St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-03-27

P0uASA Nuo Su83 ~ L OoteoSy SACy "Op'
posed she was, lan' ! ooqsidersbe dlt,nce
ahead Of her fellow. The third shot fred
by the Monitor hulled her, aud it was
most amusing to zee how quickly she drew
off, She had fred three or four shots as
she came up. but no sooner was she hit
than her music ceased and like fright.
ened dog, she hurried back to cover under
the guns Of SersRs Point We heard no
more from her till the close of the action,
when, to help cover the Merrimac's retreat,
she fred few spitefal shots at too long a
range. TO be harmful. l. y.>g T E
But look At the iron clad champions.
They still approach each other; the Mer-
rimac's speed is perceptibly diminished.
She "has found foeman worthy of her
STEEL" and thunders fearfully as she eau
tiously approaches. They stop aud ma
neuver, aad advance again. The Merri-
mao shuts of her escape steam, as if hold.
ing her breath for fatal plunge. Sud-
denly she starts forward, and in moment
the foam flashes from her PROV. and one
turns the glass in dismay to see how the
Monitor Will receive it, but is happy to
6nd the movement anticipated, and the
agile craft as rapidly Withdrawing. They
seem but short distance apart. But the
distanceis maintained, and two frightfal
shots are fred into the foe as she passes
forward. She stops. The Monitor halts
too, and receives the bowling metal mes
senger hurled at her unscathed. She then
advances, shying round to &c: a clean
sweep ut tue; side Of the Merrimac., The
latter, finds it difficult to start, and the
Monitor, passing by, her iron snout, and
along her exhausted broadside, fires cne of
her huge guns into the Merrimac's steer
ing apparatus, and though fred at as she
passes the stern turns her bows to the lar.
board side of her foe, and runs against her
with fearful force. AS she did 50, she fir
ed her other gun at the distance Of few
yards, and reeled the rebel over to such
at extent that we thought she was sinking.
All this time the Merrimac was shaking
the very skies with the stunning boom Of
her cannon. But If any struck the Moni.
Tor they did no harm, though Ishelieve
nearly all Of them passed harmlessly over
her. -"
The Merrimac now drew of, and the
Monitor rested-possibly to cool her guns
Again they approached and wrestled amid
the fire and smoke, the Monitor parryine
the dash of her foe by presenting her
side at very accurate angle, so as to ncu
tralizc the collecting force. Although il
rolled her over considerable, and dashed
the water over deck, it caused her no in
convenience whatever. 1t was adroitly
done, as it enabled her at the distance o.
two or three yards to fire her guns with
telling effect. When they parted large
hole was torn through the Merrimac'.
mail, and an additional port hole, not OF
thecxact line with the original four, be
came clearly discernible. 7s...::
Several times did they thus try to over
reach each other, but luckily no harm came
to the Monitor.
The Minnesota, meantime, whenever
the position of the combatants would ad
NIT Of it, kept the air filed with :hovlin9
shot and shells, erected at the foe, but
owing to defective means of observation
far overreaching the mark, except in on,
or two instances, when the hull of tn,
Merrimac, near her bows, received hcav,
shot. :~.: +.