The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-20
TIE FIRST IRONCE1D.
A"foic exploits OF the Virginia IN ITamp-
ton Roads Putting a Floet to Flight.

sells Of war to break the blockade Ono
of thcso vovso,s ,,,na .,a -, ~>'o. nr O'0
oo '''S:'s was tle o'd Mef"tmac,
"ooucil snip OF 1iity guns, abandon
cd by the Federal forces. The Con-
tcdcratc government covered bcr with
iron p,otcs r,rn;,h,,, h-,. ,,.;,I, c''...
n;,,,- ;,,,,,, 80, '' '""'
.', ~ ''"' guns ana paced hcr
"''ucr commander buchanan. Her
availability was q cause of discussion
aud the ncwspaDcrs had obout conclu-
dcd TIM, ahc woso r,,nd n,,t I,nn,
,nn1n,o n,,u,,n,,.,', ,, c':., oo'1,
1 Wv, 90, .''",''..' '",'' l'i.i III ncr' ana
OIL Tie oth or March, 1862, steamed
out i'll quest of the Federal fleet. Like
some long warehouse adrift. with
blnckcncd roof and snhno,uo5 o,,nvo
III, o,,n. e,,o oe,,co,i,.. ''"'o
,"I n', ""' .s' s'io s'''oo'"'! c,e"'cs inc rul-
''oo waters oi Tic hoads. llcr machine
rv Is detective. This with her great
draught OF water renders her pro~rcss
slow-cspccjally so to tho thnr0
co,Jo nf s,oot,,ona I ~. 'o "
'po'"'''' WIN ilnc inc
s'oros ana "''af'cs' lo'low III vessels
ana crowd every housctop which gives
IL view Of the water. Above
this new enterprise IN n,ri-
time warfare noat tl,c Cnntnd-
crate ensign and Adm;,,I Frn,,l liz,
Duclanan's Dcnnnnt. IN, former ntt
and the latter forward. She hns fnr
escort the armed steam tuWs Brontnri
and Raleigh, of ono Gun cnch. PASS
ing Crnncy Island tic lcyiut]nu firms
into the south channel toward Nrw.
port News, where across thc sunlit
waters are seen the sailing friontns
Congress and Cumberland. uritinD
sea and sky in tangled frirzo of
spars ana ropes. Tie Viruinia prndu-
ally approaches the friuutcs, witch i'm
utter apathy Of indolcncc or brayudo
make no preparation for the impcnd-
ing fray. The clothinw of the scamcn
hangs in The rigging, the boats arc at
the booms and the cnsirns fold and
u:told themselves in lisllcss time TO
the monotonous splashing of tho water
AID chatting Of these naval stcrds at
their anchor curbs. There is, how
ever, considerable bustlc dis.rrn,hj,
Off to the right, where thc mcrIons of
Monroe baltlrmcut The horizou. corih-
Ell trnmcworks for thc wr;,n eilhn,,-
cites. which, opc,,-monthnd ',." etnrr
across the bav nt tho naval ~ fnnm,nn ,"
getting momeutorilv Curthor and
further out of rnn~r' IIudnr ,hnsn
guns, riding in tIc ron1str.d ''nv,o oro
amon" unncrous sm,,,1o" @ 1'',n'c"I, ',I,s.i,, "Ie,
sailing friigatc ST. Lawrence, rated for
IN nmris' nv, o", w., L,i , ',"a 81 nun; guns
nndEn % ~, "nd ~, j;not NV a,t"''i ir!sa,eS ho-
each. The slraftin" Of tho Pnonojrn ; 10
injured, which rcn1icrs thn nil nf i,n.s
necessary to move hcr. Turs toEo
her and the ST. Lowrcncn IL tow
while the NIinncsotm %cts % IN ~ stn,v,' '
and all move slowly un toworis s.,rhn
News" to render tLcir s;strr vcsscls
all the assistance in their nowcr' Tho
Minnesota alone is considered n motrh
for the untrird and ionm omt;.;motnI
"Ram," and arranmcmcnis hovc hocm
made for her to "rnm', thc strnn.
ger. Onward stcoms thc litilc
Confederate fleet for trial of IF bntti"
with the Congress and Cumbcrlomd
Of fifty and tWcntv-four guns rcsucrt,
iycly. '"' gums 'oSl''o'-
II ;s NOW ,;ttlo ocov o,.,,
r.on, H.: % Vol ~ ,t't ;at or t,oGc y GtocK; n
smoky coil leaps over the wator; an
elongated shell hurtlcs thron"h snocr'
and plunges into the LIQUID dcpths.
- nv Ioot!lC upkIVttCu makes no ClQn0C
ut "The News" nor do a shot or Two
from the Virginia's tug escorts hasten
them into activity.
THE c,,rnr,, ,>,,>
'o'.DH>''AND ALL A'WREcK.
Nearer Of the two frigatcs is Tho
Congress, but the Virginia stcams
ulrcctly for the Cumberland, whose
heavier guns render her tic moro
formidable enemy. Passing the form
or vessel at distance Of three h,n-
drcd yards the Virginia receives her
shottcd salute, the iron DRIFT falling
upon tho armor little more hcayilv
than so many snowtakcs, vet makin1
very little more impression. But F
draws Il return broadsidc with DAM
aging result, one shot alone disabling
all but one man at gun. Slowly but
surely the Virginia, unmoyed by the
heavy fire from the Congress and the
shore batteries, approaches the Cum
berlan1, and faster and faster docs
the Cumberland shower her metallic
hail. There is no gun in response:
the untricd beak is to be relied upon