The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-07-27
THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE MONITOR AND
THE MERRIMAC

|
and the beginning Of new era in the his
tory Of naval warfare. Lieutenant Jones,
who WAS brilliant oiicer Of our navy, rank
ing with Dahlsrcue as an authority in ordi-
uance and guunery, took the side of the
South during tho war. 1t was he who COM
manded the AIerrimac, or Virginia, as she
WAS called by the Coulederatcs, in her fam
GUS fight with the Mouitor, and that is the
event to which We refer.
On the afternoon OK the Sch Of March,
| 1862, the imp,ovised iron clad Merrimae,
whose appearance had long been anticipated
aud dreaded, steamed down the Elizabeth
River toward Newport NGWs. Hex appo!sr
ancc was speedily sigualled to the Union
blockading squadron in that neighborhood,
which consisted oi the frisatc Congress and
the sloopoEwar Cumberland ut Newport
News, aud the frigates Minnesota, Roanoke
and st. Lawrence, ut Fortress Monroe, six
niles distant Lieutenant Catcsby Jones
was in command OF the Merrimac, which
had been made into an armored vessel by
razcc:ng to the water line the o!d and famous
frigatc Mcrrimac, then lying abandoned at
the Norfolk Navy Yard, and building up on
her IN iron easement to protect her battery.
This shield was in the form of q roof, and
the plating, which was of railroad bars, was
four inches thick, which would be consider
ed IN absurd!y weak armor now-a.days.-
Her battery consisted Of eight 9.inch Dahl.
green guns, and four 73-inch rifles Of the
Brooke patteru-a powerful armament for
that time.
The fleet at Fortress Monroe slipped their
cables and advanced toward the monster,
,,l,,l u fIa 4
ready to meet her. The three ships wcre
soon engaged in a hot fight but our vessels
saw to their dsmay that theil shots had no
more effect on the terrible Confederate than
peas Gu an elephants hide, while the NIer-
rimac poured forth her broadsidcs with dis.
astrous consequences to the wooden ships.
The fight was short one, the Mcrrmac
soon striking and sinking the Cumberland,
whose gallant crew wcut down with her
The successful vessel then paid her a,tcn-
tions TO the Congress, dealing out to her Il
raking fire Of hot shot, for the heating OF
which Lieutenant Jones had prepared
furnace aboard the Mcfrimac, which Vas
unh"rmca by the shells Of the wooden fri
gate. The Congress was soon in flames, and
the Nler. imac made for the other vessels,
but owing to her great draught OF water was
unable to get near enough to them to do
them injury; and at seven in the evening
the Confederate iron-clad and her consorts
steamed back to Norfolk Lieutenant Jones,
in IN account Of the battle, which he pub
lishcd long after, says he WAS satisfied with
the days work, rs we'll he might have been,
and had no doubt Of his ability to start out
on the morrow and clean out the rest Of the
Ion l,l
at Fort Monroe, and the whole country
held its breath.
But Lieut.. Jones did not do any moro
cleaning out At 8 o'clock in the evening
there appeared of Fort Monroe strange
looking little craft, which, two days before,
had left New York. 1t was the Monitor,
an experiment in naval construction, in
which every thing was new and untried,
turro.s, machinery and all. Her guns had
been only once fired she had gone to sea
from the stocks; the paint upon her was
scarcely dry, and her officers, except the
two engineers, knew nothing, by experience,
Of her working or capabilities At G O'Clock
on the morning of the 9th, (Sunday,) the
watch-ofGcer Of the Minnesota cspicd tho
Merrimac steamiug toward them from Sew
alps Point, While the mist overlaid the
water The Monitor was signallcl, and
promptly hoisted anchor, battcned down her
iron hatches, and prepared for her maiden
light. The Merri'iac hove in sight, and at
once made Tor the Minnesota, which she in
tended to capture and carry of rs prize
to Norfolk, where crowds lined the wharyes,
waiting to see her lowed into the harbor in
triumph. But, before the Minnesota was
reached, the little monitor came out from
under her quarter, and David advanced To
meet Goliath. She ran down to within
short range OF the Merrmac which promptly
gave her turret three broadsidcs, but they
glanced oil without doing harm. The Mod
itor replied with her two eleven-inch guns,
and, beginning ut O'clock, the naval duel
proceeded, LISTING until noon, the two con-
testants frequently touching each other, and
sending thcir shot at SO close quarters, while,
through large part Of the fight, the were
only few yards apart. In the excitement,
the Monitor at first fred wildly, SO clcvating
her guns that most Of the missiles were vast
ed, bat, later, the guns were depressed and
the shot began to tel. Nlortally wound&,
the Mcrrimac was towed to Norfolk, where
she soon sank. If the Monitor had known,
what was subsequently proved, that hsf,
cicven-inch guns could stand charge Of
thirty pounds of powder with solid shot, ins
stead OF the small charge she used, the fate
o. the Mcrrimac wOul have hsan loc;da1