The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-03-15
oprNINa THE RATTLE.

pea AOAA-
= OPENING THE BATTLE.
When the Merrimac arrived within about
a mile we opened on her with our pivot
guns. and as soon as we could bear upon
her, our whole broadside commenced. Still
she came on, the balls bouncing from her
mailed sides like India rubber, apparently
making not the least impression, except to
cut off her flagstaff, and thus bring down
the confederate colors. None of her crew
ventured at that time on her outside to re-
place them, and she fought thenceforward
with only her pennant flying. She appeared
to obey her helm and be Oery readily handled,
making all her movements and eOotufons Nth
apparent facility and readiness. We had
| probably fired SIX or eight broadsides when
shot was received from one of her guns
which killed Eve of our marines. 1t was
| impossible for our vessel to get ont of her
! way, and the Merrimac soon crashed her
iron horn or ram into the Cumberland, just
starboard the main chains, under the bluff
of the port bow, knocking a hole in the
| side, near the water line, as large as the
/ hsad of a hogshead, and driving the vessel
| back upon her anchors with great force.
| The water came rushing into the hold.
| The Merrimac then backed out and dis
charged her guns at US, the shot passing
| through the main bay and killing FIVE sick
men. The water was all the while rushing
in the hole made by the ram, so that in five
| minuits il was up to the sick bay on the
| berth deck.
In the meantime her broadsides swepi
our men away, killed and manned, and al.
so set our vessel on fire in the forward part,
/ That FIRE was extingnished. / cannot tel
how many were wounded The sick bay
berth deck, and gun deck were almost liter.
i ally covered with men, killed and wounded
but the surviving ones still fought we'll
and every one, officers and men, displayed
the utmost heroism. The fight lasted a6ou
three quarters of an hour, the Cumberland
firing rapidly, and all the time the watel
pouring in the hold, and by and by th,
ports, az her bow kept sinking deeper anC
deeper. Near the middle of the fight. wher
the berth deck of the Cumberland had snnl
below water, one of the crew of the Merri
mac came out of a port to the outside O
bav iron rlafad rnnf. and -ha1I-frana -os.e-e
our guns instantly cut him in two. Tha
was the last rebel that ventured with
in sight, the rest remaining in their safe
IRON walled Enclosure. We fired constant
lv. and the Merrimac occasionally, but eV
: erv shot told upon our wooden vessel an,
} brave crew. Her guns being without th
{ | least eloRAtAOu1 pOAh1CA ohAnAknl AZ us diOl
the surface of the water, and her nearness
she being much of the time within thre
? hundred yards, made it an easy matter L
, send each ball to its exact mark Probabl
her guns would be useless at a considerable
, distance, as it appears impossible to elevat
them. Finally, after about three-fourths c
an hour, of the most severe fighting, on
, yesseL sank the stars and stripes stu s0aOi,ae
That flag was finally submerged, but afte
> the hull grounded on the sands fifty-Gou
: feet below the surface of the water, on
remnant was still flying from the top1nas
above the waves. None of our men Wer
captured, but many were drowned as th
vessel went down. We had about fonF hun
dred on board, and suppose from one hun
n dred and fifty TO two hundred were kille
: during the engagement and drowned at tn
4 sinking. Lieut.. George " Maurice wa
q in command of the vessel, Captain Radfor
Z being absent on the Roanoke, at the coui
: of inquiry, and though be hurried back
> reach his vessel, he could not arrive till a
ter she had sunk. Very few of our me
swan ashore, most of those who were re:
o cued from the water beng saved by sma
!, boats. The Merrimac seems to be unir
. iured, though her small boats and fag-sta
8 were shot away in the commencement {
the action.