Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-03-20


Minnesota was perfectly helpless. We strained
our eyes to see if she had any assistance, but
the gallant frigate and gunboat that closed the
action last night were nowhere to be seen.
Presently n gun was fired. The smoke Of it
was seen in the direction of Pigs Point. Away
across James River | could see, apparently,
Rebel tug. 1t lay opposite the mouth of Nan
semond River in the exact spot whore the Re-
bells Yesterday dealt such stunning blows at our
devoted steamer There was no repetition of
the shot; but, as il a signal gun had been fred
the Merrimac shut off her waste steam, which
had been piercing the sky like tall white
monument, and slowly passed around the James
town and Patrick Henry, keeping on in the
direction Of Newport News.
"She moves very slowly; but her course
was scarcely taken before tall feather Of steam
arose from what appeared to he the Rebel tug
near Pigs Point. The air was now clearer and
closer inspection revealed the fact that it was
the Ericsson steam battery, so often described
of late. She must have come in during the
night, and Just in time 1t was one ray of
hope that the Minnesota might be saved, but
must admit it was feeble one with me. She
kept her place, however, as sentinel over the
embouchure of james River, and calmly await
ed the coming of her huge antagonist. Really
the disproportion between them was almost
startling. The one mountain of iron, and
other fiat, low. black craft with queer eyec-
ton in the middle of it like the commencement
OF an immense smoke stack
"The Merrimac fired first. Her shot fell
short. She fired again with the same result.
/ The Monitor now moved, but not in retreat
| Though it looked like madness TO approach tbs
/ Merrimuc, whose guns shook the earth at the
distance Of ten miles at every discharge YET
! al al i'm
of steam towing with the folds of the Stars and
Stripes flying from her stern. Three or foui
shots were thrown toward and over her before
she deigned to reply. But at last there was
| flash, swallowed in clouds of smoke, netrl,
even with her deck, and some time before the
sound of the gun reached us her shot was seer
| to ricochet within short distance of the Reb
ell. About this time the jamestown came ~
10 share the fun, and in her eagerness to punisl
the "tug." as | dare say they supposed she was
ran a considerable distance ahead Of her fellow
The third shot fired by the Monitor hulled her
and ii was most amusing 10 see how quickl,
she drew off. She had fred three or four shot
as she came up, but no sooner was she bit thai
her music ceased and like a frightened do;
she hurried back to cover under the guns o
Sewell's Point. We heard no more from he
till near the close of the action, when, 20 hel
cover the Merrmac's retreat, she fired few
spiteful shots at too long range to be harm
ful.
'But look at the two iron-clad champions
They still approach each other; the Meriimac,
speed is perceptibly diminished. She hn
found foeman worthy of her STEEL and thun
ders fearfully as she cautiously approaches
They stop and maneuver, and advance again
The Merrimac shuts off her escape steam, as
holding her breath for fatal plunge. Sudden
Is she starts forward ard in moment the foam
flashes from her prow and one turns the Gas
in dismay to see how the Monitor will receiv,
it, but is happy to find the movement anticipa
ted, and the sgile craft as rapidly Withdrawing
They seem but a short distance apart, but III
distance is maintained, and two frigmful shot
; are fired into the foe as she presses forward
She stops. The Monitor haltS, too, and re
ceiyes the bowling metal messenger hurled q
, rher unscathed. She then advances shyng groun
10 get clean sweep at the side of the Merri
: mac. The latter, having come to a dead res
finds it difficult to start, and the Monitor, pas
sing by her iron snout, and along her exhaust
l cd broadside, fires one of her huge guns int
D the Merrimac's steering apparatus, and thoug
E fired at as she passed the stern, turns her bow
to the larboard side of her foe, and runs again,
her with fearful force. AS she did so, ST
fred her other gun, at the distance Of fe
yards, and reeled the rebel over to such an e,
tent that we thought she was sinking All tn
time the Merrimac was shaking the very ski
with the stunning boom of her cannon. But
:, any strucl; the Monitor they did no harm
, . though | believe nearly all of them passt
y harmlessly by or over her.
The Merrimac now drew off, and the Nor
= Tor rested-possibly to ccol her guns. Agai
4 they approached and wrestled amid the e
.,,,I I L.
her foe by presenting her side at a very acu
>, angle, so as to neutralize the coliding fore
. Although it rolled her over considerabl
., and dashed the water over her deck, it caus
her no Inconvenience whatever. 1t was adro
y done, as it enabled her at the distance
two or three yards to fire her guns with telli
effect. When they parted large hole W
torn through the Merrimac's mail, and an a
ditlonal port-hole, not on the exact line wi
the original four, became clearly discernble
Several times did they thus try to overren
D. each other, but luckily no harm come to /
l. Monitor.
y The Minnesota, meantime. whenever I
l. positions of the comhatantS would admi, of
'i kept the air filed with bowling shot and shel
& directed at the foe, hut, owing to defect
II means OF observation, far overreachlng
oi mark, except in one or two instances, when
~ nun OF the Merrlmac, near her bows, recelN
1e a heavy shot.
" What the Rebels Say.
80 CAPT. BUCHANAN, OF THE MERRIMAc KILLE
70 Lieut. Raymond, an officer on the boat fro
\. Old Point to Baltimore, says the Norfolk ID
IN Book of Tuesday contains a highly-colored {
o- count of Saturdays fight. 1t says gr'
es compliment to the crew of the Cumberlar
~ and admits that some shot from her enter
.l L II - I
II. and wounded Capt Buchanan who subsequel
rv ~ died. The Monitor is admitted to be f
III midable. 1t says she appeared like a b
black Yankee cheese-box on raft" The Nj
so rimac was on Sunday under command of Cat
10 by Jones. Ii says some slight repairs will
g necessary to the Merrimoc, The reason "
a, she didn't first attack the Congress was I
,r Capt Buchanan had brother aboard the lat
n. as paymaster.
OPERATIONS IN FLORIDA AND
GEORGIA.