The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-03-13

ladder leading to the p1lOt-hOuSe.
''He was a CHASTITY sight, with his
eyes closed and the blood apparently
rushing from every pore in the upper
part of his face. He told me that he
was seriously wounded, ana directed
me to take command. | assisted in
leading him to sofa in his cabin, where
he was tenderly cared for by DIR.
Logue, and then I assumed command.
Blind and suffering as he was, Worden's
fortitude never forsook him; he fire.
quently asked from his bed of pain of
the progress of affairs, and when told
that the Minnesota was saved he said:
Then can die happy
"When | reached my station in the
pilot-house | found that the iron log
was fractured and the top partly open,
but the steering gear was intact, and
the pilot-house was not totally de-
stroyed, as had been feared. In the
confusion Of the moment resulting from
so serious an injury to the commanding
officer, the Monitor had been moving
without direction. Exactly how much
time elapsed from the moment that
Worden was wounded until / had
reached the pilot-house and completed
the examination of the injury at that
point and determined what course to
pursue in the damaged condition of the
vessel it is impossible to state; but it
could hardly have exceeded twenty
minutes at the utmost. During this
time the Merrimac, which was leaking
badly, had started in the direction of
Elizabeth River; and, on taking my sta
ton in the pilot-house and turning the
vessel head in the direction of the Mer-
rimac, saw that she was already in
retreat A few shots were fired at the
retiring vessel and she continued on to
Norfolk. [ returned with the Monitor
to the side of the Minnesota, where prep
arations were being made to abandon
the ship, which was still aground.
Shortly afterward Worden was trans
ferred to tug, and that night he was
carried to Washington.
THE fight was over We of the
Monitor thought and still think, that
we had gained q great victory. This
the Confederates have denied But it
has never been denied that the object
of the Merrimac on the 9th of March
was to complete the destruction of the
Union fleet in Hampton Roads and that
in this she was completely foiled and
driven off by the Monitor nor has it
been denied that at the close of the en-
gagement the Merrimac retreated to
Norfolk, leaving the Monitor in pos
session of the field"
The Confederate officers Account.
From the article by Colonel John T.
Wood, an officer of the Merrimac dur
ing the fight with the Monitor, in the
Century War Series, is quoted the fol-
lowing: "At daybreak we discovered
lying between us and the Minnesota a
strengthening craft, which we knew
at once to be Ericsson's Monitor, which
had long been expected in Hampton
Roads, and of which, from different
sources, we had a good idea. She
could not possibly have made her APP
pearance at more inopporttme time
for us, changing our plans, which were
to destroy the Minnesota, and then the
remainder of the fleet below Fortress
Monroe. She appeared but pigmy
compared with the lofty frigate which
she guarded. But in her size was one
great element of her success. [ will
not attempt description of the Mon
itor; her build and peculiarities are
well known.
"After an early breakfast, VIC got I'M
der way and steamed out toward the
enemy, opening fire from our bow pivot,
and, closing, we delivered our starboard
broadside at short range, which was re-
turned promptly from her eleyen-inch
guns. Both vessels then turned and
passed again still closer The Monitor
was firing every seven or eight minutes,
and nearly every shot struck Our ship
was working worse and worse, and after
the loss of the smoke-stack, Mr.. Ram
sey, chief engineer, reported that the
draught was so poor that it was with
great difficulty he could keep up steam.
Once or twice the ship was on the bot
tom. Drawing tWenty-three feet of
water, we were confined to narrow
channel, while the Monitor, with only
twelve feet immersion. could take any
position and always have us in range of
her guns. Orders were given to con-
centrate our fire on the pilot house, and
with good result, as we afterward
learned More than two hours had
passed, and we had made no impression
on the enemy, 50 far as we could dis
cover, while our wounds We're slight.
Several times the Monitor ceased firing.
and we were in hopes she was disabled,
but the revolution again of her turret
and the heavy blows of her eleven-inch
shot on our sides soon undeceived us.
Coming down from the spar-deck
and observing Il division standing at
ease, Lieutenant Jones observed:
Why are you not firing, Mr.. Egg
glestonP'
Why, our powder is very precious,
replied the Lieutenant; and after two
hours incessant firing / find that | can
do her about as much damage by snap
ping my thumb at her every two min
utes and half,
Lieutenant Jones now determined
to run her down OF board For nearly
an hour we unanswered for position.
Now go ahead;' now 'stop;' now
'aStern;' the ship was as unWieldy as
Noah's Ark. At last an opportunity
offered. Go ahead, full speed But
before the ship gathered headgay the
Monitor turned, and our disabled ram
only gave a glancing blow, efecting
nothing. Again she came up on our
quarter, her bow against our side,
and at this distance fired twice
Both shots struck about nall
way up the shield, abreast Of
the after pivot. and the impact
fnrced the si.ia hnllily Ia two or thran