Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-17
From the Norfolk Day BOOK, March N.
Rebel Account OF the Great Naval
Engagement.

one collects his materials under Flag Officer For
rest. whose taste for getting "within range" Is
proverbal. Knowing the hazard of attempting
description of the series of combats fought on
the 9Th and 9Th in Hampton Roads. we particu
larry guarded against misconstsuction by stating,
on Yesterday, in our first paper the impOssibility
OF chrOnicling all the grand features of such
scenes. We committed error or two. which
we now propose 90 correct, and the printers devil
helped us along with few of hrs own, which the
reader has already noted for himself. The chief
of these was the statement that Lieut. Parker
hauled down the ensign Of the Congress. That
gentleman himself corrects this error, and in
forms that when the Congress struck to the
Virginia, he was sent on board by Flag Officer
Buchanan To hoist the Confederate flag, and after
removing the wounded and prisoners 10 fire the
ship. IL was in the discharge OF this duty that
the Beaufort and Raleigh were fired upon. and
there the lives OF two valuable officers and sew
erai men were sacrificed by the perhdy of the
enemy. Here also and about this time Flag OH
Ger Buchanan received severe wound, alter
which. and ia all subsequent operations of the
Virginia. she was fought and commanded by her
lst Lieutenant Catesby Apr Jones. One other
errOr-prObably thai OF the writer-must be noted
before he goes back 10 his indiv idual narrative.
The previous chapter of this strange history
was headed the Combat OF the Ninth" when,
IN reality, il description of that OF the eth,
OF SATURDAY > ptiIDI anu not SUNDAY :, rs
would appear from the caption of which We
speak.
On Sunday morning faint cannOnading was
heard below. hen the thick yapors that over
hung the Hampton Roads lifted. Lieutenant Com
handing &. Ap k Jones got under weigh and
began his attack upon the enemy At ten o'clock
the steamer Harmony showed OF from tle dock
yard and shot down the harbor. After threading
our way through the barriers, and passing the
I LII 81
OF soldiers of all arms, Ne saw a strange picture
IA picture az once novel and beautiful. The
gunboats were living liz line of battle under Sew
alis Point with the thick masses OF smoke float
ing lazlly above them hiring now and then "A shot:
white the Virginia.. looking grim and mysterious
/ a. before, steamed in pursuit of wonderful look
ing thing that justly compared To prOdigious
cheese box on plank, said cheese box be.
ing of Plutonan biackness.
At first we could see the great pufis Of white
smoke letting out now from the Virginia, now
! from the Minnesota, and at long intery ais from
the black 'cheese box" But these white
wIeltIIs of smoke blew off to seward without IA
sound reaching u, :Or the wind bad now risen
and the warm calm of early morning was sue
ceeded by piercing north easter. Away We
went across Crane, Island fats, and presently we
could hear the guns louder and louder But the
strange looking battery, with its black, revolving
cupola, fes before the Virginia. 1t was, as
somebody said ''like fighting ghost" Now she
ram down towards Old Point, back towards
| Newport News, now approached to ire and then
ran away TO load but evidently fighting shy and
afraid OF being put I'm chancery,' the pusists
call il, by her powerful pursurer. The projectles
/ from her great piece of ordinance, n ten inch
solid shot gun, came dancing across the water
with series OF short, sharp pops, which made
music exciting than meIodious.
Now she OVerShOt the Virginia and the SDrav
few more than thirty feet high Now she shot
to this SIDE now TO that. Now she steamed
close up. and hit her fairly In one of these en-
counters We thought her iron castle had been shot
away. but when the smoke cleared away, there il
was and the long plank like hull in shore again
driving along like the Flying Dutclman -
Meanwhile the Virginia crept up towards the
Minnesota, crept up and paused in that myster
Gus silence which fell upon her at all tines 81
| lence awfully impressive to US aboard the tug
Was she agrUundY One thought yes Another
could make out that she was moving A third
| discovered that it was our forging ahead which
impaired to her the apparent motion We had "A
moment before congratulated ourselves upon.
The minutes seemed like hours as We stood
watching the noble ship against which the com
bined batteries OF the Minnesota and Ericsson
| were now directed The shot fell like hail the
shell flew like rain drops and slowly steadily she
/ returned the fire. There lay the Minnesota with
two tugs alongside Here, there. and every
where. was the black "cheese box There lay
the Virginia evidently aground. but still firing
with the same deliberate regularity As before
Presently great white column OF smoke shot up
above the Minnesota. higher and higher fuller
and fuller in its volume and beyond doubt carried
death all along her decks for the red tugs boiler
/ had been exploded by shot. aud that great
I white cloud canopy was the steam thus liberated
more terrible than the giant who grew out OF
TIE vapOr unsettled by the fisherman in the fable
And now the Virginia moves again There can
be this time, for see her actually
moving through the water, and can mark the
foam at her PROV And, strange to say. these
long, painful hours. measuring time by our emo
tons, are condensed by the unSympathetic hands
of our watches into fifteen minutes At lively e
o'clock noon she ste4ming down for SevallS
while the strange looking battery bore away for
the trigate ashore.
We steamed down to meet her, mustered all
hands, and running alongside, gave her three
cheers-three cheers which came from the bottom
OF our heartS-which were expressive of praise
AMI hankiulness-of benedction and delight
Her company mustered the grating and
returned our cheers. We ran in closer aud there
was her commander. Catesby Ap K Jones look
ing calm and modest any gentleman within
the jurisdiction OF Virginia. The Commodore
hailed the ship, heard the reply, complimented
the quiet, thoughtful looking man who had man
aged and fought her from the time Flag Officer
Buchanan WOUNDED up to that moment, and
then with cordially spoken eulogies upon the gal
liant men on board we shot ahead Here let Us
pause one moment Our tash has been 10 speak
OF events rather than individual actors but We
should DO violence To our own feelings aud %
the public sentiment did we fail TO allude to the
c0u>I icu0us services OF the gentleman who sue
ceeiel Flag Officer Buchanan, who shot ON
rie grating OF the ship on Saturday, the 9Th.
he WIS known To all members OF his profeS-
sion a thorough and accomplished seaman. As
au ordnance officer lie of approved skill and
after the 9Th aud 9Th OF March this scholarlike
placid gentleman steps upon the historic canvas
OF this great revolution Of It's true heroes.
We leaNe him and his gallant shpmates 10 the
generous appreciation of their countrymen. and
asking pardon OF hs sensitive mode>ty for what
we have written. pass on with our narrative
The sumo scene VS. enacted ana re enacted as
she passed each vessel. and with Flag Officer
Forrest in the v@n. the squadron steamed eau
tiously al.ng towards the barricades
A. the ships. grouped against the soft. hazy
ky. followed the Virginia the picture WAS one
never 20 be Forgotten. the emotions excited such
Is cln never be described
~ we looked M toward Newport News saw
the spar> OF the Cumberland above the river she
: hid 80 long msoenty barred; but OF her consor
there was not even timber head visible 10 tel
H. III a H..