Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1862-03-14
GREAT BATTLE t,
The Naval Actions in Hampton Roads

feace toDSIt~i was fais VI -'N't'
uavy-yard, with thousands Of cautious,
and some ships, left with them by the
treachery or imbeciii;y of Union officers.
Among the ships thus lost to US was the
Nerrimac, built IN 1880, Of 800 tons
burden aud 10 guns, which the Rebels
have been preparing for nearly year
They cut her down to near the water marx,
and plated all over her upper works iron
and steel scales or ribs, three inches thick,
with heavy projecting nose Of iron for
Tiercing auv obstacle She was armed
with eight ll-iuch navy guns, two loo
pound Armstrong guns, and 400 men.
Some time ago, the Renels gave out
(,o deludo the public, that "tbe Nerrimac
was failure" heavy, and wouldn't
work But, for some days past, their
svmpatbiyers in Baltimore and elsewhere
have been smiling and hinting that the
i Union cause was about TO receive great
shock. This, it now appears, Was this
splendid frisatc, remodelei with all the
care and expense they could bestow.
LAST SATURDAY., the ainphibious mon
ster came down from Norfolk, looking like
a submerged house with the roof only
above water and short smoke stack and
flagstaff She moved slowly on, when the
L 5 bloekading sloop, FsmSerlaR5, of
- guns, opened Ere, but her balls glanced
of with no apparent effect. All the
heavy brcaIside. raUed upon the Merri-
mac, drd not prevent her running her iron
PROV with tremendous force into the
Cumberland, laying open her side; the
Nerrimac then fired a troadsids dashed
again into the Cum berlani-and left her
sinking, her men getting eff as bes, ,hey
could.
Simultaneous with this, the iron clad
Rebel steamers .Jrn.esty,cn and YDrktorn
came down James river and engaged the
Union frigste Congress, Of 80 guns. The
'S' NV es'So 49, .O"HoS WIN, ecou
struck her coloEs, and the Rebels burned
her.
The Union !IiSates Minnesota and 81,
Laurence got up steam aud started for the
relief of our other vessels, and engaged the
Merrimac until dark. The Minnesota
aud ST Lawrence unfortunately got
aground, which prevented the crew Of the
former from boarding the Merrimas as
they intended.
1t is feared that the Cumberland lost
in killed, wounded, and drowned, one
hundred men. The officers of the Con-
gre.s were taken prisonsrs-bo privates.
During the engagement, the Union gun
boat Oregon was struck by the Merrimac
in her boiler, and was blown up. Our
Zouaye was also badly damaged.
4 Rebel guuboat was cut in two by the
Cum berland.
Lieut.. J. L. SMITH and 30 others were
probably los. on the Congress.
The FIGHT on SUNDAY began in the
ncrmng-tbe -u,aftor (Which arrived in
port the night befOre) went to the assis-
tauce Of the Minnesota, while the former
was attacked by the Merrimac, jamestown
aud Yorktown. After Eve hours of can
uonading-duripg which, some of the time,
L. N.n,,a. Mo.,,-,. b,j
each o,her-'he Mcrrimac (apparently in
sinking condition) was towed OF by her
c9nsorts into Norfolk barbor abou, noon,
careenipg TO one side, aud not reaching
its safe harbor until towards evening
The Minnesota is safe, although somewhat
injured.
The only person wounded on board the
Monitor was her Commander, JOHN S.
WoRDES, who was ipj ured while looking
ou. of portfolio for proper information.
He it is hoped is not badly hurt.
The Bohj,or came out Of the ,ontest IN
harmed, aud as her antagonist had to re-
tire the former is pronounced her master,
although the Monitor is much the smaller
vessel
Other vessels on each eide were m ore.or
less injured BY this singular fight, in which
both parties were surprised by the iron
plated vessels appearing, The Rebels had
an overwhelming advantage, the first day,
and did the most damage-but, at last,
victory fell on the Union side, and THE
MONITOR may bs the instrument fer
the reduction Of Norfolk, aunihilating the
las, hope of ,ha Rebels in that quarter.
Lieut., Jeffers now commands the Moni-
tor The Merrimac (or Virginia, as now
,alcd) is undergoing repairs.
The Rebels say the Monitor CLOCKS like
! Yankee cheese. box on q raft"
sU-The Hampton Roads struggle inau-
a.cs u new era in naval warfare. The =
ericsson it i. thought would be too heavy a
Or the British or French iron vessels 5
nd the STEVENS Battery it is claimed Is d
Dperior to Ericsson's But it is still a 1t