Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-14
A SCRAP or HISTORY

yyg5rr- reiterates false s-Aleiheht " ""ic'
b = l.,,,, .fro,,IafaI eAlensIveiy by north
p -. IN, nsperz. which, if allowed to go uu
c,ntrsdicrad. may find lis way into his
tor, as truth. II is 10 the effect that ol
the second days fight at Hampton
Poadz fine Nfrrimac was driven of b.
. the Monitor. We feel called upon 10 cor
rect the statement by giving the 1acts a
they occurred under our own obserya
ton. In order to present them in con
racted form. We shall give a brief nara
five OF the occurrences Of the two days
ss they remain impressed on our mem
ory:
ON the Slh Of March, 1862. there salieI
forth from the ruins of the Norlolk navy
ward. an experimental vessel al
fr,nrovfsrd iron clad, the ole
AIsrrimac reconstructed ana haih5t
Virginig. She was commanded by
an GII naval officer, Franklin Bu'
chanan. a citizen of Maryland. The
neonIa of two cities thTonged thell
rssl,actfve wharves and bade the vesse
- cod susedn as she steamed past IN the
narrow channel. She was going on hel
trisI trim. Every one on board, but one
tbougbt she would return to the navy
ward after size had made simple LIial o.
her machinery. "Wear getting pretty
near the enemy only TO try our engines
was the thought OF officers ana men, a7
they found themselves below the OBJ
strnctioUs. and still no signs OF return
inc. Faces were turned Inqurlngly To-
ward the Old commander. he was
walking up and down the deck, convers-
ing with officers near him. auu looklbs
entirely too uncOncerned 10 mean
fght:'i and yet the vessel Is getting
painfully near the enemy. The l@Jtei
are plainly visible now. On loMaIu Tue
left. under the land batteries at Newport
News. are seen looming up the great
black hul!s of the Congress and Cumoer-
land. There are seventy heavy guns
peeping through the poTt-hdS OF those
vessels. and a thousand trained gunuer-
stand behind them. Well, the Virginia
has ten such guns, and two hundred men
around them. To be sure they are pro-
tected by armOr, but no one knows
whether It viii prove effective or noL
Almost directly ahead of the vessel,
between the Rip RapS and Fortress Mon
roe. are seen the frigates st. Lawrence
Colorado and Minnesota-vessels carry
ing batteries of fifty guns each. some
half dozen gunboats are also there.
The Virginia, by this time, Is heading
direct for Newport News. There Is heard
a sound OF the drum, and It's roll has
hardly ceased, ere the crew are al Jhelr
stations and the ship is resdy Tor Dalue'
"It begins TO look as II the old man
means TO tigbtu All doubt concerning
That is soon removed. Coming down on
the lower deck and calling his crew
around him, Buchanan addresses them
in brief and eloquent language. ihey
responded with three hearty cheers aud
return to their guns. Nothing IS heard
now but the ominOus creoklng OF TIE
engine and the jaIing sound O! the shalL.
I Nothing till the silence Is broken uy the
sound Of a gun. 1t comes from a tug
boat. commanded by Lieut.. Parker, Mhg
Is coming on asteTn, aud who has bred
without orders. \ little more time
elap4e- when there comes a sound as II q
Young volcano had broken loose. II
comes from the broaaside OF the Con
gre-s-ouly fifty yards OIL. there are
few moments OF smoke and coulusion'
orders given by the wave OF the hahdt
rrrOiliug of guns, and passing oil oeau
and wounded below decks. The smoke
mas scarcely ua--ed away, when there j,
81 vibration throughout the ships frame
lthat almost throws her crew from thelI
feet. Those iB the after part OF the yes
sci look euguiringly at one another
TheirGuubt is soon relieved blythe cheers
of those stationed forward. "Ihe Gum
brrlaud is sunk ~ Backing out from
her victim, tine Virginia turned, took hei
station under the stern OF the Congress
which vessel had ran aground ia al
tempting 30 escape, and forced her L.
surrender. This is very good Tor one
Iay.H remarked one of tae officers tt
/ Catesbv Jones, the executive officer, a.
the latter passed along the deck. " -
ar,n replied Jones, " hut IL is only be
gun. There are three more TO lighL.
The St. Lawrence, Minnesota aud Colo
RADIO were then on their way up. Ihel
were too late.
As night came on, the Virginia with
drew from the scene Of her victory, re
ceiyed without replying TO the hTe OF Ih'
| Minnesota and the ~. Lawrence, an
chored under the Confederate guns a
Sewelps point, and sent her dead an,
wounded on snore-amOng the latter he
5 noble commander, who was shot by
sharpshootpr on shore, while standing ol
the deck of his vessel directing the re
moval Of the officers and crew OF the Con
. gress, previous TO her destruction
Among the former was bis own brother
The early light of the next day shOwe'
| the quiet waters of the Roads rollin
where the two frigates had lately fioated
e. the Minnesota aground "a few miles oil
and a new and uuc0uth looking actO
entered on the sceue-the Monitor.
y Il had been discovered during the nigh
| that the Virginia was leaking badly be
brow, which was under water, haVin
been Wrenched OFT and there being seN
eral shot holes in her hull below In
armor. In spite Of this, hOwgFer, wheI
| with daylight, the condition Of the enc
I, nv was asCertained, it was determine
by the commander OF the Virginia
attack the Minnesota with the purpose
destroying her. Proceeding then to taE
W. her position as near to the Minnesot
ss she dared venture without getun
. aground, the Virginia poured her 10
into that vessel at long range. To To
point the Monitor yentured out in orde
todiyert the fire from her helpless col
% sort, aud right uObly did she perform ht
For two or three hours the duel WI
kept up; the two vessels % close L
refher al times that person might baN
stepped from one to the other. Once Il
$ Virginia struch the Monitor with h,
disabled PROV, and had not her engin'
been stopped purPose!y; would, witho'
doubt, have passed entirely oyer he
l., The Monitor finally retired in slep'
from the fight, and after that event q
A / Virginia kept up her fire on the Nh
- nesOta for a full half hour, without r
}. ceiving any reply. Deeming that he hS
done all that it was possible 10 effect
such long range, the Monitor entire
out Of reach Of his guns, and the Mi
..g--fa 9flanF and nrrnFpnttu a nOnEle
4 wreck, the commander of the Virgin
after consultation with his officers, q
termined to return 10 Norfolk, and I
\, pair the damages received in the hr
days fight. This was accordingly don
-i- lei-urely, and amid a silence Unbrok'
=. by the vessel that is said to have caus'
M the Withdrawal.
il was afterward ascertained by pu
- ished report Of the commander OF u
n. | Minnesota, that had the Virginia cont
ued her fire fifteen minutes longer,
would have blown up his vessel, whi'
, he was, at the time, preparing to aba
don. He was forced To thi- step. he say
- in effect, because the Monitor had retir
after falling to divert the fire from hi
The report is on klle at the ma
rs department, aud if the inquirer has Al
" disposition 10 tell the truth, It will
4. consulted.
de
ol At a recent ball given at DelmonicC
4 young and beautiful married lady
- peared i'm one of the neW-fashiOned b
dresses which are now worn short, Ii
~ the street dresses. The dress consist
Of a pink silk underskirt which j
touched the top Of the shoes, which W,
rs of pink kid, buttoned up over the ank
with white buttons. over the pink s
III was shorter skirt, Of white tul
he trimmed with pink satin pipings. I
70 hair was dressed very high, and orr
~ mented with a wreath of Wild roses,
center Of each rose containing a diane
i.a i Of great brilliancy. The dress was mi
NV a Partisan dressmaker, aud, il IS ne
= - .firanlal "A nrraaN .InaI