The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-03-12

Mot itUf, with the stars ana stripes 'iying 81
her stern, steamif around the Moriimac IN W
ing with the eslo vt duck on the water. TIE
distance between the vessels wa forty Feet
In this circuit, the Monitors guns were not
idle, she tircd shot after ihot into hos antag-
OMIT two Of which, it is alleged, penetrated tie
M'trimaos 8 SIDES.
At eleven A. Nj, the Minnesota opened fire.
A. Il a.estcd the Monitor in en- lgi, z tho Msrri.
mac. She hrel uius.inch solid shot with COOL
accuracy, but with spparenry little effect. rne
Metflm'o fot'tuoi tnu Il ., huug she'll, oGo OF
tich rifu,k Uu ,xplodod tho boiler oi the
4 boat nfaEon, which was alongside tho
Mint sofa, cndeavorinR 10 got her of Iy this
u 'orturate affair, Jos. Mcdonald, sailor, was
riUuslN csldod. For the next hour the bat
lie ragged fierce v between the Merrimac on tho
iel'l side atd the Union vosscls, the Monitor,
VII II esCta and Whitehall, bat with no psrticl.
tcsut. Tho Minnesota boiBg the best mark
'n' the Merrmic, tho latter fired at her fro.
puu y alternately giving the Monitor shot.
tte NJ rimac made several attempts to run at
'uli suttd past tho Monitor, TO attack and run
o.. tie Mtni eaOta. Al these attempts we're
parted, hs it were, by tho MONT ".
II orc of these attempts Ivy tho
M,ttimac shc ran her plough " "a N WitLiul firco
rgaI,ttn ire sid, Of The Muni or hut ortynVi u o
OF & ,.tc,ri-g ,he Ia ter vos-, in tfe ,l,sh =
a. Cog'c. The fc'cl b'ats Yorktown aud
Pat-I,k II NY toH' - safe ,isin'cs from 'hs
VI niur. Tuc rmcr Nc-e,l, NJ the begin, ir.
The tight, tai the g. meri'y ~ come VIII In
tOp,,,,blr rai Re oi The Monitor. The al oi
tit Il Ote shot at her, entering hct pilot house
c,rrIiu /, away, aud 10 dOub. killing nam
hc' Of rebels. She retired out OF ra, ge.
Tho hght ragged hotly on both sides, the op.
osinr hitteties moving stoun1 each othcr with
the skill, ease and dsNteritv Of expert pug li4tp
he Morrlmac, though the strongest, did no.
move with tho dcNtciity Of her antagoni,i;
La l| la ~ tNssV h...f IL
chtice ot position. At quarlot belsro II q clock
Don, Lieut. Hepburn the signal officer on tho
rimparts at lottress Moqfoe, rrportsd to General
WUI that the Monitor had pierced the Al 'es Of
tho M.Ttimac, and in a few minutes the latter
was in fu retreat, heading for Sswalls Point
and chased for few minutes 10y tho Monitor.
The MerrimAc has evidently suffered to some
Nlent, and it was thought at one tins that she
was sinking. Aftor she got safely under the
guns Of the rebel battery a, Scwall's Point she
stopped and sisnalled for help from her corsorts
who were bcaling retreat. Subsequently two
tugboat or gunbOats, went alor yriic snd took
her in tow, and proceeded 10 NOuJik. This
ended the engagement.
vEssRIs ENGAGED IN THE CONFLICT.
The Yorktown anI'lamestown viii 10 rocol-
lected as Aide-wneel steamers, which formerly
piled betwoon Richmond Norfolk and tina
city. They are OF about 800 tons burthon, and
have been some what plated with iron, and cln
vort,d into rebel gunhoats.
The Minnesota, which ran ashore and wAs
got Oft, isa u. s steam scrow friglte, simil "
TO the Niagara, of 5000 tors burihon, pierced
for 10 guns.
Tue Cumberland, which was attacked anil
sunk by tho Merrimac, was a ealing s'oop tf-
war, Of I, 700 tons, carrying a crow OF 800 oil
GERS and mon. The vessel was 20 yoars old,
leaky and unsoaworthy, and was doing duty a.
u lgckadug vessel
Ihu Coa,, ,re-- was AN cid sailing Fri gate, aiu-
ily employed, Of 500 tors, pierced tor 81
~ atd about TO 20 cut Of commission for
20, +. awoitlinesa, wien attacked by the rob,l ..
q. loss 4 the two l4ttor vessels Is by no
avs u rCrinus ono.