The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-19


were discharged each or the shots seemed 70 strike
rs in nearly the spot bursting tho tmbsrs Of the
Merrmac loosenng the bolts Of the plates and tim
bsrs, and doing very great damage generally was
noticeable also that her shots struck near the water
line, and caused our vessel to leak badly.
Mr. Thompson also corroborates what We published
since from the Richmond Dispatch, that the
iron plates the Merrimac welded together IN
many instances BY the and OF the Monitors
shot. The Mssrimae's crs,0, during tie 0s9a5emsHs ;
made to that large number IF
tho rebels board killed, they oold not reveal he fact
10 any one their arrival at Norfolk Seeing that the
tide Of battle against ordered to spout
ship" and put back TO Norfolk. We had not pro-
cseded far when We grounded, and orders had been
already given scstle the ship ,oaen made another
and last sTot to get of the shoa and succeeded, and we
made way up to Norfolk slowly, arriving there at
six p NJ, with about teef OF scdter - the hold Inc
rebel steamer Patrick Henry which bore down to the
Monitor during the fght driven back by shot and
having steam turned her from the Monitors boiler
She had scalded and tive badly wounded After
reaching Norfolk the Merrmac went into the dry dock
for REPAIRS and for I'VE weeks working on her
night and day, giving her thorough ovsrhauling.
When DESTROYED she in excellent condition, and her
loss Mr. Thompson thinks, will prove incaculabe TO the
rebels. While these repairs going great fear
expressed that the Monitor might come up Elizabeth
river and shell tho city. II she had done resist
could would have been offered las the authorities
and people were frightened At the very name OF her)
and the evacuation of the batteries and the city oas already
decided the Of her uisu. Commodore Buchanan
was badly wounded in the thigh, and taken, imme-
diately arrival, to the hospital, where. ct
last accounts still remained. After return Com
modore Tatnall came from Savannah to command the
Merrimac when she should be in sailing and lighting
tl~ Arw
dock and placed in his charge he orders
Hampton Roads, and possible destroy tho wooden YES
the United States feet lying there; but after pro-
testing awhile against such order without effect he sent
in his resignation alleging that, should
he passing Fortress Monroe and the Monitor
the ultimate destruction of the Msrrmac was certain
and her loss would be attributed to his msmanagemsnt
and his prestige q naval oncer would be gone ~
The second time the Msrrimac came down into tho
Roads was the day the United States frgate Seminole
sheed the Sewall's Point battery. She lay of Craney
island within range Of and protected by the guns o.
that work. without daring to within range Of the Mo
nor Gaena. At one time it was supposed that the
United States iron gunboats going James river
to silence rebel batteries and then it the inten
ton Of the Merrimac's officers her out, possible,
leaving the batteries TO take caro- Of them
selves and sink the wooden vessels OF the feet in tho
Roads, and stake the chances Of getting again within
the protection the guns Craney Island She lay or
at anchor near Cranoy Island until Sunday morning
May I'D, when, Norfolk having been taken possession
OF by the United States troops under General
received orders to blow her up This was done by ap
plying slow match to her magazine, her spar deck
having been in the meantime completely saturated with
OIL About five O'Clock in the morning the fire reached
her magazine and the boosted "terror Of Hampton
Roads" shversd to atoms. The crew had in the
Tc1rr
latnal who commanded on the occasion Of this VISIT
being Ill that obliged TO take him ashore in
hammock.
The Of the rebel monster numbered four hundred
and aity men, fully two hundred OF whom had been i'm
pressed and mostly foreigners. Some Of US had
shortly befase the decision was made to destroy the
vessel csnvassed the feasibility Of getting possession Of
her, and afser placing the officers in irons, nsces
sary quitting them out Of the way" hosting white
flag and sailing for Fortress Monroe, where it was con-
templased 70 surrender ourselves, vessel and
rebel cargo to the United States authorities. The
plan abandoned, however, subsequently, for
fear should be outnumbered by the Southern rebel
sailors whom Of dared breach the subject.
Any betrayal Of the plot would course have been fatal
the impressed Many Of have since regretted,
however, that did attempt the matter extremely
hazardous II was.
When landed at Craney Island we massed as rank
and nc and the intention to take to Richmond,
where would have been distributed among the rsbe
regiments, and forced to fight in defence OF that city
Having fully ascsrained the fact that the Union troops
had landed Ocean View and that Norfolk AGAIN in
OF the Union government about two hundred
Of US left, by concerted movement Sunday night
and made way Norfolk. We reached there in due
time were most kindly received by General Wool who
administered each Of the oath Of allegiance and
Friday afternoon and arrived in New York Saturday
night last, heartily sick and dsgused may well be
judged, with "affairs In secessa."
Mr.. Thompson states that the bridge burned by the
rebels when they evacuated Sewalls Point is called In
dian Poll Bridge 1t the road from Sswals Point
Norfolk and but for the burning OF IT, so hard the
flying rebels pressed by the Union troops, the entire
sewas Point garrison, i've hundred in number, would
have been made prisoners.
The rebel commander at Sewals Point or Stock
ton The Union forces arrived at the right bank Of the
river in pursuit while the bridge still flames tho
rebels having crossed and fred IT, Not being able
this point the Union forces compelled TO
make dstour Of miles, TO strike another and
longer route TO Norfolk else they would have been in
that city much sooner than they wcro all the rebc
tories on the road having hsen speedily evacuated
Many rumors that Mr. Thompson heard in Norfolk arc
n least interesting. Ono was. that Beaursoard had
,uriten letter 10 France, asking his friends there 70 pro-
vide Nth that government msan Whereby himself and
the principal leaders Of The rebellion could escape from is
country Another the effect that the dcarudon of
Ftyf Sumter was already ddemined BY tie rebels In
case our iron gunboats should appear Oh that harbor
He also heard that mutny had taken place Beaurs-
CARDS army corinth many Of the louisiana regiments
declaring they would 90 further North that they
enlisted only protect their and the States
and that an aggressive in Kentucky Tennessee
they had no interest in. "Stonewall Jackson, he
also heard, had determined carrying tho
war into Maryland, but was not supported
in that idea by his brother ocers and the leaders
He represents affairs in rebsldom be in the most
horrible condition No gold or silver 10 10 circulation
At all provisions dear and scarce, business everywhere
broken up and general feeling OF dependency has fast
snsd itself on the country. The foreign population he