Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1863-04-25

| in Hampton Roads the naval forces collected
to aid the army in the attack on Yorktown;
in the second place-and this was the princi-
pal object-she deprived the Federal army Of
all the advantages which the possession Of the
James river would have secured to It for
campaign having Richmond for its base.
Undoubtedly, if the Merr;mac had gone
down into Hampton Roads. and had destroyed
the feet collected there, she would have eb.
tanned great result bnt all the chances
would not have been il her taserin ibis spfeg.
prise. In the first place, the MsyviMae x6un
have encountered the. Monitor. Alone. ssae
did not fear her The cannon Of the Mositet
had been powerless against her annor. and
would bs so again; but if the Merimac had
failed in her first encounter in sinking the
Monitor by running into her, she had taken
measures to be more successful another time.
The means adopted was a submarine spur; of
hammered iron, ten feet long, with which she
would infallbly have struck the hull Of the
Monitor beneath her iron cover. The lattsr
at the water level, and without water-tight
compartments, would have sunk - soon -
the water entered. But the Monitor would
have had new auxiliaries in this new struggle.
When the Merrimac first came out, when shs
was observed to be invulnerable to artillery,
and to make nothing of crushing the side Of
the Cumberland and of sinking that ill.fated
vessel it occurred to the Federal officers that,
in default of vessels of the same construction
and strength to oppose her, the best means Of
combating her would be to employ larg~
swift vessels, which could be collected to the
number Of five or six and hurled against her
as soon as she appeared. The engines Of
these ships once in motion, but FIVE or six res.
olute men would be needed to guide them.
Had the Merrimac appeared. they would have
rushed upon her with speed double her own.
AT least one Of them would have succeeded In
striking her in tho side, and she would cer-
tainly have sunk, for her cuirass was not 4
protection against shock of that kind or
she would have been struck behind, and her
screw derange1, in Which case the Mon;ttr
would have had her in her power. Other
precautions had been taken a network OF sub.
marine cordage had been stretched across thu
mouth of the Elizabeth river, and it would
probably have got entangled in the screw Of
the Merrimac, and would have paralyaed her
movements. All these things combined, but
especially the five or six large ships with
steam always up. and always on the watch.
like pack Of hounds awaiting the signal to
spring upon their pray, had made the confede.
rate authorities reflect. For my part. am
convinced that it the Mer,1mac had v4s,tured.
where alone her advsrsaries could get under
headway, into the deep waters, outside the
shoals which hinder the entrance to the James
and Elizabeth rivers, she would have gone
down in few minutes. The Federal oiicrrs,
feeling the Importance Of the result to be at.
tained, had fully resolved to sacrifice to 4
their vessels and their lives. .....'...'..
In word, the United States Navy could
prevent the 1ferrimac from advancing into
deep water, and, consequently, from interfsr-
Ing with the military operations of which The
York river was to be the theatre; bat the
Merrimac, on the other hand, stood in the wsy
of like operation in tho james river. In.
mense service rendered BY single ship w
have already seen how impossible il had been
to move forward the Army Of the Potounas
directly and by land from Washipgton 70
Richmond, in consequence Of ths breaking On
Of the railroads necessary to furnish Il with
supplies, and the long time it would have ~
quired to repair them. Here we sec the d.
rect route to Richmond by water obetruetsa
by vessel. a wreck happily rescued from
raised half burned from the bottom Of dock,
u
bold into formidable engine Of war. InstsaA
Of going rapidly up the James rivez to Rich.
mond with the escort and aid Of . powerful
6otilla. here was the Federal army compelled
to dissmbark in the midst Of great dangers at
Fortress Monroe to take the practicable bat
long and circuitous route BY way q Yssa
river. It had to 90 first to Yorktown. fosei-
bly, remove that obstacle, and then 70 up the
York and Psmuuksy rivers to the White
House. the head Of navigation. After lav.
ing that point, where it would lose the sup-
port Of the gun-boats, it would have 10 ID
vance along the York river railway. . Nd
fortunately without bridges. and therefore
hard to break up. but running through a an!
healthy region. with the formidable obttaclH
Of the Chickahominy barring the passaeo
few miles from Richmond. ~ .ss'.s.a.s
A sure and rapid operation was thus ehana.
ed into a long and hazardous ca,apaign. y
the loss, for short time, and at but one poini,
of the control Of tho water. The siIcsey e
iron-clad ships had bsen doubted. and kttls
account had been taken Of tha Aerissoe y.
fore she bacame known. These doubas wsss
cruelty punished. In the West, the Uaioa
armies were marching from success to suocsnss
thanks to the cooperation, energy, and sn1es,
prising spirit II the Navy; admirably sseaa1.
I'd BY the geographical formation Of IL eeao.
try. Here It was different; . single nsvul
battle gained by the confsdeiatosy Z a1ngls
unexpected blow struck By them iwas perhsne
TO paraly 70 the great Federal army, slzip 4
Of geographical advantages equal 10 tkaas
found In the West, and eonpVonis@ = st
lsast postpone, the success Of its epaalian6:
| A. - Al Al