Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-17

forts. This is easily demonstrated.
From the Norfolk Day Book, March IL.
Rebel Account of the Great Naval
Engegement.
| IL Is grave task, hazardous ambition to
write a cotemporaneous hstory-especiay when |
one collects his materials under Flag Officer For
rest, whose taste for getting ''withn range is
proverbial. Knowing the hazard of attempting |
"A description of the series of combats fought on
the 9Th and 9Th in Hampton Reads, we particu-
larly guarded against misconstsuction by stating,
on yesterday, in our first paper, the mpossibility
of chr0ncling all the grand features of such |
| scenes. We committed or two. which
We now propose 60 correct and the printers devil
helped us along with few of his own, which the
reader has already noted for himself. The chief
OF these was the statement that Lieut.. Parker
hauled down the ensign of the Congress. That
gentleman himself cerrects this error, and in
forms us that when the Congress struck to the
| Virginia, he was sent on board by Flag Officer
Buchanan 10 hoist the Confederate flag, and after
removing the wounded and prisoners to fire the
Ship Ii was in the discharge of this duty that
the Beaufort and Raleigh were fired upon, and
there the lives of two valuable officers and sew
eral men we're sacrificed by the perfdy of the
enemy. Here also and about this time Flag Off
Ger Buchanan received severe wound, after
which, and in all subsequent operations of the
Virginia, she was fought and commanded by her
LIST Lieutenant Catesby APP r. Jones. One other
error-probably that of the writer-must be noted
before he goes back to his individual narrative.
The previous chapter of this strange history
was headed the COMBAT of the Ninth" when,
in reality, it was description of that of the Sth
of Saturdays performance, and not Sundays, as
would appear from the caption of which we
speak.
On Sunday morning faint cannonading was
heard below. When the thick vapors that over
hung the Hampton Roads lifted, Lieutenant Com
handing c. .Ap. R. Jones got under weigh and
began his attack upon the enemy. At ten o'clock
the steamer Harmony showed off from TIE dock
yard and shot down the harbor. After threading
our way through the barriers, and passing the
forts, dark, as on the previous day, with masses
of soldiers OF all arms, we a strange picture
IA picture at once novel and beautiful. The
gunbOats were lying iH line of battle under Sew
all's Point with the thick masses of smoke float
ing lazly above them, firing and then shot;
while the Virginia, looking grim and mysterious
as before, AIMED in pursuit of wonderful look
ing thing that was justly compared to prodgous
| 'cheese box on a plank, said 'cheese box" be-
| ing of Plutonan blackness.
| At first we could see the great puffs of white
| smoke letting out, now from the Virginia, now
| from the Minnesota, and at long intervals from
| the black "cheese box" But these white
|
| sound reaching US, .or the wind had now risen
and the warm calm of early morning was suc-
ceeded by piercing north-easter. Away we
| went across Craney Island fats, and presently we
could hear the guns louder and louder. But, the
strange looking battery, with its black, revolving
cupola, fled before the Virginia. 1t was, as
somebody said like fighting ghost" Now she
ran down towards Old Point, now back towards
Newport News, now approached to fire and then
II IN lnah l,trfa fUl, nd
afraid of being put lin chancery as the pugilists
call it, by her powerful pursurer. The projectiles
from her great piece of ordnance ten inch
solid shot gun, came dancing across the water
with a series of short, sharp pops, which made a
music more exciting than melodious.
Now she overshot the Virginia, and the spray
flew more than thirty feet high. Now she shot
/ to this side, now to that. Now she steamed
close up. and hit her fairly. In one of these
counters we thought her iron castle had been shot
away, but when the smoke cleared away there it
was and the long. plank like hull in shore again,
driving along like the Flying Dutchman."
Meanwhile the. Virginia crept up towards the
| Minnesota, crept up and paused in that mysteri
Gus silence which fell upon her at all times-a ST.
lence awfuy impressive to US aboard the tug.
Was she aground2 One thought yes Another
could make ont that she was moving. A third
discovered that il was our forging ahead which
impaired TO her the apparent motion We had
moment before congratulated ourselves upon.
| The minutes seemed like hours stood
watching the noble ship, against which the COM
bined batteries of the Minnesota and Ericsson
were now directed. The shot fell like hail, the
shell flew like rain drops, and slowly steadily she
returned the fire. There lay the Minnesota with
two tugs alongside Here, there, and every
where was the black "cheese box" There lay
the Virginia evidently aground. but still firing
with the same deliberate regularity as before.
Presently great white column of smoke shot up
above the Minnesota. higher and higher, fuller
and fuller in its volume. and beyond doubt carried
death al along her decks. for the red tugs boiler
had been exploded by shot. and that great
white cloud canopy was the steam thus liberated
more terrible than the giant who grew out OF
the vapor unseaIed by the fisherman in the fable.
And now the Virginia moves again. There can
be no error this time. for we see her actually
moving through the water, and mark the
foam at her prov. And, strange TO say, these
long, painful hours, measuring time by our emo
tions are condensed by the unsympathetic hands
! of our watches into fifteen minutes At twelve
O'Clock noon she was steaming down for Sewall's,
while the strange looking battery bore away for
the frigate ashore.
We steamed down to meet her, mustered all
hands, and running alongside, gave her three
cheers-three cheers which came from the bottom
of our hearts-which we're expressive of praise
and thank fulness-of benedction and delight.
Her company was mustered on the grating and
returned our cheers. Weran in closer. and there
was her commander, Catesby APP R. Jones. look
ing as calm and modest any gentleman within
the jurisdiction of Virginia. The Commodore
hailed the ship. heard the reply, compmented
the quiet. thoughtful looking man who had man
aged and fought her from the time Flag Officer
Buchanan was wounded up to that moment, and
then with cordially spoken euIogies upon the gal
liant men on board, we shot ahead Here let us
pause one moment. Our TASK has been 10 speak
of events rather than individual actors. but we
j should do violence to our own feelings aud to
the public sentiment did we fail to allude to the
conspicuous services of the gentleman who sue
ceeded Flag Officer Buchanan, who was shot on
the grating Of the ship on Saturday, the sth-
He was known 10 all members Of bis profes-
sion as thorough aud accomplished seaman. As
an ordnance officer he was of approved skill, and
after the Sth and 9Th of March this scholarlike,
placid gentleman steps upon the historic canvas
of this great revolution one of its true heroes.
We leave him and his gallant shipnates to the