The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-01
STORY OF. PIE MERRrMAC.
Tho Career of the Famous Confederate
IropClad.
From Mc PHILADELPHIA Times.


Iropclad.
From nc PHILADELPHIA Times.
When the Federals abandoned the
navy yard at Norfolk, in 1861, they set
ire to the vessels lying there in ordinary.
Among these was the Merr;mac, one OF
a class of vessels which, when they were
built, were considered the finest speoi.
mems OF naval architecture afoat. On
the occasion in question the Merrimac
was burnt to the water.line. Her ma
chinery remained intact and it was de-
termined by the Confederate authorities
to make Of what remained of her an
ironical ram that might give some troE.
bic to the cnemy's vessels lying in the
waters OF Virginia. A structure of oak,
sloping like the roof Of house, was
Guilt upon the old hulk, and this wood
work was covered nth plates of wrought
iron two inches thick. Tho ends of
these plates, where they rested on the
edge of the old hulk, extended about q
foot under water. Below that line the
vessel was vulnerable as she had ever
been. The rudder chains, too, were per.
tectly unprotected, lying exposed on the
'iantaii," or that portion of tho hull
which extended out .'baft tho shield
The wheel was under tie forward part
of the shield and the pilot was protected
Dy Ia huge hollow cone of cast iron, per
iorated with holes for him to see through.
The battery Of the Merrimac consisted
OF ten Dahlgren guns-one l1-nch point
ing, forward, and another pointing aft,
and eight 9-inch guns on the side.
THE MERRIMAC'S CREW.
Our crew was made up in great
measure of green countrymen detailed
from the different volunteer regiments
stationed about Norfolk, but there were
some trained seamen among them.
From the time of taking them in hand
till the day of going into action, an in
terval of about two weeks, we drilled
them necessarily at the guns of the
receiving ship, the old frigate United
States.
On the forenoon of the Sth day of
March 1862, the Mcrrimac, or, as she
had been newly christened, the Vir-
ginia, cast off from the wharf at the
navy yard and stated on her trial trim.
We steamed straight for Hampton
Roads. Whatever was the design Of our
captain, Franklin Buchanan. he kept it
to himself. Years afterwards learned
from Catesby Jones, our executive officer,
that he had been taken into the Captains
confidence, but am quite certain that
no one else had. We all thought that
we were making an ordinary trial trip.
And yet we were rapidly approaching
the enemy's vessels-the Cumberland
and Congress frigates-that lay ut an
chor off Newporl's NewF. lisa midship-
man l had served in both vessels, the
Cumberland, in which l had served
briefly, being the first vessel had ever
boarded, while the Congress had been
my floating home for nearly three years.
-ow natural they looked-their boats at
;hc swinging booms, the Congress with
her wash clothes between the main and
mizzen rigging. How many of the poo.
fellows who scrubbed their blue shirts on
tho deck that morning ever had need
again of shirts or aught else after that
day
AT last there is q sign of life on board
the two frigates. Their swinging booms
ge alongside; their boats a!e run &c tbs
davits; the Congress pipes down wash
clothes, and now we hear the long.roll
of our own drum and fife calling us to
quarters. There is no longer doubt of
our captains intentions. He soon ap.
pears on the gun deck, makes a stirring
appeal to the crew, and then takes his
station near the wheel.
THE FIGHT BEGUN.
l command the third division of guns
and was stationed amidships of the
shield. From that station my view of
what was going on outside the vessel was
restricted to the gunport, and that was
nearly filled by the gun. For time l
could see only the rim of the horizon or
the distant shore. But suddenly the
side ofa great ship, close aboard, cane
suddenly in view. | saw her but ior a
moment, for the smoke from her broad
side of twenty-five guns, promptly an
swercd by our own, soon enveloped her
and us. A few moments Of the thunder
of battle, of snlphIrous smoke, of the
passing below of the wounded, and then
there is thud as if the vessel had sud
denly run aground. There is cheering
forward, and soon Flag Lieutenant Minor
passes aft and cries out:
"We've sunk the Cumberland"
The next time / saw the Congress she
was aground with some of her sails set.
We had taken up rakiDg position Under
her stern and few shots from our broad
side guns brought down her flag Lieut..
Minor was sent in ships cutter to re-
ceive her surrender, and at the same
time two tugs that had been impoverish-
ed as gunboats ran alonside to take off
the prisoners. The tugs were driven off
by sharp shooters on shore and Minor
and one of his boats crew were wounded
by musket balls fired out of the deck
ports Of the Congress. Buchanan, then
on the upper deck, on top of the shield
shouted down the hatchway:
destroy that id ship They are
killing our men under flag of truce |"
Sadly we proceeded to obey the order,
for we believed that the firing on Minor
was done without the knowledge of the
officers Of the Congress. Nevertheless
we resumed our firing, while officers on
the poop deck OF the doomed vessel were
waving their white handkcrchiefs. But
we did not keep it up long, for it was
apparent that the Congress had already
been set on fire by our shot. About this
time Buchanan was borne be.rw, wound.
ed by sharp-shooter on shore.
eve have done very good days
work." remarked to Caatt5sbby Jones l,s
some time during the afternoon he passed
at my di,ision.
"Yes," he replied, "but it isn't over.