The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-03-22


Merrimac appeared to be specially trained
on the after magazine of the Congress, and
shot after shot entered that part of the
ship, fortunately, however, without reach
ing the: magazine.
Thus slowly drifting DOM with the
current and again steamed up the Merr-
mac continued for an hour to fire into her
opponent. Several times the Congress
was on fire, but the flames wero kept down
Finally the ship was on fire in so many
places, and the flames gathering such force
that 1t was hopeless and suicidal to keep
up the defence any longer. The National
flag was sorrowtully hauled down and a
white flag hoisted at the peak.
After it was hoisted the Merrimac con-
tinued to fire, prehaps not discovering the
white flag, but soon after ceased firing
( A small rebel tug that had followed the
Merrimac out of Norfalk then came along
side the Congress. and young officer
gained the gundeck through portfolio,
announced that he came ON board to take
command, and ordered the officers On
board the tug
The officers Of the Congress refused to
go Oh board, hoping from the nearness to
the shore that they would be able to reach
whilst the least chance Of escaps remained.
Some of the men supposed to number
about forty, thinking the tu. was one Of
our vessels, rushed on board At this
moment the members Of an Indiana regi
ment al Newport News brought Il Parrot
gun down to the beach and opened fire
upon the rebel tu- The tug hastily pat
oil, and the M.TT.mac again oreued fire
upon the Congress. The fire not being
returned from the ship, the Melrimac
commenced Smelling th- wood and camps
at Newport News, fortunately. however
without doing much damage. only one or
two casualties occurring.
The rebel steamers Yorktown and
jamestown, which up Ia this time had
kept at 4 safe distance up the JJuc- river,
seeing that the Cumberland had been
sunk sud the Congress silenced. steamed
down and also shellcd the woods al New
port News. O.ing, however. 10 recent
change IN the location Of tie troops, o.!
which the rebels were not Informed. most
Of these shells were thrown into unoccu-
pied woods, and were simply ammunition
wasted
The Yorktown, when abreast OF the
Coz sress, dispatched a boat f0r the rur-
pose. it wa. supposed, Of taking til" pri-
soners The Indiana fii-meu on the
beach ope1 on the boat, kiln. or wound
m. a majority Of those oG bptri, and the
boat hastily retIr.,trd 10 the Yorktown.
The Mcrrimac. the jamestown. the
yorktown, and the small tl- then went
oil IN the direction. OF the Minnesota.
which wa aground near Pig Point
Tie officers Of Ti.e Congress finding them
selves uumo!cstvd al once turned taer
attention t. getting the crew and the
wounded ashore. During the confusion
aud excitement after tL- white Lg. was
raised some forty OF fifty oi tie men LJ-;
gone over the bow. aui by swimming or
IN small boats which the soldiers mad
brought oil from the shore. made their
. escape. The large majority oi the crew,
. however, behaved admirably, obey ing every
+ command of the officers, and sticking J.,
[ the ship unti! ordered 10 leave. The
/ wounded. nearly all nIortal!y, were arou. al
+ up and carefully handed over ;h- ship :
side ana ioN cred by v Ai.. INTO the boats.
I I@essi : ssso s,et.i.S.Ca were thus sent oil
shore, oYwhom Bot more than four or five
have any chance Of recovering. The
iiiune- ~er- gathering such uCaiwav jhai
: Il was impossible TO remove the dead
whose remains IN every form Ui muti.at.O Oh
strewed The decks The wounded having
been removed the crew were permitted "a
/ reach the shore b. every means Of com.
munication that offered, and the ot;ieer,
/ followed, Captain Smith being the LIST
/ 10 come down from the ships SIDE.
/ By the time all Were ashore 1t was seven
o'clock in tue evening. and the Congress
/ was ia a bright sheet OF il;lmes tore and
aft She continued To- burn U.tIi twelve
, o clock at night, ler rins which were
( loaded and trained. going off a they
. became heated. \ she'll from one STRUCK.
( u sloop at Newport News and blew her up
/ At twelve o o'clock the fire reached hel
| ma gaZucs, and with a tremendous con
cus>ion her charred remains blew up
/ There were some five tons Of cunpowdeI
/ III her magazines, and about twenty thou
sand dollars In paymaster buchanan
safe
| The loss of life on board the Congress i
| not over one hundred and twenty. and
possibly may not exceed a hundred. The
/ crew consisted OF pa blue jackets, sS Of
the Coast Guards. 1. marines and - OH
/ cers-in a total of 43t. At the muster at
| Newport News 1876 blue jackets and Coast
Guards and 22 marines appeared; about
40 went on board the rebel tugs and are
prisoners, and about 10, it Is estimated
left before the muster and made their
way TO Fortress Monroe About 100 are
| thus unaccounted for, and are undoubtedly
| killed.
TIE FIRST ATTACH or THE MlNNEsOTA
After sinking the Cumberland and
| firing the Congress, the Nerrimuc, with
| the Yorktown and jamestown stood of
III the direction OF the steam irisate Min
nesota, which had been for some hours
aground about three miles below Newpor;
News. This was about five o'clock on
Saturday evening. The rebel commander
OF the Merrimac, either fearing the greater
strength OF the Minnesota, or wishing, as
! it afterwards appeared, 10 capture this
| splendid ship without dong serious dam
age TO her, did not attempt to run the
Minnesota down as he had ran down the
Cumberland lie stood off about a mile
| distance, and the with Yorktown and
| James iown threw shell and shot at the
| trigate The Minnesota, though from be,
! ing aground unable to manUuyre or bring
all her gun. to bear, was fought splendIdiy
| She threw a shell AT the Yorktown which
! set her on fire, and she was towed oif by
| her consort the jamestown. From the
reappearance OF the Yorktown next day,
| the fire must have been suppressed with
out serious damage. The after cabins oi
the Minnesota We're torn away III order To
bring two of her large guns to bear from
her stern ports, the position in which she
was lying enabling the rebels to attack
her with impunity. She received two
serious shots; one, an li-inch shell, en-,
tered near the waist, passed through the
Chief. Engineers room, knocking both
rooms into ruins and wounding several
| men, Another shot went clear through
the chain plate, and danotherpassedt through
the mainmast. Six OF the crew were
killed outright on board the Minnesota
and nineteen wounded. The men, though
| fighting at great disadvantage, stuck man
| fully to their guns and exhibited spirit
that would have enabled them to compete
successfully with any ordinary vessel.