The New York herald., 1862-04-09


Merrimao then retired a does seem, howsse, tnai
she was disabled aud expressly assured thai on
board the Monitor not a man wac hurt.
Facts io these oidt Ell isfec- - 10 rsees. We hu
that wooden vessel when nshee against an IRON one
Is usraliy a. be ploss pr'1ictea fhe MOI ,naG
did actually olk rha ca 1850 sn tcnes ana
Ia vsrs mnuiss Bat Wien she was encounters ~
as1ip oi hsr orn tss 4c,Iol n I'VE neirs eisuei
WIN no great dalnss' g el.hs i's. 80
ofsy osqrOlch ~ Sis19fh ~ pte9 70 shs 'Ttgus
hboe t.ok y, has gtde ef De AtoHee tns Men"or
wa 80 be G.'hsd u me HUNDRED Gay- iid a. 60 :"
than eco COO ybis tns gent aaslH 0 tlS teL.e-
ieraies ifhd ~ % Dssfs that aug grsis amount q
nonFy has becn expended % she Msr riNae
g. eN8 3 charAoe fhs Vbels b n, mud they L-d
reutriEed oah che ssthor o. them would eoa-
ny have good L;0olr, Of IN entire sqnaiF'n u
the eusm. Whs sa.lns RIP - 10 steamer 81 ortiz
nary ste5aer u a. n-cisd frira,s Il viii 10
T9usec5i list the A,nercsns slow to recosnlzs
s nfb -rtcops, and mos rsuctapt 70 adopt It: but
wAc- rs sos fcr action cd necessity made Itself
~ and they have now gssn the theory all the prset
There is one other conclusion, ,oc, which We may
draw from the operations Of the American be.ii-
ssav vessels As. sisso Ss~ apSos scso fn.
pear 10 have built upon this theory at first, but their
"mosluito notias" have nsver succeeded Neither at
Port Royal nor Roanoke did their swarm OF gunbeats
produce tho least effect against the large ships Of the
ederals. Vessels OF this class operating upon rivers in
CONJUNCTION with land forces have proved OF the greatest
yce indeed the Northernsrs most Of their
ceses 20 them; bnt in and against heavy
satss sloops the small craft have bean found - usc-
S~%S~S.
udge, will do the work Of Warriors will any
frigare, however well armed commanded be sbo to
make wood stand against iron. Our obligations is tis
matter haes proved casy b esdsa thar the ''reccn
st'aetson Of our navy wds not commenced an hoT too
VICTORY CLAIMED FOR THE REBELs-LEssoNs OF
TIE PALaYSsToN CABINET PROM TIE BATTLE.
From the London Post Government organ) March 27
We are now IL possession Of the details Of the naval
vctory ache by the CoRfederates Ia the vicinity or
Fortress Monroe, and those details confirm the nprss
sion arst formed that the Coaederatas I'll It
Obainet signal Advantage ueir
The particulars o. the engagement possess however Tor
interest Independents Of that which we may feel in
the varying fortunes OF the war Now for tho first time
hsve been tested the qualities OF seecad monofTar
for the frs lime has tho old wooden ship with her
sides bstng vita cannon entered the lists with an a.
versary not carrying third Of the number Of
gins, but with her sides ercased In al
most mpenst abba armor now for the first
herself attempted, aud attempted successfully to
n down An opponent with immense iron tusks VII h
project beneath her Prov. How many doubts, anxious
y expressed whilst the Warrior and the Defence vel
Of construction hare noeo been snay solved? Rcto
may dciies advanced By those scO fr,ced ,rh regret
The engagement between the Merrinac anl tho
Cumberland and Congress in American waters, whatsycr
effect may possibly exercise upon the future eoure "
hosttes there has at least proved that tho high
inc Power dc iros Of holding is Gay I'M
ger .gtpon ooon ships, hooez hedrily tey Zdy
6e Tia heaviest armament which could be pisc I'd n
thsne would only snk her ali the
quicker when huge boe had been made in her side by col
lison with one OF those iron clad frgates. 1t wiz
be useless longer TO theorse upon this matter
have before patent facts which cannot be dsre
garded. When, nine months since, tho House OF Com
mons granted a supplemental vote OF quarter OF
million for tho construction Of iron sheathed vessels
that patty which, this country invariably raises
voice whenever more than ordinary exertcns are made
to retain 10 effective state our military naval do
partmens, d outcry at the lavish and unclled
for expenditure which thus occasoned Even thcse
who would gladly our naval resources preserved 10
an efficient state maintained that might Still with
security conde the wooden ships with which have
g.iuel so many victories aud established our rava su.
not ffliV n raCf n M ga.
bot 1t inpoto 10 construct the nc designed
ships, which might in time OF danger prove TO be SO
many failures. How fortunate must we now esteem
ourselves that neither senseess opposition friendly
but mistaken counsels diverted the government from
taking that course which science # not experience srg
gsied The result Of this naval ens cement in America
has estab ished beyoad doubt the ndispuable superb
ority of laed shs and the absolute necessity Of
rep acns by them wherever IL possible, those vessels
whose strongth depends alone rlanks Of teak oak
While n Mcrrmac was thus engaged the fsderas en-
deavored to bring up some OF their feet 70 oin The
contest. The Minnesota proc ceded with this OBJ up
the river but had not gone far before she asount
The Merrimac having put her frs. two epttnects
bars De combat then attacked the Minnesota anu in
her crippled condition would have made OF her easy
arsy had the stescad Monitor ma1o her appearance
the yric te The 0e,ri,ac ami Is the hsaoier
and syo, rssi of The too. OBJ ged ~ length TO cop,
with antagonist OF equal mstt.e, the Serrnac aban
onec the M-sao,a aud directed all her energies against
her formidable opponent For many hours did thcse
two vessels, ike mat c.sd knights, charge each oher
against each acr without visible effect brosdsidcs Of
shot whic goud have sunk the stoutest wooden ship
lat noated II was all in vain terrible though
this might prove Ia encounters with other vessels,
hey proved harmless 10 each other. t ienth however
10 believe one account. q siot, not fycm
the Monitor Int from the Ericsson tctsyy % took ecc,
the port side of tie Merrimac. and thereipcn
retired to Norfolk harb bor According 10 another
much probable account however, namely the state
nent Of Captain Smith, who was present at the engage
aent IL is extremely doubtful whether the Merrinac
sustained ary ser nus injury Her having besn owed oil
70 Nor hart cons dsred by him Afford no proof
SNe
adopted in or' either to coal, to en.ico tho
Monitor inD rsrns her. Whether injured OF not, how
over the Merfimac did great days work. Under tho
CT host H. batteries she utterly destroyed two pow
rfd fieates biew up onc gcDhot', and seriously
damage another. she then engaged with vessel
greater .l.crgth than herself, also under the
gus Of hostile battery. snd after contest Of several
hours retrod in ssfe'y I; not entirely nninaIo5 win
doDy the undonbted superiority Of iron' ad vessels.
McCIeIIan's Ad~an.e from the Potomac.
THE REBELS AivIsEv THAT THEIR SAFETY Ligs IN
THE pEsCs aTfoN OF THEIR TERRITORY.
lFrum the London Times, March 25.l
Al thoughts mus DOW DC directed 10 the ccmbised
nv:sian of tho Sn,te.n Saies which was 10 begin ia
t,c present month of March. This extraordinary on
prise deserves ihe sody both of political and militia
students lis tuGe tho Of the
which operate IN the nature Of the country. and
~ the cpul.t whose territory s invaded the great
10 :ors stands aono in modern history. It Is
Napooons s,an tbo scac OF his expedition to
Rgssis Immense forces are assembled to subiugae
people who, un-ss they the emptest of bossters
are ucts.fniDeu 10 DuTu lcHcstdus kOou-,
70 destroy the produce Of their folds, TO carry oa
their families, their negroes, their cstts. aud sli
tina, thsy have and to leave overy place desert from
which tso insaer :orcos them to iofc The real Jga
ming of tie oJiapdta stoy HS'o u ,citssc6 From I.n
nesseo have bat meagre accounts. In hts rccicn c
Conj,Jeraiss haze Leea Thoroughly Jdtcn They 10
hare soay vnprrre1 for ae rt9or o Grant, EvcIi
am ne cf he Vtscrh Gns.a The consequence ras
been the alton OF Central tennessee by federal
army and rsrsa. Of the Cnfedsrosss o lie D,h.rR
linits Of the sa. Hcrs however, they arc said to DO
preparing FIR -LsoG. General Beauregs a Is In
msDd ai, placs which s given IN tie telegram
CbavoLoon but vhich Is probably C!svcald or Cnaita
noosa. tier hesdq .a-teEs These places are Almost
the frontiers OF Georgia. but IL is beyon1 DOUBT
that the Copfelcrrtes III do all IN their power 10
cover Tenn ito io-s OF State 10 especially dan
gerous r. the aiAsrnors, pasmrch tor con odera.
cy fnrnded the principle of State ndrpendcn,s and
they have Too reason 20 enf tha tennessee
rrovocab annexed IT, tie Srtn ali tho Tcnnessecaus
would ea,c hei. army the ground that hey hae no
further .D.efest ~ the oontts,
But IL ,s IN gina that ths most importans
tiois viii Like place. Hvro Is ,se strength Of ire Con
Tolerate array. 1hc .rcps commanc d, ss ~ IS supposed
by Prestat Davis in rson, the most pure aud
- fl.e inf.