New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-03-17
The Great Naval Battle
From The Richmond whfr, March Il, !


From the Richmond whig, March H.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MERRI8AC.-The Day |
Book Of yesterday contains long and inflated ac- |
count Of the magnificent achievements of the Mer-
rimac or Virginia, from which we condense.
The Virginia made her first assault upon the |
irst,class sailing trigate Cumberland, fitted with |
the heaviest armament in the Yankee navy. She |
was shouted " and sunk in fifteen minutes-,nost
of her officers and crew going down with her.
The Congress, another frigate of equal size, was |
next taken in hand, and after most destructive |
fire. raised white flag. Some of her officers
and crew taken prisoners-her yaluabes |
were removed and she was burned by cur people.
The steam frigates Minnesota and ST. Lawrence |
attempted to come to the aid of their brethren, ran
aground, were riddled and rendered worthless.
The Ericsson Battery also suffered serious dam
age, and we hope, Is rendered unfit for further
service.
Several Yankee gunhoats were also destroyed.
Oar loss was only killed and II wounded. That
of the enemy from thousand to fifteen hundred,
besides the unknown loss at Newport News.
This is glorious beginning for Virginia navy.
We subiuin the conclusion of the Day Books ar
ticle:
Early in the morning Sunday the Ericsson
Battery now called the Monitor, was discovered
off Newport's News Point, she having gone up
| there during the night. sharp encounter soon
took place between her and the Virginia, during !
which time they were frequently not more than
thirty or forty yards apart. Unfortunately, the
Virginia ran aground, and the Ericsson, using her
| without doing any serious damage. In short
while, however, the Virginia succeeded in getting
off, and, putting on fall head of steam, ran her bow
into the Ericsson, doing, it is thought. great
damage.
We are rejoiced to that, notwithstanding the
| firing was much heavier than on Saturday there
were casualties on either of our vessel-not a
being in the least injured by shots from the
enemy otherwise.
Several Of the enemy's gunboats being within
range, they were favored with shot or two from
the Virginia, with telling effect and in every case
disabling or sinking them. One of these, laying
alongside the Minnesota, had she'll thrown into
her, which, on bursting, tore her asunder, and sent
her to the bottom.
Having completely rddlcd the Minnesota and
disabled the st. Lawrence aud Monitor, BESIDES
stated above, destroying several of the enemy's
gunbDats-in a word, having accomplished all that
they designed, and having no more material to
work upon, our noble vessels left the of
their triunlphs and returned to the yard where
they await another opportunity of displaying their
prowess.
the two days battle, is exceedingly large and es-
tmated at from six to twelve hundred. The scene
around the Congress is represented as being heart.
sckening The officers IF the Beaufort who ran
along side Of her on Saturday night, and who
boarded her for the purpose Of removing the
wounded aboard of her, and who were brutaIly
| fired upon by the enemy, while engaged in this
| work of mercy TO their kith and kim repre-.
sened the deck Of the vessel as being literally coy
| cred With the dead and dying. One of them as
that as he went from fore to aft his shoes
| were well nigh buried in blood and brains. Arms,
legs and heads were scattered in every direction,
while here and there, in the agones of death,
| would be found poor duluded 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 went
| With her, excepting some few, who were taken as
! prisoners by Us, and few Others who escaped to
| the shore. Out Of the five hundred aboard of her,
| it is estimated that not over hundred at most es-
| caped-the remainder either being killed by our
| shot or drowned as the vessel went down.
OF course, the greater part of those on board the
| gnnboats were also drowned as there was not
sufficient time for them TO have made their escape.
Aided 10 this, very many IN the camps of the enemy
at Newpurt's 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 subjected we can but wonder, while we
| rejoice, that so few of them suffered injury.
On the Virginia. there were two killed and eight
| wounded. Among the wounded, we regret to men.
tlon Capt. Buchanan and Lieut.. Minor. These
wounds, however, we are happy to state, are but
| slight.
On the Raleigh, Nlidshpman Hutter was killed,
| and Captains Iayloe and Alexander wounded-thc
FIRST mentioned quite severely.
| On The Beaufort Gamer W. Robinson and two
| seamon were wounded. This all the damage
sustained by this vessel among her men. Two
| Yankee prisoners aboard her were struck by the
other severely wounded. The former was stand
ing in the door of the wardrobe at the time the
| Beaufort was alongside the Congress, and one of
the shower of balls sent by the enemy shore
from their Mimic nluskets struck him the fore
head penetrating his hran and killing him almost
| instantly.
On the Teascr, 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 s--ours, will be seen from
the above, amounts ohy to seven killed and seven
| teen wounded.
| This loss on our part, as small as it is was not
the work of the enemys shots from their vessels
but the result, for the most part, of the fire of
| muskets from shore.
During the contest, the mannlast 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 into our hands, is
without q shadow of truth. She was fired by hot
shot from the Virginia, for firing into our boats
while she had q flag Of truce at the time flying
after she had strack her colors and surrendered to
Among the prisoners taken of the Congress was
the slave sam, the property of - Drummond
ESD, of this city, who escaped to the enemy some
| time in October last. he is now safe, having
reached his home sooner, and under different cir
cumstances than he anticipated.
On the arrival Of the Virginia at the yard her
men were mustered and addressed by the com.
| mandiEg officer in terms Of praise for their noble
| bearing during tho engagement. They responded
with hearty cheers, aud expressed a desire 10
| again reenact the scenes through which they had
| Juat llttSSeu HucHsFeI fluultS lfcSGhleu.
The injury sustained by the Patrick Henry was
not as great as at first snpposea-being triiing
| that a few hours repairs were 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. 1t is related of Capt gnchanan
| that during the thickcst of the fight he remained
on the deck of the Virginia, and that he discharged
| musket after musket at the enemy as they were
handed up to him. 1t was while thus exposed that
he received the wonnd of which mention is made
| above.
1t is said that all Of the batteries on Newport
| News were silenced except one and that our shot
| and shell were thrown with such uneering aim and
precision among the enemy that great numbers of
| them Were killed and wounded
| The james river steamers arrived at the scene
of action, it is said, about hour after the
engagement commenced. They easily passed tho
Newport News batteries, and, after joining in the
Gght rendered very efficient aid.
By this daring exploit we have raised the James
river blockade, without foreign assistance, and
are likely. with the assistance of the Virginia, to
keep open the communication.
Several small prizes said to have been
taken by onr gunboats from the Yankees, one OF
which, the Reindeer, was brought up to the Navy
Yard on Saturday night. Two others were said ia