OF
smoke f9ang aziiv above them arng and then n
shot white tho Nirsra, Luiig qra and mgsleyoss as
2.sf efSIfu IN rtltktfi nj f.f