Smyrna times., 1862-03-13
siScELLAN N EOUS,
Naval Fight near Fortress Monroe.
fAe hsoe1 Monster Merrimae Sinks the Cum.
seriH"d and Burns the COngrss-Hespv
lsss efife.

is1efhe.
nave news OF the most exciting charac.
ger from Fortress Monroe. The rebsI ;ro.. oI.d
sseamer Merrimac, about which an r,.ah ~.
0eea SAID recently, came down from Norfolk
-sn Saturday morning, accompanied nv IN.
steamers YorktOUn and Jamestopn. aIso ;ro,-
'clad' and moving directly toward Newna,,'s
news engaged the sailing frigates Cumberland
ano Congress, blOckadIDg the meuth of ,ho
James River. Tne Merrimac i, renrasan,aS
10 nave resembled submerged house w,b Tho
root sniy above water. The two trlga,es oosn
cd hre upon her. but with no effect as the
neaVy metal glanced from the santinp ton of
she A1eTr1nac like peas from pep.gun. Even
Al tne distance ct emily one hundred wards.
ta" o'oeosloe Irsm both vessels did her no
osmsge' one ran against the Cumberland
~""s"'p, WIN lsL head OF steam on, sta wing
= 'sfeS hoie IN her side; then drew off aud
pesred 10 broaeside, after which she dashed
against the doomed vessel again. md lei, her
sn sinking condition. She then tnrn.d
against the Congress, and that vessel. bavirg
no reguiar crew on board, and seeing the hone
Iessness of further effort. lowered her colsrs.
"neh she was bearded by The Janeste,pn. and
al net omeers were taken prisoners, while the
az" men on beard were allowed to esca me- in
soa". lac congress was then set on fire a nd
Ieft 10 her ate. The three rebel vessel. ,b.n |
opensn hfe upon our batteries at Newpor,'.
"S~s' "hich bad been rendering what assist.
khee was possible to the Cumberland and Co.
Stess' anu the action continued for sometima
"oeR Lne Merrinac and her two comsa nens
ore" on as tar as Crsney Island, The Minnes
S"'S' a. Tue commencement of tAe action, in |
mi
A"emP"ng 10 Tow the Roanoke up. got ashore
"ea' '"e NIP hsPs' 'and could render no assist |
sues ~ was supposed that the Merrimac |
"ou'o auemp' TO run the blockade on Saturday |
night, asd preparations were made scco,d,un
" out she appears not TO have sde the effor,
Meantime. Oh Saturday night the iron.cIsa |
Ericsson Battery Monitor, which left New
tuTk on "Wednesday last, arrived at Fortrsss
Monroe, and Sunday morning she was attacked
py the herrImdc, Yorktown and JarneSto,pn
oui 'niS time thty met more than their match
A'er ave hnnrs contest, they were driven
ON, and the MerTimGc teIreated teward Nor
folk IN sinking C CDdiIIon. At times dur,ne
she engagement the two iron clad vessels were
touching each other The Monitor was min
lsred Untii the presence of the Monitor WAS
k"o"n 10 the M'rrinac, The latter was engaged
wth the INtnnesSOtG. and but for the fortunate
arrival OF 'hs MoHitor the Minnesota also
might nave been lpst
The two IRON. Clad vessels epgs ged e,ch f,
TWO "f 'hree honfs at long and at short range
No PeTce e"tIbe effect was prod &c ed upon either
They went al"ngsIde once or twice, and seem.
ed almost to run each oIEer down, bot thev
soon ret ppeared.
The EricEsOn battery succeeded finally in
sIre 1g large hOie 10 he port side of the Ner.
. mac anu ihe latter IN COMPANY with The
whole rebel fleet retired 10 Norfolk at abo,i
/ o'c:.ck
The U. $ gunbost Oregon was struck by
ihe MerrImac IN her boiler md was blown nm
Ihis morning.
The gun boat Il uqVe was also seriously dam. r
aged aud was Obliged TO return.
The prncIpal loss "f life on boa I'd the Cun.
osriand, ~hers It is thought a. many as one
hundred and fifty must have been killed or
drowned.
But s'x lives were lost on the Minnesota
according TO siaIemenl made BY one of her
OficsTR.
A rebel gunboal was cut in two by the Cum. a
brrland
The Congress is supposed to have lost over. $
'ns hnndred including an officers. The es.
;aPed crews % the Congress aud Cumberland
AVE arrived at the Fort.
The Monitor ias cume up to the sxpecta tiens
nat were entertained OF her and has proved
lerself Impregnab'S TO tho heaviest shot at 4
lose quarters: She behaved remarkably well :
20 her passage from New York, aud although
ne ses covered her decks completely at times.
y speed did not seem to be at ell diminished n
10 her presence here may be attributed the
aieiy OF the MlnHcsola and oIher yesseIs IA
oFI ind the final disabling Of the Merr,nac ii
Fn.ch had previously been proof against every. u
Ii0g IN
Capt. Worden Ofthe Monitor was wounded =,
The head. OIiuding his eyes, while looxinp
Ut of the wheel house. re
No other accident Of any kind occurred To =
be battery or crew.
Naval men are generally Ofthe opinion that.
onsIdeTng everything, the rebels had the
'orsi time Oft though, without the Monitor,
ae damage might have been much more So.
loOs.