The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-03-20

tinued, the Monitor keeping inside, APP
parently with the view of saving the
Minnesota, which was still aground
near the point at Newport News, al.
though steamers and lighters had been
hard at work during the night to get
her Oft The Minnesota was not much
injured, and during the whole engage
ment between the Merrimac and Mon
itor (which lasted for more than three
hours on Sunday morning) continued
to pour the whole broadside of her
guns which were to the harbor side into
the rebel steamer, and none were fred
during the day that pealed such thun-
der tones. At forty minutes past IL
o'clock the firing ceased all round, the
Merrimac having steamed off Sewall's
Point under the rebel batteries, where
she now lies, with the jamestown and
Yorktown, and boat alongside, either
to supply her with ammunition or to re-
pair the damage which she must have
suffered by the raking fire of the Mon
itor during the engagement. The mag
nifcent war steamer Monitor has
proved herself to be all that her friends
and distinguished constructors had an
ticipated of her. One other such bait
terry in the harbor would have sunk the
steamers Yorktown and Jamestown
who kept out of the range of her guns
during the engagement between the,
Monitor and the Merrimac and could
she have arrived on Saturday would
have saved the Government SIS, ZOO, 900
of property. A large hole could be
seen in the after part of the Merrimac,
as she was steaming back at two
o'clock on Sunday afternoon into Eliza
beth river. Not a scratch can be seen
by a good glass upon the Monitor.
The largest gun at Fortress Monroe,
which is placed in front of the fort
upon the shore, by the side of the light
house, and which carried ball of 400
pounds weight, was fired about ten
o'clock on Sunday morning, but was SO
situated as to be of no service. Sew
eral guns were also fired from the Rip
Raps, across to Sewall's Point. which
did not reach the jamestown and York-
town. The excitement continued very
great at Fortress Monroe, far greater
than any time since the war broke out.
Several hundred men were engaged on
Sunday afternoon in throwing up sand
batteries to protect the 420 pound rifled
guns placed upon the shore, and every
other preparation is being made for de-
fence against that willy serpent, the
rebel war steamer Merrimac, which
may, after all, only have withdrawn the
L. 1,a
occasion. go
An order has been issued requiring
all women and childlen to leave the
fortress, and hundreds are crowdipg on
board the steamer Georgia, which runs
daily between here and Baltimore.
Mr.. A. Ii. Smith, pilot on board the
frigate Cumberland at the time of the
battle in Hampton Roads, makes the
following important statements
"The Monitor came in Saturday
night, and proceeded up past the Nit
nesota. The rebel steamers James
town and Yorktown were not IRON
plated, or, at any rate, only partially so.
They came down in the daylight, max
ing for the Minnesota, but to their sur
prise, found the Monitor ready to re-
ceive them. On Sunday morning tire
Monitor moved close up to the Mer-
rimac, and. side by side, engaged her
for four hours and twenty minutes.
Once the Merrimac dashed her iron
prov squarely against the Monitor, but
did not injure that vessel in the least.
The Monitor in turn determined totry
bor foroo IN n c;r,;lor oNorof;op buf In,
some unaccountable manner the wheel
or other steering apparatus became en-
tangled, it is said, and the Monitor
rushed by, just missing her aim. Cap
tain Worden is confident that he put
three shot through the hull of his an
tagonist-probably through the ports.
The Monitor fired one hundred and
seventy-eight pound cast iron shot.
The wrought iron shot were not used,
because their great weight and peculiar
construction renders the guns more
liable to burst. The Merrimac fred
about forty shots on the Monitor, which
replied rapidly as possible. but, SO far
as is known, neither vessel is damaged.
Those on board the Monitor say the
Jams AoeeiCu auu rang upOu DOlu YES
sells and seemed to bound off harmless.
1.-The Merrimac is probably not in
jured. at least more than the starting
of plate or so of her iron covering,
and her machinery being uninjured, she
is probably fit to come ont again. It
is impossible to keep the Merrimao
from coming out. She can sail three
knots an hour faster than the Monitor.
From her evolutions / should Judge
that she can go at the rate of eight or
nine knots per hour. 1t is impossible
TO board the Merrimac. Should she
come out again she will be obliged to
pass within range of the Union gun at
the Rip Raps, and shot from it might
perhaps crush her sides, but it is very
difficult to manage so heavy a piece of
artillery, and the Union gun. in all
might be fred fifty times
without touching her. 1 do not think
the Merrimac is calculated to carry
much coal, and that might have been,
reason for her retiring from the con-.
test. The Monitor perhaps might fol.
low up the rebel steamers and disable.
them, but if she gets among the rebeh
batteries heavy fire might be concen--
trated on her from different points, and:
she be thus injured, or possibly she.
mIoht he urapplo1 RI op1 to,vol Il