The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-14
A MEMORABLE NAVAL FIGHT
The Great Contest Between the Ram
Merrimac and Ericsson's Monitor.
A Struggle Which Marked a New Era in
Naval Warfare and Gave to Ericsson a
Fame that Will Last for Ages.

The twelfth chapter of Admiral David D.
Porter's book, The Naval History of the Civil
War" is devoted to a description Of the fight be-
tween the rebel ram Merrimac and Ericsson's
Monitor, in Hampton Roads The Merrimac
appes-ed in the roads on the 9Th of March, 1862.
and destroyed the 6rigates Cumberland and
Congress. AT 9 o'clock that night the Monitor
arrived from New York, and what occurred on
Che 9th is thus told by Admiral Porter:
The morning dawned clear and bright, and
everything looked so calm and peaceful that 1t
was hard to realize that two hundred and nifty
men had the previous day given up their lives In
defense of Their flag in a contest hopeless from
+he beginning.
The flag still foated from the Cumberland,
whose light masts appeared above the surface of
she water, marking the spot where the dead
slept their last sleep in the shattered wreck,
while the smoke from the burning Congress as
cended to heaven. a funeral pyre over the
eorpses which strewed the decks of that Inflated
ship.
The Minnesota, badly cut up. still lay hard
and fast aground, and it was evident to all that
should the Monitor fail them there was nothing
BUT destruction to look forward to.
The crew of the Merrimac were astir al early
daylight preparing for the conflict, and as soon
as it was fairly light theiron-clad was under way
and heading towards the Minnesota. On APP
preaching their expected prey the confederates
discovered a strengthening craft. which they
knew at once to be Lricsson's Monitor, of which
they had received a description from their spies
at the North. ,ile Monitor was only a pigmy in
appearance alongside the lofty frigate which she
guarded, and the enemy anticipated little diff
dculty in overcoming her. Still. her arrival was
inopportune for the confederates, causing a
change in their plans, which were to destroy
the Minnesota and then the remainder Of the
squadron
AS the Merrimac approached the ~frigate, the
Grew went 60 quarters. the drum sounding more
1ike a funeral knell than a summons to triumph
ant battle, but. contrary TO expectation, the
Merrimac passed the frigate and Monitor and
beaded towards Fortress Monroe. At the Rip
raps she turned into the main channel by which
the Minnesota had gone up. and again rapidly
approached the latter.
When the Merrimac was within the distance
Of a mile, the Minnesota opened fire with her
stern guns, and, at the same time, the Monitor
was signaled to attack.
Worden showed his confidence in the Monitor
and her eleven-inch guns by steering directly
for the confederate iron-clad. The latter slowed
her engines as If to survey her little adversary
and ascertain her character; hut if there was any
doubt on board the Merrimac, there was none on
board the Monitor, which kept straight on her
course, and the confederates saw that in a few
moments she would be directly alongside of
dhem.
gun upon what seemed more like a large float
ing buoy than a man-of-war, but not having a
~frieate's broadside to aim at, the shot passed
harmlessly over. The Monitors answer
ing guns were better aimed. The solid eleven
inch shots struck the Merrimac fairly. with a
slow that resounded through the vessel. This
was returned by a broadside from the Merrimac,
but those shots that struck the turret glanced
Aarmlessly off.
Both vessels then turned and approached each
other still closer, the Monitor firing about every
seven minutes, each shot striking the Merrimac.
The latter vessel. having lost part of her smoke
stack the day before, was not working so well,
the chief engineer reporting that the draft was
so poor that it was with great difficulty he could
keep up steam. The Merrimac drew twenty
three feet of water, and was thus confined to a
narrow channel, while the Monitor, drawing but
twelve feet, could take any position, and always
keep within range of her antagonists guns, and
though the enemy had many more guns, the
Monitor stuck so close to her adversary that the
latter could use but a small proportion Of them.
Worden's plan was to keep near to his enemy,
and endeavor to break in her sides with his solid
shot.
The Merrimac kept up as rapid fire as possible
upon what was visible of the Monitor, pausing
now and then when the smoke cleared off to see
whether the little vessel had been demolished.
but always finding her apparently unframed and
active as ever, pouring in her solid shot and
shaking the great iron-clad's huge frame in a
manner which her officers feared might in the
long run cripple their ship, unless they could
manage in some way to cripple their antagonist. n
The Merrimac's fire was then concentrated upon
the Monitors pilot-house, as the turret seemed
imperyious to their shot.
More than two hours had passed in this ap-
Darently unequal duel, the confederates had
made no impression on the Monitor, and their
OWL wounds were apparently slight, since the
Monitor had not yet succeeded in penetrating
the Merrimac's heavy armor.
The Monitor had on board some forty steel
shot. which it was intended to fire with heavy
charges in case of an encounter with the Merri-
mac, but previous to leaving New York Lieut.
Warden racpiVAd orders from tho Rupaa, IF
Ordnance not to use those shot with the in
creased charges, as fifteen pounds of powder was
as much as the eleven-inch guns would bear.
Wordon felt obliged to conform to these ~instruc-
tons. as the responsibility of bursting the gus
would have fallen upon him. 1t was subsequent
1v proved by experiment that the eleven-inch
Dahlgrens would easily bear twenty-five pounds
of powder, and this difference in the charge of
the guns. as is now known, would have made all
the difference in the world in the final result.
The Merrimac's armor would have been broken,
and she would have laid at the mercy of the
Monitor, as her speed was not sufficient to have
enabled her to escape.
Lieutenant Jones having occasion 20 visit the
Merrimacs gun-deck saw a division standing at
ease, and inquiring of the officer in command
why he was not firing. that individual replied,
"After firing for two hours | find ! can do the
enemy about as much damage by swapping my
fingers at him every two minutes and a half."*
AS Lieutenant Jones found he could make no
impression on the Monitor with his shot, he de-
termined to run her down or board her, and for
nearly an hour he Unanswered for position, but
his ship was too ~unwieldy for that kind of work.
The Monitor danced around her like a yacht
around a three-decksr, pouring in her shot and
endeavoring to find y vulnerable point.
AT last Jones thought he saw a chance for
1ammine the Monitor, and gave the order to go
ahead at full speed. but before the great vesse!
could gather Roadway the agile Monitor turned.
ana the disabled PROV of the Merrimac gave a
glanclng blow which did no harm whatever.
Again the Monitor came upon the Merrimac's
quarter, her DOW actually against the ships side.
and at this distance fired twice. Both The shots
struck about half way up the Merrimac's armor-
abreast of the pivot, and so severe was the blow
that the side was forced in several inches. The
crew of the after guns were knocked over by the