The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-22
The Destruction of the FrigaIe Culnber.
land by the IrOn.Plated Merrimac...
The G0llaDtrY Of our SnIlOre

h sn 6es Sz .s Of The rsigs.e Cumber-
The Gaiiantry Of our Sailors.
| The following is an extract from letter writ
ten at Fortress Monroe by one Of the editors of
| the Baltimore American, cool and practical
| observer and careful writer:
She approached the Cumberland at full speed
striking her on the port side rear the bow. her
stem knocking port No. l and the bride port
| into one, whilst her ram cut into the Cumber-
land under water. Almost at the moment of
collision the Merrimac discharged from her for
ward gun ll.inch shell. This shell raked the
whole gun deck, killing ten men at gun No. l.,
| among whom was Master Mate John Harrington.
and cutting off both arms and both legs o.; Quar-
ter-Ganer Wool. The water rushed in from the
hole made below, and in FIVE minutes the ship
| began to sink by the head
| Shell and solid shot from the Cumberland we're
rained on the Merrimac as she passed ahead, but
| the most glanced harmlessly from the incline of
her iron plated bomb roof, though some shots
which struck her at a more favorable range
| caused splinters of iron to fly.
| As the Merrmac rounded to and came IN she
again rakcd the Cumberland with heavy fire.
At this fire Is men at gun No. 10 we're killed or
wounded, and were all subsequently, carried
down in the sinking ship. Among these unfor
informant, were two Of the carpenters crew.
named VIM. O'Brien and John Cameron.
Advancing with increased momentum, the
Aerrimac struck the Cumberland on the star
board side, smashing her upper works and cut
ting another hole below the water line.
The ship began to rapidly settle, and the scene
became most horrible. The cock. pit was filed
with wounded whom it was impossible to bring
up The forward magazine was under water
but powder was still supplied from the after
magazine, and the firing kept steadily up by men
who knew that the ship was sinking under them
They worked desperately and unremit.inpIy
and amidst the din ard horror of the conflict
gave cheers for their flag and the Union which
were Joined in by the wounded. The decks
were slippery with blood, and arms and legs and
CHUNKS of flesh were strewed about. The Mer
rlmac laid OFT at easy point blank range. dis
charging ner broadsides alternately at the Cum.
berland and Congress. The water by this time
had reached the after magazine of the Cumber.
land. The men, however, KEEP. at work and
several cases of powder were passed up and the
guns kept in play. Several of the men in the
after shell! room fingered there too long in their
eagerness to pass up shell and were drowned.
The reader must bear in mind that these ine;.
dents of the fight which We briefly detail. occn.
pied some time in transporting, It being about
one hour and halt from the first attack unon
the Cumberland until she finally sunk.
The water had at this time reached the berth |
or main gun deck, and it was felt hopeless and
useless to continue the fight longer The word
was given for each man to save himself bnt ne. |
ter this order gun No. Z was fred when the I'D. |
joining gun No. 8, was actually under water
This last shot was fred by an active little fellow
named Matthew Teney, whose courage had hem
conspicuous throughout the action. As his nor,
was left open by the recoil of the gun, he hmm.
cd to scramble out, but the water rushed in with
30 much force that he was washed bac. and
drowned ""a
When the order was given to cease 6rino and
70 look out for their safety in the best way nos.
sibie, numbers scampered through the mort
holes, whilst Others reached the spar deck nv /
the companion.waya Some were incapable 10
get out by either Of these means. and wcra Gar.
ried down by the rapidly sinking ship. OF those
who reached the upper deck, some swan off To
the tugs that came out from Newport News
some kept afoat by seizing floating fragments Of
the wreck, Others escaped in the rigging and
masts, and stu Others sank never to rise again.
The cumberland sank in water nearly up to
her cross trees and lies with heavy list to mort
sn .. vent down with her flag stu flying, and it
'tiii mes iiom the mast, above the waters that
ovefWneimed her, memento of the brayest.
most daring, and yet most hopeless defence that
pas ever oeen made by any vessel belonging to
Cob Harvey Brown, Commandant At Fort
Pickens, is In New York on furlough on account
u III health. Gen. Bragg took ADVANTAGE of thu
yol0nefs absence to achieve "rebel triumnb.n
hat . 70 ~ be RETIRED or. 10 other vorls scnL
v . position further IN he intefior.