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

mentous events of the war Of the rebellion,
and the beginning Of new era in the his
tory OF naval warfare. Lieutenant Jones,
who was brilliant officer Of our navy, RANK
Ing with Dahlsreuc as an authority i'll ordi-
nance and gunncry, took the side of the
South during tho war. 1t was he who COM
manded the Merrimac, 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 S,h Of March,
| 1SG2, tho imp,oviscd iron clad Merrimae,
whose appearance had long been anticipated
aud dreaded, steamed down the Elizabeth
River toward Newport NGHs. Ec. uppsSs
ancc was speedily sigualled to the Union
blockading squadron in that neghborhood,
which consisted of the frigatc Congress aud
the sloop-ofwar Cumberland at Newport
News, and the frigates Minnesota, Roanoke
and st. Lawrence, ut Fortress Monroe, six
miles distant. Lieutenant Catesby Jones
was in command OF the Merrimac, which
had been made into an armored vessel by
razccing to the water line the o!d and famous
frigate Alerrimac, then lying abandoned at
the Norfolk Navy Yard, and building up on
her an 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 absurdly weak armor nova. a.days-
Her battery consisted Of eight 9.inch Dahl
green guns, and four 7!-inch rifles of the
Brooke pattcru-a powerful armament fox
that time.
The fleet at Fortress Monroe slipped their
cables and advanced toward the monster,
while the Congress and Cumberland stood
ready to meet her. The three ships were
soon engaged in hot fight; but our vessels
saw to their dismay that theil shots had no
more effect on the terrible Confederate than
peas on an elephants hide, while the Mer-
rlmac poured forth her broadsidcs with dis.
astrous consequences to the wooden ships
The fight was short one, the Mcrrimac
soon striking and sinking the Cumberland
whose gallant crew went down with her
Tho successful vessel then paid her attcn-
tions to the Congress, dealing out to her :;
raking fire of hot shot, for the heating OF
which Lieutenant Jones had prepared
furnace aboard the Mcrrimac,. which was
nnharmcd by the shells Of the wooden fri
gate Ihe Congress was soon in flames, and
the Mer. .imac made for tho other vessels,
but owing to her great draught Of water WAS
unable to get near enough to them to do
thom injury; and at seven in the evening
the Confederate iron. clad and her consorts
steamed back to Norfolk. Lieutenant Jones,
in an account Of the battle, which he pub
lished long after, says he was satisfied with
the days work, rs well he might have been,
and had no doubt Of his ability to start out
on the morrow and clean out the rest of the
Union fleet Meantime panic prevailed.
at Fort Monroe, aud the whole country
held it's breath =
But Lieut.. Jones did not do any moro
cleaning out. At o'clock in the evening
there appeared of Fort Monroe a 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 aud untried,
turrots, machinery aud 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, exccpt the
two engineers, know nothing, by experience,
OF her working or capabilities. At o'clock
on tho morning of the 9th, Sunday the
atch-oticer Of the Minnesota cspicd tho
Merrimac steamiug toward them from Sew.
alrs Point, while the mist overlaid the
water. Tho Monitor was signalled, and
promptly hoisted anchor, battened down her
iron matches, and prepared for her maiden
hight. The Merriuac hove in sight, and at
once made for the Minnesota, which she in.
tended to capture and carry off as prize
to Norfolk, where crowds lined the wharyes,
waiting to see her towed into the harbor in
triumph. But, before the Minnesota was
reached, the little monitor came out from
under her quarter, and David advanced tb
meet Goliath. She ran down to within
short range ofthe Merrmac, which promptly
gave her turret three broadsides, but theS
glanced off without doing harm. The Mod
ltor replied with her two eleven-inch guns,
and, beginning at o'clock, the naval duel
proceeded, lasting until noon, the two con.
testants frequently touching each other, and
sending their shot at SO close quarters, while,
through q large part Of the fight, they were
only few yards apart In tho excitement,
the Monitor at first fired wildly, so elcvating
her guns that most of the missiles were vast,
cd, but, later, the guns wero depressed, and
the shot began to tell. Mortally woundSd,
the Merrimac was towed to Norfolk, where