Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-09-03
served briefly, being the first vessel !

| hud ever b0afded, white tne congress
had been my floating home for nearly
three years. How natural they looked
their bouts at the swinging boo,ns,
! the Congress with her wash clothes be-
tween the main and niizzen rigging.
How many of the poor fellows who
scrubbed their blue shirts on the deck
that morning ever had need again for
shirts after that day
These vessels fired on us OF long range
as with the approach Of night we steam
ed over to SeweI's Point TO send on
shore our dead and wounded
With early dawn the next morning we
saw the st. Lawrence back under the
guns of Fortress Monroe, the Minnesota
apparently aground near the scene Of
yesterdays battle, and q curious-looking
craft which proved to be the Monitor,
lying near her. We steamed over to-
wards the Minnesota and the Monitor,
| lying near her. We steamed over to-
wards the Minnesota, and the Monitor
boldly set forth to meet us half way.
For hours and hours we bombarded each
other without any apparent injury to
either vessel. Seeing that every pro-
iectile that struck our strange enemy
was shattered into fragments against
her turret, ordered my division to
cease firing. Calling Catesby Jones' at
tention to my idle guns, he said: DWELL,
we're just about to try another plan.
We are going to ram her" And we
did.
But for misconception Of what the
momentum of the Merriinac could ac-
complsh it would have been al over
with the Monitor. As it was, our en-
gines were stopped just before it struck
her. IF they had not been we would
undoubtedly have run her under. AS it
was, after that gentle push she never
fired another shot at the Merrimac.
Withdrawing entirely out Of her range
she was q silent spectator for fully an
hour of our practice at long range, with
the Minnesota for target.
When we finally ceased firing and re-
turned to Norfolk it was for the following
reasons, as stated by Capt Jones to
each of his division officers Owe can't
get nearer the Minnesota than we are
for our draft is the same as hers, aud
we'll get aground if we try to get nearer.
She is now apparently reduced to q
mere wreck and ] don't think she will
ever get aRoat again. We have done
all that we can do, for the enemy's IRON
clad keeps out of our range. Onr ship
Is leaking, probably from the loss Of her
prov when she rammed the Cnmber-
land, and orr crew are tired out from
working their gums for nearly two days,
| think we have fulfilled the mission on
which we came and bad better return"
which accordingly We did, and the next
day went in dock to get ready for al
other raid.
We had met and silenced upwards of
l-O guns atloat, to say nothing of the
shore batteries. It is safe to say that
never before had ten guns successfully
encountered such odds. If what have
said be true the Northern version Of our
encounter with the Monitor is utterly
false. And am sustained not only by
all who served on board the Merrimac
and the wooden vessels of orr little
squadron and the thousands WHO viewed
the battle from the neighboring shores,
bur also by the captain of the Minncso-
to- In bis report TO the department he
says in effect that, seeing the Monitor
silenced and withdrawn from the battle
and his own vessel at the mercy of the
Merrimac, be had nearly completed bis
preparations for abandonment and burn
ing the Minnesota, when, much to his
Joy, the Merrimac returned to Norfolk.
1t may be rs well TO add that in her en-.
counter with the Monitor the Merrimac
didnot sustain any material injury, while
think an inquiry into the reason for
the withdrawal ofthe Monitor will show
that her turret would not turn after she
had been rammed by the Merrimac.
The last demonstration by the Merri-
mac was against Federal fleet of eight
or ten vessels, the Monitor among them
They were bombarding Sewell's Point,
under the eye; as we heard, of Mr.. Lin
coln himself, then on a visit to Fortress
Monroe. We steamed down from Nor
folk and offered battle, when the whole
fleet made haste to huddle under the
guns of the fortress. We sent in and
cut out two transport briggs under their
very noses, bnt the Monitor let slip the