The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-06-17


were heavy spars about her bows, probably
to ward off torpedoes, through which we
had to break before reaching the side of the
| ship. The noise OF the crashing timbers was
| distinctly heard above the din OF battle.
There was no sign of the hole above water.
commenced to careen- The shock to us on
striking was slight. We Immediately
backed the engines. The blow was not re-
peatcd. We here lost the prov, and
had the stem slightly twisted. The
Cumberland fought. her guns gal
water. She went down braTely, with her
colors flying. One of her shells struck the
sill of the bow port and exploded; the frsg
ments killed two and wounded number.
Our after-nine inch gun was loaded and
ready for firing, when its muzZle was struck
by shell, which broke Is off and fired the
gun. Another gun had its muzzle shot off;
it was broken so short that at each subse-
quent discharge its port was set on Are.
The damage to the armor was slight. Their
fire appeared to be aimed at our ports. Had
ii been concentrated at the water-line we
would have been seriously hurt, if not sunk
Owing to the ebb tide and our great drsft
we could not close with the Congress with
out first going up stream and then turn
ing, which was q tedious operation, be-
sides sutjectiDg us twice TO the full fire OF
the batteries, some of which we silenced.
We were accompanied from the yard by the
tugs Beaufort, Lieutenant Commander w.
II. Parker and RALEIGH, Lieutenant Com
mander j.. w. Alexander. As soon as the
firing was heard up James river the Patrick
Henry, Commander John K. Tucker,
jamestown, Lieutenant-C Commander j. n.
Barney, and the tug Teaser, Lieutenant
Commander w. A. Webb, under command
of Captain John X. Tucker, stood down The
river, Joining Us about 4 O'CLOCK. All these
vessels were gallantly fought and handled,
and rendered valuable and effective service.
The prisoners from the Congress stated that
when on board that ship it was seen that we
We're standing mp the river, that three cheers
were given under the impression that we
had quit the fight. They were soon unde-
ceived. When they saw US heading down she
stream, fearing the fate Of tine Cumberland,
they
SLIPPED THEIR CABLES,
made sail, and ran ashore bows Oh. Ws
took position off heg quarter and opened
a deliberate fire. Very few of her guns
bore on us, and they were soon disabled.
The other batteries continued to play on Us,
as did the Minnesota, then aground about
one and one-half miles off. The st. Law
| renee also opened on us shortly after.
There was great havoc on board the Con-
gress. She was several times on fire. Her
gallant commander, Lieutenant Joseph b.
Smith, was struck in the breast by the frsg-
ment of a shell and instantly killed. The
carnage wss frightful. Nothing remained
but to strike their colors, which they did
/ They hoisted the white flag, halfmasted, at
| the main and at The spanker gaff. The
Beaufort and Raleigh were ordered to burn
her They went alongside and received sew
earal of her officers and some twenty of her
men as prisoners. The officers urgently asked
| permission to assist their wounded out OF
| the ship. 1t was granted. They did not re-
1 frtr A 6ro nf mn "
| shore killed some of the prisoners and forced
/ t.ne tugs to leave. a boat was sent from the
Virginia to burn her, covered by the Teaser.
A fire was opened on them from the shore
| and also from the Congress with both OF her
! white flags flying, wounding Lieut.. Minor
and others. We replied to this outrage
| upon the usages of civilized warfare by re-
| opening on the Congress with hot SHOT and
| incendiary shell. Her crew escaped by boats
as did that of the Cumberland. Canister
and grape would have prevented it; but in
neither case was any attempt made 20 stop
them, though it has been otherwise stated
| possibly from our firing on the shore or at the
Congress. We remained near the Congress
to prevent her recapture. Had she been
retaken it might have been said that the
fag-officer permitted it, knowing that bis
brother was an officer of that vessel. The
Patrick Henry received shot from the
shore in one of her boilers, and had to bt
towed out OF the fight. She, however, sOor
returned, and was again hotly engaged. a
distant and unsatisfactory fire was at times
had at the Minnesota. The gunboats als'
engaged her. We fired canister and crap,
occasionally in reply to musketry from tn
shore which had become annoying. Abou
this time the flag-officer was badly wounde'
bv a rifle ball, and had to be carried below
His bold, daring and intrepid conduct VOL
the admiration of AL on board. The execu
tive and ordnance officer, Lieutenant Gates
| hxrA IOnQc ClIa0QonQd N n
: The action continued until dusk, when W
were forced TO seek an anchorage. The Cor
gress was
RIDDLED AND ON FIRE.
A transport steamer was blown up.
schooner was sunk and another captured
We had to leave without making a seriou
; attack on the Minnesota, though we fired {
\ her as we passed on the other side of tt
Q middle ground, and also at the So. Law
q renee The latter frigate fred at us b
. broadsides-not a bad plan for small cal
t bres against iron-clads, il concentrated.
a was too dark to aim well. We anchored o
}. our batteries at Sewell Point. The SQUAD
i ron followed. The Congress continued
q burn. "She illuminated the heavens, an
varied the scene by the firing of her ow
n guns, the flight of her balls through the air,
q until shortly after midnight, when m
l. magazine exploded and a column
9 the air, to be followed by Il
:, stiffness of DEATH" Extract from report
n Gen. Mansfield, u. s. A. One of the pilo
If cnanced about IL P. NJ. TO be looking in Il
> direction of the Congress, when there passe
I. a strange looking craft, brought out in bo
l. relief by the brilliant light of the burnin
> ship, which he at once proclaimed to be ii
At Ericsson. We were, therefore, not surprise
,d in the morning to the see the Monitor
g anchor near the Minnesota. The latter sh
ir was still aground. Some delay occurrt
ID from sending our wounded out of the shil
TO we had but one serviceable boat left. A.
Or miral Buchanan was landed at Sewell Poin
,e ASA NJ we got under way, as did Il
20 Patrick Henry, jamestown and Teas
" We stood towards the Minnesota al
t. opened fire on her. The pilots were to ha'
Or placed us half mile from her, but we we
ii not at any time nearer than q mile. IL
a. Monitor commenced firing when about
y. u, y O