Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-09-08

GreSS Win ner WASH ClOtneS DeLWeeH Vic ual
and mizzen rigging How many of the poo
fellows who scrubbed their blue shirts on tn
deck that morning ever had need again c
shirts or aught else after that day
At last there is sign of life on board tn
two frigaes. Their swinging booms g
alongside their boats are run to the davits
the Congress pipes down wash clothes, an
now we hear the long roll of our own drum
and fife calling US to quarters There is n
longer doubt Of our captains intentions
He soon appears ON the gun deck, makes
stirring appeal to the crew, and then take
his station near the wheel.
THE FIGHT BEGUN.
I commanded the third division of guns ant
was stationed amid ships of the shield. From
that station my view Of what was going OF
outside the vessel was restricted to the gun
port, and that was nearly filled by the gun
For time l could see only the rim Of th'
horizon or the distant shore. But suddenly
the side of great ship, close aboard, came
suddenly in view. | saw her but for mo
ment, for the smoke from her broadside O
twenty-five guns, promptly answered by oul
own, soon enveloped her and US. A few mo
ments of the thunder of battle, of sui phur
Gus smoke, of the passing below of the
wounded, and then there is thud as if the
vessel had suddenly run aground. There i:
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 her stern
and few shots from our broadsde guns
brought down her flag. Lieut.. Minor was
sent in ships cutter to receive her surren
der, and at the same time two tugs that had
been impoverished as gunboats ran alongside
to take off the prisoners. The tugs were
driven off by sharp shooters on shore and Mi
nor and one of his boats crew we're wounded
by musket balls fred out of the gun-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 onr fir
ing, while officers on the poop deck of the
doomed vessel were waving their white hand
kerchefs. But we did not keep it up long,
for it was apparent that the Congress had al
ready been set on fire by our shot. About
this time Buchanan was borne below, wound
ed by sharp shooter on shore.
"We have doue very good days work, ,"
1 remarked to Catesby Jones as at some
time during the afternoon he passed my d.
vision.
"Yes," he replied "but it isn't over. The
Minnesota and St. Lawrence are coming up
from Fortress Monroe"
These vessels fixed on US at short range,
as with the approach of night we steamed
over to Sewell's Point to send on shore our
dead and wounded.
RAMMING THE MONITOR.
With early dawn the next day we saw the ST..
Lawrence back under the guns of Fortress
Monroe the Minnesota annareptly, aground
near the scene of yesterdays battle; and a
curious looking craft, which proved to be the
Monitor, lying near her. We steamed over
toward the Minnesota, and the Monitor bold.
ly 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 projectile that struck our strange
enemy was shattered into fragments against
her turret, ordered my division to cease
firing Calling Catesby Jones attention to
my idle guns, he said swell, 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 Merrmac could accomplish it
would have been all over with the Monitor.
As it was our engines were stopped just be-
fore we struck her. If they had not been we
would, undoubtedly, have ran her under. AS
it was, after that gentle push she never fired
another shot at the Merrimac. Withdrawing
entirely out of our range, she was silent
spectator, for fully an hour, of our practice
at long range, with the Minnesota for tar
get.
When we finally ceased firing and returned
to Norfolk it was for the following reasons, as
stated by Captain Jones to each Of his divis'
ion officers: 1--WE can't get nearer the Mime
sofa than we are, for our draft is the same as
hers, and we'll get aground if we try to get
nearer. She is now, apparently, reduced to
mere wreck, and don't think she will ever
get ahoat again. We have done all that we
can do, for the enemy's 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 out
from working their guns for nearly two days.
think we have fulfilled the mission on which
we came and had better return" which ac-
cordingly we did, and the next day went in
dock to get ready for another raid.
WHAT HAD BEEN DONE
We had met and silenced upwards of 16O
guns aAoat, to say nothing of the shore bat.
teries. 1t is safe to say that never before had
10 guns successfully encountered such odds.
If what l have said be true the Northern
version of our encounter with the Monitor is
utterly false. And I am sustained not only
by all who served on board the Merrimac and
the wooden vessels Of our little squadron and
the thousands who viewed the battle from the
neighboring shores, but also by the captain OF
the Minnesota. In his report to the depart
ment he says, in effect, that seeing the Monl'
ior slenced and withdrawn from the battle
and his own vessel at the mercy of the Merri
mac, he had nearly completed his preparations
for abandoning and burning the Minnesota
when, much to his joy, the Merrimac returned
to Norfolk 1t may be as we'll to add that in
her encounter with the Monitor the Merrimac
did not sustain any material injury, while
think an inquiry into the reason for the with
drawal of the Monitor will show that her tur
ret would not turn after she had been rammed
by the Merrmac.
The last demonstration by the Merrimac