The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-10
The Monitors.

From the Baltimore American June "a.
Despite the effort to disparage these gal
liant little vessels, they continue, whenever
the opportunity is given them, to strike
irresistible blows at the rebellion. The &C
count we give this morning of the conflict
of the Weehawken with the Atlanta, which
was believed to be the most powerful IRON
clad in the possession of the enemy, will
place them still higher in the estimation of
the country but the GROWING work they
have yet to perform is the reduction of
Fort Sumter and the humbling of the proud
and traitorous South Carolinians. That
they will be equally successful in that great
undertaking, when directed by those whose
heart and soul are in the work, we have as
little doubt, and we think that such is the
general expectation of all unprecedented
minds in the country.
Mr. Ericsson and the Secretary of the
Navy have cause to congratulate them
selves on this new victory Of the Monitors,
and can now claim the Merrimac, the
Nashville and the Atlanta as evidences of
their efficiency in naval warfare. Their
success in reducing Notifications is yet to
be fully demonstrated, and the day is rap
Sipil d lull JCSt VI lLCil
powers on the stout walls of Sumter.
We learn that passenger from Charles
ton to Nassau, captured On a blockade
runner, and who arrived in Philadelphia a
few days since, on the gunboat Massachu-
sets, gave some interesting facts to his
fellow passengers in relation to the attack
on Sumter by Admiral Dupont, freely eX-
pressing the opinion that had the Monitors
continued in position twenty minutes longer
the fort would have been compelled to sur
render. He stated that seven of our shot
penetrated the wall, and that two of them
went entirely through, spending their force
against the rear wall. The corner of the
fort facing the channel was also greatly in
iured, so much so as to be cracked from
base to summit. On the day after the
battle, when he went down on one of the
steamboats, that were moving to the fort
from Charleston, he found that sheets of
canvas were nailed over these holes to pre-
vent the officers on our vessels from seeing
the amount Of damage they had inflicted.
The fact that the walls were surrounded
with scatfolding for month after the fight,
and men constantly at work, as seen by our
blockaders, is an evidence of the truth of
these assertions We, however, have
higher testimony than this as to the truth
fulness of his statement, which we are
gratified to know is in possession of the
Government, and will some day, probably,
be given to the public, in making up this
chapter of the history of the rebellion.
The persistence with which the Secretary
of the Navy has adhered to the Monitor
system of iron clads, despite the storm OF
professional prejudice directed against
them, is a fortunate thing for the country.
The Keokuk was a deviation from the
Ericsson principle, to meet the views of
naval critics, and her career was short, and
her end most summary. She was failure
at first sight to all who examined her con-
struction, in view of the force and weight
of modern projectiles. So, also, we fear
the Roanoke, which is another deviation
from the low-deck Ericsson Monitors, will
prove failure, unless her heavy armament
should enable her to overpOwer her oppo-
nent before many blows On her broad hull
have been received.