The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1862-03-21
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S"S ~ iiNSeSig NNNNANu WIN ielHOau
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OPENING THE BATTLE.
When the Merrimac arrived within
about mile we opened on her with our
pivot guns, and as soon as we could bear
upon her, our whole broadsido commenc-
ed. Still she came on, the balls bounc-
ing from her mailed sides like India rub
Der, apparently making not the least i'm
preston, except TO cut off her flag staff,
and thus bring down the Confederate col
crs.
None OF her crew venturcd Of that time
on her outside TO replace them, and she
! fought thcnceforwurd with only her PEN
nantfy ying. She app arcd to oboy her
helm and be very readily handled, maxi
| ing all her movements and evolutions
with apparent facility and readiness.-
We had probably fired six or eight broad
sides when shot was received from one
OF her guns which killed five of our ma
rines. 1t twas impossibl9 for our vessel
TO get out of her way, and the Merrimac
soon crashed her iron horn or ram into
the Cumberland, just stnrboard the main
chains, under the bluff of the port bow,
I hhbNhltk a hOAN All Nllt olhNs uNAl TIC wa
ter line, as lGrge as the head of hogs
head, and driving the vessel back upon
her anchors with great force. The Mer-
rimac then backed out and discharged her
guns at us, the shot passing through the
main bay and killing five sick men. The
water was all the while rushing in the
hole made by the ram, so that in five min
utes il was up to the sick bay on the
berth deck.
In the meantime her broodsides swcpt
our men away, killed and mRined, aud
also set our vessel on fire in the forward
part. That fire was eXtinguished. can.
not tell how many were wounded. The
sick bay, berth deck and gun deck were
almost literally covered with men killed
aud wounded, but the surviving ones still
fought well, and every one, officers and
men, displayed the utmost heroism. The
fight lasted about three-iodrths of an hour
tho Cumberland firing rapidly all the time,
the water pouring in the hold, and by and
by the ports, as her bow kept sinking
deeper and deeper.
Near the middle of the fight, when the
berth deck Of the Cumberland had sunk
bclo@ the water, one Of the crew of the
Mcrrimac came out Of port 70 the out
side of her iron-plated roof, and ball
from one of our guns instantly cut him in
two. That was the last and only rebel
that ventured within sight, the rest re-
naming in their safe, iron-walled inclos-
ure. We fired constantly, aud the Mer.
rimac occasionally, but every shot told
upon our wooden vessel and brave crew.
Her guns being, without the least eleva-
ton, pointed straight at ms along the sur
face of the water, and her nearress, she
being much Of the time within three hum
dred yards, made it an easy matter to send
each ball to its exact mark. Probebly her
guns would be useless at considerable
distance, as it appears impossible to ele-
vate them. Finally, after about three
fourths of an hour of the most severe
fighting, car UesSel sunk, the Stars and
stripes stiH ieaUing.
That flag was finally submerged, but
after the hull grounded on the sands, ff-
ty y-iour feet below the surface of the wa
ter, our pennant was still flying from the
topmast above the water. None Of our
men were captured, but many were drown
ed as the vessel went down. We had
about four hundred on board, and | sup
pose from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred were killed during the engage
ment and drowned at the sinking. Very
lew of our men swan ashore, most of.
Lhose who were rescued from the water
being saved by small boats. The Mer-
-imac seemed To be uninjured, although
her small boats and flag staff were shot
away in tho commencement of tho Gc-
Jon.
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONGRESS.
The Merrimac then turned her atten-
ion to the Congress, which lay probably
.wo hundred yards to the south of where
he Cumberland was. The Merrimac
;ame up under her stern, aud her crew
ired their pistols into the ports of the
Congress as she approached. | saw her
ire on the Congress. The sailors ofthat
'essel say that the Merrimac etruek her;
If this am not sure. The Congress had
! good crew of fifty men from the Cum
,erl0nd previously taken on board, fifty
rom the Minnesota, finy Of the Naval
'rigade, fifty from the Roanoke, and some
'thcrs.
Lieutenant Joseph Smith, who was in
was killed by shot. A great
many of the Naval Brigade were also {
Tiled. The entire command seemed to
ave acted brGyely during the engage
nent, which probably lasted not over {
Ialf an hour, when the white flag was {
un up. During that night some sailors !
nd me-, frctn the Eanuraao rafurned al u