The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1882-12-20

/ Il SCENE IN TIE no USE or REP
/ RESENTA TTVES.
AN ACT FROM THE BLOODY TRAGEDY
OF THE CIVIL WAR WHICH FAILED
or ITS OBJECT.
One of the most exciting scenes
that has occurred for years in the
House, took place on Friday, the
9th. The bill to grant the officers
and crew of the United States man
, of-war Monitor, which engaged the
Confederate ironclad Merrimac, in
Hampton Roads, Va, in May, 1862,
100000 prize money was up. The
scene opened when Mr. Hewitt, of
New York, took the floor in sup
port of the bill. Mr. Hewitt is one
OF the leading Democratic members
of the House, and, while he often
takes the floor, is not known to be
particularly eloquent. He began
by reciting the manner in which
the rebel Merrimac swept the river
i'm the South, and was proceeding
toward New York and Boston. Be-
fore she had reached the vicinity
where she encounteredfthe Monitor,
President Lincoln sent him Hewitt)
telegram that was also sent many
other citizens of New York, stating
that the "water terror" the rebel
Merrimac, was sweeping everything
that appeared before her, and was
making her way toward New York;
that the city would be stormed and
captured unless something was done
TO prevent her entering the harbor,
and that the citizens had better take
immediate steps to receive her. Mr..
Hewitt, with several of the leading
citizens of New York, met the may
or in a conference of war, and it was
decided to sink vessels and obstruct
the passage of the Merrinac into
New York harbor For several
days the citizens of New York lived
in a horrible dread Their lives
were as nightmares The people
breathed heavily as they prepared
to m ct the awful fate that seemed
but short distance ahead. What
terrible agony these people suffered
III that suspensel Finally the wires
flashed the news to the gasping
that the courseof the rebel
ironclad Merrimac had been cut off;
that she had been intercepted in
Hampton Roads by the Federal
Monitor and battered down and
sunk Everybody in New York
breathed easier instantly and said
that it was the Monitor that saved
them.
As Mr.. Hewitt reeounted the
thrilling scene during those days in
the great American metropolis, he
walked tie aistes ontbe Democratic
side of the House, while his vivid
words flowed forth in the NEST elo-
quent manner As he waxed warm
in his speech, the members,lpages
and others who have accesshto the
floor OF the House, focked about
him and filled, the passages 1The
people in the galleries stretched
their Beckss and leaned forth from
their seats. Not a word was spoken
save by Mr. Hewitt. All was quiet
as death in the House. The Speaker
was so awed that he sat spell bound
and unable toscall back those who
crowded around the orator. This
exciting interest was manifested for
half an hour or more, when Mr..
Hewitt related those peosonal
scenes which have not been told,
aud when finally he sat. down it
was believed the sympathy of al
most the entire House was with
him. lie said the Monitor hadpre
vented the Meirimae from entering
the New York harbor, had cut short
q war which might have lasted
aud the heroes who man
ned her should be awarded the
prize money the biD granted.
- Gen. Phil Cook, member from
Georgia, and one of the most dis
tinguished officers on the side of
the Confederacy during the rebel
lion, arose and fired a hand grenade
into Mr.. Hewitt, by saying that he
stood on the bank of the river. at
Hampton Roads and saw the Merri-
mac 90 down; that She sank from
the explosion of shells placed in her
aud fred by her own crew to pre-
vent her falling into the hands of
the Monitor and other Federal
crews that hovered about he said,
further, that it was not the work of
a Federal navy or soldierythat van
qnished the Merrimac, and that tho
bill had no merit. This statement.
coming from an eyewitness, acted
like n wet blanket npon the hot
blood that Mr.. Hewitt had fired,
and ultimately ii killed the bill.
Mr.. Hewitt's rhetoric was only ef-
\ UheaIled for: g Your language il
wholly nncalled for, a. the publish
or told the author whose works did