, 1881-12-17
MONITOR AND MERRIMAC.
Ncco11cctlons of tho Fight by mn Ex-
Onlcer Of the lEcbcl Itnrtl-TlAc Morris
NUT Destroyed nj Her Dock by IIor
(.nfn uY n nINr

ttecOllcc1lOn9 Oh kn0 N1Hnt DF mn 1s9-
officer Of the lecbel ltnita-Tl,c Morri-
lnuc Destroyed nj Her Doclt by IIer
Commander.
10 the Editor Of Ihe CAcapo Tribune.
CHlCAOO. Dec. 16.-Wili you parlnIt Ill Ux-Con-
fedorato nasnl ofllccr who participated IN tho
engagement Mt Hampton No,ldo to contribute
bis testimony to tho very ia!r and Impartial nc
count you gkye Of TINT atrair III your issue OF
yesterday morning, under tho heading Of "Tho
Monitors Clnln for Prlzo. Money!?
This battle hcng tho tlist In which iron- plated
vessels wore used crcatod at tho t!mn grcat III
tcEett throughout the maritime world, anu rrac-
ttcnlly produced IL revolution 1n nIynl nrchl.
tcrturc-frotn wooden walls to Iron wnlls
since tho war tharo hlyo been wrItteu Rrcnt
mnny versions Of this "seA.tlght," lnorp or less
accurate. ycncrnly less accurato. And, as In
the cnso Of many other important evonts OF tho
wnr. tho public hNs been led and loft III q de-
plorAbse stato Ut ignorance Of facts.
III your article you stato that zone Ut the shots
from tho Monitor penetrated tho rams roof"
ThIs is mistake; not one of the sho,s frou. tho
500 guns fron tho trDt aud shoro bnttcrtcA that
were playing upon us pierced tho plating Of tho
biorrImae: md ny matter Of fact wo did not
lose nMn by tho direct n0t1on Of tho projcctIlcs
fred BY tho Monitor.
Some wcuks attcr tho combnt OF tho 9Th and
9th Of March. and whllo tha Mcrrinluu was ly,.,g
qulotiy At tho Navy. rurt ut Norfolk, tho Fed
oral .ieut, led by tho Monitor, commenced furi-
OuB botnbar.lsncnt of tho Confederate batteries
on scwcil's Point. As quickly III ptsAlblo stcntn
WIS r1&scd OIL tho Mcrrile, ind sllo tnutlp her
way to tho "front." ltefora wa cuuld get within
rasKu the cnIro t!cct. Including nur gallant it,
tie Monitor and annthcr iron. clad-.liu Gnicnn-
Withdrew to thefr anchorage, cluae under tho
guns ut Fortress Mul!rur Atii III persuasion Nr
dtliuilc1 vi our lutrt served to bFtng them out,
or eyels to exeharlue shoss With uA.
Ibfs cbAllhngu WIS witnessed by several Eli
E!tsh and French nen-o wnr. ntt ns VIC steamed
past them WI received repeated ghrutd trOn
the!r decks. prnmpted, Ut cuutsD by tho defiant
i't,ik invitation wins repeated subsequently
with tho stIuu nencctlAl result.
Tho Confederate army hkrnY fnlien back hc-
ioru THO advance nf Mcclellan OH tho penillsil-
n, reNllercd necessary tho evacuation Ut Nnr-
therefore. nuth,nx lift US hut 10 destroy nur
1l'ct or escape up tho lAnps lliytr The hitter
c01rto wis decided upon; but. Rttpr throwing
1t WIS found tho shi, stIll drew tio lti,,ct, WI.
TER to hscci'd Tint rlscr. md on tho night 1T tho
1'1h ot MHy. lass, Khp wis blown up rnthor thAll
SURRENDER hrr tn tho e,ic,,,y.
hundd Of her 5rtetttt!
THO writer or this. theil 1nitlshiptnan left tho
snip IL GhlFGe or tho lust lIAt, md fvtN,nbcrs
ibo nifrct,nx aconu when her gailnlIt Old CON.
ta" ann"f SsatsHS'i! .. stsnnsd n'o blu bout aud
This nrtirla Is intended sooly to supplement
yolr r4tnxulary lttciirnte nccgutlt nt nj Gvcnt III
our coniIl1t1b history which hlS lutu so Gtlnly
understood: anu with 10 disposition to ilitrur.
nKu ar detrhet from tho rv,,s'wn VI Capt, Wur.
unh and his brave uruv, who, Though tbay did
iiot destroy nr eyen hcat th1 b!arriana, fought
thttr snip Win the utmost Nnllnit ry-aHd car.
tniny thsci fEbln teHtruHtloll tAu Aplenult frtX-
uiS Minnesota aud other ships or their squadron.
Your c0no!ualon thnt it wnB u 4lrnwn battle ID
not incorrect. II. IL. MAnMAnukk.