The Northern Pacific farmer., 1881-08-25

hulk. extended abouta foot under water.
Below that line the vessel was as vulnera-
bic as she had ever been. The rudder-
chains, too, were perfectly unprotected, ly-
ing exposed on the "fantail," or that por-
ton of the hull which extended out abaft
the shield. The wheel was under the for
ward part of the shield and the pilot was
protected by a huge hollow cone of cast
iron, perforated with loles for him to see
through. The battery of the Merrima &C con-
sisted Of ten Dahlgren guns: One 11-inch,
pointing forward and another pointing aft,
and eight 9-inch guns on the sides.
Our crew was made up in great measure
of green oountrymen detailed from the lif-
ferent volunteer regiments stationed about
Norfolk, but there we're some trained sea-
ing them in hand till the day of going into
action, an interval 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 9Th day of March,
1852, the Merrimac, or, as she had been
newly christened, the Virginia, cast off
from the wharf at the navy yard and started
on her trial trip. We steamed straight
from Hampton Roads. Whatever was the
design of our captain, Franklin Buchanan,
he kept it to himself. Years afterwards l
learned from Catesby Jones, our executive
officer. that he had been taken into the cap
tain's confidence. but am 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 ves-
sels-the Cumberland and Congress frigates
that lay at anchor off Newport's News.
AS midship1nan had served in both ves-
sells, the Cumberland, in which had
served briefly, being the first vessel 1 had
ever boarded, while the Congress had been
my floating home for nearly three years.
How natural they looked-their boats at the
swinging booms, the Congress with her
wash clothes between the main and mizzen
rigging. How many of the poor fellows
that morning ever had need again Of shirts
or anght else after that dav!
At last there is sign of life on board the
two frigates. Their swinging booms go
alongside; their boats are run to the dav-
its; 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 inten
tions. He soon appears on the gun deck,
makes stirring appeal to the crew and
then takes his station near the wheel.
I commanded the third division Of guns
and was stationed amidships of the shield.
From that station my view of what was 60
ing on outside the vessel was restricted to
the gun-port, and that was nearly filed by
the gun. For time could see only the
rim of the horizon or the distant shore.
But suddenly the side of a great ship, close
aboard, came suddenly in view. saw her
but for moment, for the smoke from her
broadside of twenty-five guns, promptly
answered by our own, soon enveloped her
and us. A few moments of the thunder
of battle, Of sulphurous smoke, of the pass
is a thud as if the vessel had suddenly 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 raking position under bel
stern and d few shots from our broadside
guns brought down her flag. Lieutenant
Minor was sent in a ships cutter to receive
her surrender, and at the same time two
tugs that had been improvised as gunboatt
ran alongside to take off the prisoners
The tugs were driven off by sharp-shootert
on shore and Minor and one of his boats
| crew we're wounded by musket balls free
out of the gun deck ports OF the Congress
Buchanan, then on the upper deck. on tor
of the shield, shouted down the hatchway
destroy that id ship! They are kill.
ing our men under flag of truce"
| Sadly we proceeded to obey the order, ,fo
we believed that the firing on Minor wal
done without the knowledge of the officer!
! of the Congress. Nevertheless We resumed
our firing, while officers on the poop decl
of the doomed vessel were waving thei1
white haEdkerchiefs. But We did not keel
it up long, for it was apparent that the Con
gress had already been set on fire by ou1
hot shot, About this time Buchanan wa.
borne below, wounded by a sharp-shoote
on shore.
"We have done very good days work,
I remarked to Catesby Jones, as some tlm'
during the afternoon he paused at m.
| division.
eyes," he replied, "but it isn't over
! The Minnesota and st. Lawrence are com.
ing up from Fortress Monroe"
These vessels fred on us at long range
as with the approach of night We steamed
over to Sewelps Point to send on shore ou,
dead and wounded.
With early dawn the next day we saw the
st. Lawrence back under the guns of Fort.
ress Monroe, the Minnesota apparent,
aground near the scene of yesterdays bat
! tie; and q curious looking craft, which
proved to be the Monitor boldly set forth
to meet us half way. For hours and hours
we bombarded each other without any ap.
parent injury to either vessel. Seeing thai
every proiectile that struck our strange
enemy was shattered into fragments against
| her turret, ordered nv division to cease
firing. Calling Catesby Jones' attention tc
my idle guns, he said: "Well we're
Just about to try another plan. We
are going to ram her. And we did.
But for misconception Of what the mo-
mentum Of the Merrimac could accomplish
it would have been oil over with the Moni-
tor. As it was, our engines were stopped
just before we struck her. II they
had not been we would have
undoubtedly have run her under. AS it
was. after that gentle push she never fred
another shot at the Merri1nac. Withdraw
ing entirely out of our range she was sill
ent spectator for fully an hour of our prac-
tice at long grange. with the Minnesota for a
target.
When we finally ceased firing and re-
turned to Norfolk it was for the following
reasons, as stated by Captain Jones to each
or MS DIVISION OluCeTe: Vo cdA SoC uohI. :.
er the Minnesota than We are, for our draft
is the same as hers, and we'll get around II
we try to get nearer. She is now apparently
reduced to mere wreck and don't think
she will ever get aaoat again. We have
done all that we can do, for the enemys
iron clad keeps out of our range. Our ship
is leaking, probably from the loss OF her
prov when she rammed the Cumberland,
and our crew are tired ont from working
their guns for nearly two days. think
we have fulfilled the mission on which We
came and had better return, " and get ready
for another raid.
We hsd not and sileneed upward ot $50