Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-07
unprotected, and with no nsans Of 70 novsl

unprotected, and with no means Oh 70 noSsi
The success Of the Nsrrimack gavshe the
control of the Roads. and If she cc9n ct
saGeient elevatioelt4o - Eona, she - ~
ability % shell! I'D dparcy ~ vast vtores
o. on our part - res her.
Cant. Van Desnt, epmmaading ~ Min
nesota. throuSh LisaE GfsS1un. lse officer.
reported at hsad-q esfters. the rs1ult Of
their engagement. and. as all efforts to get
her aAost had failed, it was proposed to
land part of her crew Ito save unnecessary
slaughter) Eight her 70 the last, and In an
emergency blow her up. The surviving
officers Of the crew Of tho Cumberiand snd
the Congress bad been brought into the
fort, and volunteered 70 ssRve our gum
The garrison was, therefore. reduced to
about eight hundred men, the magazines
from the bay side banked up with earth
from the parade. and made secure, and
every precaution tskento stand sheiiing
About O'Clock, p. m, Port captain
Milwsrd reported at head quarters that the
iron-clad Monitor had been signsled enter
ing the Roads, and was dropping anoeor ~ -
the Horseshoe Gen. Wool ordered the
writer to take an armed tug, and report to
her commander the result Of the days con-
fict and tho perilous condition OF the MIN
nesota. aIi
| boarded her about 1880 p. M. finding
the news anticipated from the neet, anu
Capt Worden, with An overworked crew
| from her periloas passage. was about lItting
| anchor to 90 up to the Minnesota. We re-
manned alongside until she got under way,
with her guns shotted and her men at quar-
tiers. She reached the Minnesota about one
o'clock, without seeing the Merrlmack.
Thus closed to us sadly eventful day
Sunday morning 18th march, opened
with low fog hanging over the waters /,
about o clock column OF black smoke
was visible off Jewels Point, and soon after
the top of the smoke-stack OF the Merrl-
mack appeared the fog dissipated, and
a calm, cloudless, warm Sunday broke upon
us not q breath of air disturbed the wa
tiers. and the singular transparency OF tho
atmosphere rendered objects distinct for q
great distance from our elevation on the
ramparts.
Immediately after the clearing OF the
fog the Rebel fleet. consisting OF the Merrill
mack, two side-wheel steamers. and two
gunboats (screws), got under weigh. stand
ing up the river, and opened tire on the
Minnesota, the latter briskly returning the
fire. The Monitor stood out under the bow
of the Minnesota and bore down on the Mer-
rimack, opening her battery at about hall
mile range The Rebel wooden consorts
soon determined that it was an entertain
ment they were not invited to. and took
refuge under their shore batteries. Thus
comm enced this grand naval duel, witnessed
by more than 40 600 armed men on either
shore, no one Of whomwas insensible to the
results of this mighty combat. The engage
ment between tho iron-clads cOntlnu cd
at close quarters for about two hours,
broadsides being frequently exchanged. as
appeared to the observer, with the vessels
almost in contact, and without advantage
TO either. After close and :apid counter
ing. the vessels separated. the Monitor
steaming up the river toward the Minneso-
ia and followed for a short distance by the
Merrimack but she soon stopped and was
approached by two Of the consorts, hiring,
meanwhile. having been suspended Inc
Monitor remained out of action for half
an hour or more. With our glasses we
could sec men on her deck about the pilot
house, and. as afterwards appeared, she
had received a shot which broke one OF the
wrought-iron logs Of the pilot house, the
same shot wounding Capt. Worden this
injury was the cause of her retiring from
action, but it was soon ascertained not to
be vital, and she again bore down upon the
Merrlmaek. The latter, it appeared, had
got aground, but tl0ated before the M0nl-
tor came up with her The Monitor re-en-
gagged and forced the fight. BY LAYING
athwart the stern Of the Merrimsck, deliy-
ing her fire rapidly and with telling effect,
a. with our glasses We could see that the
Merrimack was settling by the stern. The
Merrimsck unable to shake her OF or to stand
the pounding, commenced the retreat to
Norfolk then went up the excited ex-
clsmation of the officers on the ramparts
"She is sinking - and the apostrophe OF
the late Capt. Talmadge, tour chief quarter
MASTER, "she sticks to her like king
bird TO a hawk quantity illustrating the
intrepid action of the little two-gun raft. a.
she out-iought champion which "a hours
before CONFUSED the nation and astonished
the world by her achievements. The Moni-
tor pursued the Merrimack until she wa.
brought under the FIRE Of the Rebel batter
les. and then retired with her purpose &C
c0mplished.
At the invitation of Capt Fox. Assistant
Secretary, boarded the Monitor before her
decks were cleared. The ships company
were mustered. and the Secretary made q
brief and forcible address to the officers aud
crew. thanking them, in the name Of the
Department. Tor their gallantry and sue
cess, and inquiring if any special act oil
gsllsntry had been exhibited. Lieut. Green
replied that all had done their duty. but II
any one WAS conspicuous it was the quar-
ter master. who had steered the ship aud
never left the wheel during the engagement.
and was by Worden's side when he wa.
wounded The Secretary ordered this man
to step forward. complImented him on his
stesdiness and courage. and asked him II he
would like promotion. This young fellow
was Dane. singularly modest. and so over
come by the recognition that he could not
lind his voice TO reply. Lieut.. Green. see
ing his embarrassment repeated the Ssereta-
rvs question, when aside and IN "a low
voice he said something which Lieut.. Green
repeated ''lle says, Sir. he would like the
Master 10 give him a paper, which. inter
preted, meant that he would like written
acknowledgement that he had d1no his duty.
The Secretary replied. YES. my lad. you
shall have that paper. and you are boat
swain"
The Secretary received a verbal repor,
from Lieut. Green OF the fight and his i'm
preston as to the injury inflicted on the
Merrimack. stating that the Monitor was
ready to go into action again. excepting
only strengthing the pilot house. Is was
Lieut.. Green's opinion that the Monitors
charges and shot did not penetrate the
armor Of the Merrimack. and he asked if
he should increase the charge and use the
wrought iron shot, in case she came out
again. The Secretary replied. you know
| Commodore Dahlgren has limited the ser
vice charge of the guns. aud such are the
orders of the Department but if | was
fighting ship and found nv ammunition
Ineffective, and had something better, |
should try 1t in the emergency.
Thus closed the sth of March. 1872, with
disaster OF one day changed into success
which assured US q control of our waters
to the end of the contest.
The following day. went up to Washing
ton a. bearer of dispatches, with the Sec
Rotary. lis estimate of the fight was, that
1t had been nearly equal. but had not the
Nsrrimaek rotreated the Monitor would
have sunk or captured her, and that the
Monitor must be held to act strictly on the
defensive until we had moro of the same
machines.
Burlington. VT. October -, 1875
The Portland and Ogdensbarx Railroad.
OPENING OF THE SECOND DIVISION BETWEEN
PORTLAND AND JOHNSON
The first through train over the Portland
and ogdensburg railroad, between johnson
VT, and Portland, left the former place
Wednesday morning at quarter after
O'Clock, connecting at St. Johnsbury at
$50. and Lunenburg, on the Connecticut
River. at 1910 a. ID. Between the latter
point and the Fsbyan House. in Carroll. N.
H.. the trains run on the track Of the Bos-
ton. Concord and Montreal railroad, under
contract recently entered into by the two
corporations. The junction with the Port