, 1862-03-17
Tho destruction of the Fr5gate Cum
berland by the IFOn-plated merrtn1ac
The GAlI0EIfy Of ffur Sailors.

Tic following is al extract from letter,
Written at Fortress Monroe By one of the ed1-
tors Of the Eazti7za,I 4z,1sricdn, cool and
practical observer ard csreful writer:
She approached the Cumberland at fnl
speed striking liz. on the pors side near the |
birdie port iuto one, whilst her ram cut into
the Cnmbttlusd un1er wafer. Almost Ut the
mcment OF collision the Mcrrfmae discharged
from htr forward gun IN 11-iucl shell. This
u,cn at gun No. |. aunong whom WAS Masters
Mate Jo3n Harrington, and cutting of both
l,gs Of Quarter Gunner Wood The water
r1isu+d III fion thu hele made below, and in
five Minutes TIE slip began to sink By tue
head
Shell and solid shot from the Cumberland
ere raiucd on tiae Mcrr5slac Is she pass ID
:'hcad, Int the most glanced Aarm1ess1g fro:u
the incline Of her iTon-p|ated bomb roof.
though some stcts which struck lcr ut more
favorable iauss c,uscd sp1inters Of iron to fly.
As The MerEmac rounded to and came up
she Bga3n rahe1 the Cumberland with heavy
| fire. Al this fire Is men at gun No 10 we're
| killed or woIodcd- and we're all subsequently
| carried Gown II The sinking ship. Among
| these unfo1 tunates- whose names were remcu,-
| re1,tcr's crew, named Vim. O. Briea and John
i Cameron,
Adyarc;.s:y with Increased momentum, the
MrTTlmar struck tho Cumberland on the star
| board de, smashing hc- upper works and cut
ting smother hole below the water line.
The ship now s,egan to rapidly settle, aud
| the scene became most horrible. The cock
| I'it WAS filled EIia wounded whom it was I'M
possible to bring up. The forward nagaziuc
was under water, but powder WAS still
GFIng Kept steadily up by men who knew that
the ship Has sinking under them. They
worked desperately and unre:nittin@1y, and
amidst the din and horror Of the conflict gave
elsess for their Tag and tho Union which were
Joined in by the wounded. The decks were
slippery with blood, and arms and legs and
chunks Of flesh were EtreWed abDut. The
Hcrrimac laid of at easy point blank range,
dischatging her b1oads1des alternately at the
Cumberland and Congress. The water bS
azine cf The Cumberland. The men
however, kept at work and several cases d
: puwder we're passed up and the guns kept il
play. Several Of the men in. the after shell
, room fingered there too long in their eager
ness to pass up shell and were drowned. Ths
l dents OF the. fight which We briefly detail, oc
cupfcd some time in spI1ing, 1t being ahou
one hour and half from the first attack upo,
l the Cumberland until she finally sunk.
;. The WHfer bad at this time reached the bert]
: OF main gun deck, and it was felt hopeless aui
I ueelces to continue the fight longer Th
: word was given for each man to saye himself
but after this order gun No. was fred whe1
the 1u10lnlnE Eunt no, ., WIS actually nnde
water. This Last SHOT was fired by an activ
. little fellow ramed Matthew Teney, who's
= courage bad bcen conspicuous throughout th
It action. As his port was left open By the r.
e coil Of the gun, he jumped to scramble out
4 hut the water rushed in with 50 much fore
that he was washed back and drowned.
8, When the order WIS given to cease firing
q and to look out for: their safety in the bes
way possible, numbers scamPered fhrong
C. Tue portfolios, whilst Others reached the spa
deck by tie companfon-~ays. Some we1
incapable to get ont By either Of these mcanl
:. and were carried down by the rapidly siukin
It ship. Ofthose who reached the upper decl
ct some swim of to the tugs that came out fro1
:. Newport News, some kept ahoat by eeiziu
3t floating fragments Of the wreck, Others escape
% in the rigging and masts, and sti1 Others san
nerer to rsee again.
q The Cumberland sunk in water nearly up t
l. her cross trees, and lies with heavy list
a. pert. She went down with her flag st;N .ayin
- and it still flies from tie mast, above the y
ae tiers that oFerR helned her, q memento Of tt
Of brayest, most daring, aud Jet most hope1e
ha | defense That has ever been made bF any Tess
-. " belonging TO any navy in the world.