Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-03-21


One of these laying alongside the Min
nesota had she'll thrown ON board of
her, which, on bursting, tore her asun-
der and sent her to the bottom. Having
completely riddled the Minnesota, aud
disabled the St. Lawrence and Monitor,
besides. as stated above. destroying seve-
raj Of the enemy's gunhoats--in word,
having accomplished all that they de-
signed, and having no more material to
work upon, our noble vessels left the
scene of their triumphs, and returned to
the yard, where they await another OPP
portunity Of displaying their prowess.
The enemy's loss, killed and wounded,
during the two days battle iseycsea;ng
1 ly large, and estimated at from six 10
twelve hundred. The scene around the
Congress is represented as heart sicken-
ing The officers of the Beaufort, who
ran alongside of her on Saturday night,
and who boarded her for the purpose of
removing the wounded aboard Of her,
and who were brutally fred upon by the
enemy while engaged in this work of
mercy to their own kith and kin, repre-
sented the deck of the vessel as being
literally covered with the dead and dy-
ing. One of them assures us that as he
went from fore to aft his shoes were we'll
nigh buried in blood and brains. Arms,
legs and heads were found scattered in
every direction; while here ond there, in
the agonies of death, would be found poor
deluded wretches, with their breasts torn
completely out. OF the crew Of the
Cumberland but few survived to tell the
tale. As she went down her crew went
with her, excepting some few who were
taken as prisoners by US, and few 9TH
ers who escaped to the shore. Out of
the five hundred aboard Of her, it is es-
timated that not over hundred at most
escaped, the remainder either being kill
ed by our shot or drowned as the vessel
went down.
Of course the greater part of those on
board the gunboats were also drowned,
as there was not sufficient time for them
to have made their escape. Added to
this, very many in the camps of the enc
my at Newport News were killed by the
shells which the Virginia threw among
them. On our side the loss was indeed
small and when we consider the storm
Of shell to which at times they were sub
jected, we can but wonder, while we re-
joice, that so few of them suffered injury
On the Virginia there were but two kill
ed and eight wounded. Among the
wounded VIC regret to mention Captain
Buchanan and Lieutenant Minor. These
wounds, however, we are happy to state,
are but slight. On tho Raleigh, Mid.
shipman Hutter was killed and Captains
Tayloe and Alexander wounded, the first
mentioned quite severely.
On the Beaufort, Gunner W. Robin.
son and two seamen were wounded. This
was all the damage sustained by this ves-
sci among her men. The Yankee priso-
ners aboard Of her were struck by the
balls Of their friends, one of them killed,
and the other severely wounded The
former was standing in the door Of the
wardroom at the time the Beaufort was
alongside the Congress, and one of the
shower Of balls sent by the enemy on
shore from their Minnie muskets struck
him on the forehead, penetrating his
brain, and killing him almost instantly.
On the Teaser, one man was wounded
very slightly. On the Patrick Henry,
four men were killed and three wounded.
While the loss of the enemy is counted
by hundreds, ours, as will BIO seen from
the above, amounts to only seven killed
and seventeen wounded. The loss on
our part, as small as it is, was not the
work of the enemy's shots from their
vessels, but the result, for the most part,
Of the fire Of muskets from shore.
During the contest the mainmast Of
the Raleigh was carried away. The flag
stats Of the Virginia were also cut down.
The report that the Congress was fred
by the Federals to prevent her falling in
to our hands is without shadow Of truth.
She was fred by hot shot from the Vir-
ginia, for firing into our boats while she
had a hag-of-truce at the time flying af- |
ter she had struck her colors and surren-
dered to US. Among the prisoners taken
off the Congress was the slave Sam, the
property of - Drummond, Esq, Of
this city, who escaped to the enemy some
time in October last. He is now safe,
having reached his home sooner and I'M
der different circumstances than he anti
cipated On the arrival Of the Virginia
at the yard her men were mustered and
addressed by the commanding officer in
terms Of praise for their noble bearing
during the engagement. They respond
ed with hearty cheers, and expressed a
desire to again re-enact the scenes
through which they had just passed when
ever opportunity presented.
The injury sustained by tho Patrick
Henry was not as great as at FIRST sup
posed, being 50 trihing that few hours
repairs we're sufficient to place her in
readiness for action. The officers Of the
Virginia are represented as having acted
with the utmost courage and bravery
during the contest. II is related Of Cap