Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-03-17

gular rolcy on account Of which Faye..
Vile vas evacuated by us, have shown
themselves. On Yesterday, Coi. nj
Intosh, at the head Of 5000 troops 'uV ,a
possession of and burnt Fayettevii.e'
or rather what was left OF 1t, fro" '''
fret secession incendiarism.
The Battle Between the MerTimac on"
Monitor.
This day Sunday the day oroAe
fair. As the sun broke on the horizon .
slight haze was visible on the wa'eI'
which prevented an extended VISION.
At halfpast 6 o'clock A. II. this maze
cleared away. Looking towards oewai'
Point, there appeared the Merr'mac ana
80 ,ehel steamers Yorktown and Pat
rick Henry. They were stationary, 'ne
Merrimac to the right OF the o'ne'e'
blowing of steam. Their appearance
WA the cause for a second alarm. Inc
rebel craft seemed celebrating what 10
do-vhether to move on to attempt the
destruction OF the Minnesota which was
vet aground, or move OF to the I mon
fleet anchored near the Rip Eaps. The
aopearance of the Merrimac on TINS
second visit caused great percipltato on
IN the removal Of our transport fleet 10
a safe harbor a mile or two up in the
Chesapeake Bay. At Z A. NJ, plan
seemed TO have been adopted, and the
Mcrrimac steamed in the direction OF
the Minnesota. which was still aground.
The Yorktown ard jamestown we're
crowded with troops, and steamed slow.
IL alter the Merrimac. The plan OF
the latter seemed to be to destroy the
,';nnesota, and then proceed to shell
ont ia Union camp at Newport News,
ond land I'd take possession OF the Mon
ann with thu ,r own troops. The Mer-
mac steamed along with boldness until
.he was within three miles Of the Min
neso,a. when the Monitor issued from
behind the latter and proceeded towards
the Merrimac. At first the rebel craft
seemed on.pIussed, and hesltated, no
doubt 10 wonderment at the queer look
ing machine approaching her. The
Merrimac then closed the distance be-
tween her and the Monitor until they
we're within mile OF each other. Both
batteries stopped. The Merrimac fired
shot at the Minnesota, 10 which no re-
DIV was made. The rebel craft then
fired at the Monitor; the latter replied,
hitting the Mcrrimac near the waters
line. The Merrimac then commenced
firing very rapidly, first from her stern
gun, at the Monitor, and then her broad
side guns, occasionally firing sho: at
the Minnesota. The fight went on in
this way tor an hour or two, both YES
sells exchanging shots pretty freely.
Sometimes the Merrimac would retire
followed by the E lesson, and use s'eTsa.
While tho fight between the batter
les was going on one hundred solid nine
inch shot were sent up from Fortress
Monroe on the steamer Rancocas to tue
Minnesota. At quarter past ten
o'clock the Merrimac and Monitor had
come into pretty close quarters, the for
mer giving the latter two broadsides in
succession. 1t was promptly replied to
by the Monitor. The firing was SO rapid
that both crafts were obscnred in col.
umns of white smoke for moment or
more. The ramparts of the fort, the
rigging OF the vessels in port, the houses
and the bend were all crowded with
sailors, soldiers and civilians. When
the rapid firing alluded to took place,
these spectators were singulaIly silent,
as if doubtful as to the result. Their
Impotence was soon removed by the
iulI figure of the Monitor, with the stars
and stripes fl, ing at her stern, steering
around the Merrlmac, moving with the
ea,e of a duck on the water. Tue dis
lance between he ,els was forty feet.
la this circuit the Monitors guns were
not idle, as she fired shot after shot into
her Antagonist, two Of which, it is al
legged, p netrated the Merrimac's sides.
At e.even A. NJ the Minnesota open
ed fire, and ASST TED the Monitor in en-
gaglng the Merlimac. She fred nine
inch solid shot with good accuracy, but
with apparently little effect. Tue Mer.
'imac returned The fire, firing shell, one
Of which struck and exploded the bo,Ie,
Of the gunboat Dragon, which was
alongside the Minnesota, endeavoripc to
get her off. BY this unfortunate affai.
jos. Mcdonald, sailor, was scriousI,
scalded. For the next hour the bat,lr
ragged tiercely between the Merrimac on
the rebel side and the Union vessels, the
Monitor, Minnesota and Whitehall, tn,
with no particular result. Tie Mime
sofa being the best mark for the Me,rl.
mac, the latter fire : at her frequently,
alternately giving the Monitor a shot.
The Merrimac made several attempts to
run at full speed past the Monitor to at
tack and run down the Minnesota. All
these attempts were paired, as it were,
10y the Monitor. In one Of these at
tempts by the Mcr,imac she ran her
plough or ram with full force acains,
The side Of the Monitor, but it only had
the effect ct ca,ecniog the latter vessel
IN the slightest degree.
The rebel boats yorktown and Pat
rick Henry kept at a safe distance from
the Monitor. The former vessel, at the
beginning of the fight, had the temeri-
~ to come within respectable range of
the Monitor. The latter fired one shot
at her, entering her pilot house, carrying
1t away, and, no doubt, killing number
OF rebels. Sic retired out OF range.
The fight ragged holly on both sides.
the opposing batteries moving aronnd