The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-03-11
TIN GREAT NAVAL VICTORY.
FULL PARTICULARS.
Departure Of the Fleet-The Eneny
Surprised Terrible Cannonade-The
Cumberland and ConEfoas Destroy.
ed-Incidents Of the Fight, &C., 80

Camberland and ConEfeas Destroy
ed-Incidents Of the Fight, &C., 80
We COPY from tho Norfolk rsy Bssh. Of yea-
tsrday, the subjoinsd graphic Description OF
the great Naval battle on the 9TH and eth Of
March:
% tho morning OF the e.h, the steam frfg.
ate Virginia, Flag O1icer Franklin nensn.
Dock. 2 ard, and. attended b. the stecm.tnss
"bea Mort" Lieut.. Commanding Parker,
ana the aRaleigh," Lieut.. Commanding
Alexander, steamed down tbs harbor.
Leviathan gliding noiselessly through the
water, flying the red psnroa OF Fer com.
mander at tho fore dsg.stan, and the gay
Confederate ensign aft
she suggested. was that her gallant crew. IN.
der q commander and oncess worthy 70
direct their destiny and defend the nag sns
bore, went thus boldly with smiles ana nu1'
-: to solve nsw problem INN IL of tne VII
ginia' the trial OF battlet
Nor could any man behold the little aues
with their gay ensigns At peak and mast.
head, their battle hage eel, eseemne IN 1ek
wake, withou. an emotion Of edniration for
the brave men they thus bore. and prayer
for THAR delivernnce.
In the wake Of all came the Port Admiral
with a stsH Of naval officers.
Thus down the harhor. past tbs whafves,
throngsd with eager citizens, past the bat
tert0s, Wnoso p3rApets were dark with soidlerss
steamed the squadron.
Through the two barrieades and then the
Virginia put her helm q -starho lrd, aud look
the Socth channel.
Meantime the morning was still as that OF
Sabbath. The two trigates lay with their
boats at the boOms and waxh clothes Ia tne
rigging. Did they SEQ the long dark null
. Ia hoP ignorance.
ap1thy, or composuref IN. Sc were the qnes-
t,ops we discussed AS we steamed across the
a as to me south Of the frisase, with the two
gallant little gunboats we'll on our star ooala
Dsam heading up for the enemy. Our dou BITS
were solved by the heavy boom or a gun from
beyond Sswsil's Point. The reyerDesauon 2
rolled across the sun-ht water ana oieo
away, b1t still the clothes nans ia Inc .'g
gtng, still the boats lag st the oooEns. An'
other Eon, twenty miuu tes past onr,) Droxe
on the Elf, and 6 tug s'arted from Ne".
port News, while at tas same time {"
others left Old Point, taking the channel in
side Hampton bar. Steadily, with grim IN q
ominous silence the Virg MIA gl:des tn rough
the water. steaoily ard with dehant valor
the Beaufort and Raleigh folio "ed where
she led. At ten minutes TO two, rims gan
from one OF these little vessels rang out.
then white prF from her consort Still
| the clothes II the rigging, stlll the boats G,
the boom! Wus this confld-ncef 1t could
Eot be ignorance. Did 1t mean torpedoes
suhm a.ine ba t:eries, Internal mncatnesf The
gun boats have AIRED again, and 10 here away
to the eastward were tne Roanoke ana Y IN
nessosa rising like proIiGious eastlss above
the placid water, the 1rst under steam. the
second IN tow. Other puffs Of smoke, other
sharp reports from the gum boats, but tbs
Virginia goes on cteadily, silently to do hsr
work. Now the In shore frtga e the Gum ber-
land a Tres, now the Virginia close aboard, now
Sswe,Is Point battery, now tbs Minresc u
now the Roanoke, now the air trenbtes with
the cannonads- Now ths Virginia delivers
both broadsides, now she rams full against
The Cumberiands s.arboard bow, now III q
smo,sa clears sway and shs appsSrS TO be
headiEE up james river. This al ~ minutes
to 2. Tue Corgrsss now lets fall fOretopsail
and thea ths main, ard SO, With tus along
sids, starts down the North channel, where
the Minnesota has grounded, and presently
runs plump ashore. Meanwhile the Virginia
opens upon the Yankee fort; slowly she
ste ms back, and the Cumberland. sunk now
to her white streak, opens upon her again A
gallant man fought that ship-a man worthy
20 have maint1ined . better cause. Gun
after gan he fred; lower and lower sunk
his ship; his las. discharge comes from hia
pivot gun, the ship iurches to etarboard, now
the Cumberland goes down or her beam
ends, at once monument and an epitaph OF
tho gallant men who fought her. The Viz.
ginia stops. Is she agroundf And the gua-
Ooatsp Raleigh and Beaufort! glorious Par.
keri glorious Alexander! there they are on
the quarters OF the Congress hsmmering
away. and creeping up closer and closer all
the time. At ten minutes TO the Congress
struck. Parker hauled down tia ensign, run
up his own battle flag In its place; there the
heroic Tayloe. who fought the Fanny al
Rcanoke Island and Eix ,beth City, got his
wourd-there the gallant young Hutter fell,
all shot by the dnstafds who fred from the
ship cnd shore when the white Dag was flying
at the main aud mizssn Of the CONGRESS-
Here, too. and In the same why, Flag Ofice1
Buchanan. and Flag. kieut. Il Minor were
al "A ohoot
whose dark smoke had been seen against the
blue distance ever since O'Clock, came dash
| ing along past the shore batteries. Tucker
the courtly and chiva!rons. leading the val
! Bal ney, close aboard, AID tn little Tsaser
Lieut.. Webb, In her wake-liks a bo wleggt<
| bull dog II chase Of the long, lean, SIT
| hounds. It was gallant dash, and once PAS
| the bal teries, the two Eeavy vessels tool
position in lire. Of battle, while the Teas.
| dashed at the Minnesota, looking n,
| larger than q cock And right wei
she ma me onoe e, nes ~
| Now the Roanoke puts her helm Up and d.
| eliues the battle. Now the Virgins is thun
| dering away again. The Teaser is still close,
ahead presently another astern; finally .
third. with a clear, sharp whizx, Just oye
head, TO the great delight OF the Commodore
l who appreciated the compliment Of thes
| good shots, which were the last Of . Z directe,
shots At the Harmony" Now the schoone
"Rsip deer'' comes foaming along, cut on
/ from under the shore batteries, she repor T.
| aud IN sens mp in charge Of acting haste
| Gibbs. And next the ga1ant Beaufort run
| down. Parker steps and brings on board tn
great piece OF buLting we saw hauled dow
| JUS. now. He briggs also some thirty pri
| souecs and some wounded men--men woun
ed under that white hag yondsr desecrate,
| out, deeently coverei over, gaspirg out hi
| life ON the teck-a Yankee shot through h
head, all bloody and ghestly. killed BY tn
inhumsn fire Of his owA people. Apoths
gun, lies there too, a noble spec mon ofa MAJ
| who has since gone where tho weary are q
rass. A gallant man, . brave seaman +
We shake hands with Parker. he get
is lexander also. ana stearns back gal
lantly to the hght. The Patrick Henry
the Jxmestown. the Teassr, the Beaufo
the Raleigh. and the grand Cd Virginia AT
speak the frst We hear a report Of casual
ties; we shake hancs with friends; we show
of, cheer, and steam towards the Swsa
enamel. Presently, through the thicksp a
and brig ter, and faller. and redder. It OF eer
| higher and higher, ana now gun after Z u
booming on tbs still night. IS the Gre rsachs
! them; the batteries OF the Congress ara liz
der. 1t " Is grand sight to see; ard by IL
light Of the burning ship we made our wa
| back 70 Norfolk At hatI- past IL the act G
retribution wEs complete, fer =. that LOU
| with . great noise, abe blew up.
| ADDITIONAL DETAILS
We append further details Of the axh,
with sn aseonnt OF ths easualtiss On bot
Sides
7BH ATTACK vPoH TEE oUyDsRLAxH
The Virginia On approaching her and 20,
| ting within point blank range, fred he
bow gun several times, aid ran into hs1
striking her fairly with her ram, who
| made cher reel to and fro and sent Id
speedily 10 the bottom; but while going doWr
ws und erstand, the after gun OF the Uun
bertand was discharged 1T the Virginia. Wit
| what t. jury wsknow not.
| The object In drst getting rid OF the Gum
berlsnd was probably 20 destroy the YER