, 1885-03-11
ON THE MERRIMAC.
All ACCOUNT BY AN OFFICER OF THE
CONFEDERATE VESSEL
How ths Engagement began with tho
monitor-But Little Damage Done
Both Vessels on Their Experi-
mental Trips-Kesults.

lcol. John Taylor Wood 10 The centtuy.l
At daybreak. we discovered lying betwssn
US and the Minnesota a strange looking
craft, which We knew at once to be Fries
sons Monitor. which had long been expected
In Hampton Roads, and OF which, from
different sources, we had II good idea She
could not possibly nave made her appear
anco at a mora inopportuns time for US
changing our plans, which were 10 de
stroy the Minnesota, and then the remainder
OF the feet below Fortress Monroe. She mp
peared but a pigmy compared with the lofty
frigate which she guarded. But In her size
was one great element Of her success. l will
not attempt a description Of the Monitor;
her build and peculiarities are well known.
After an early breakfast, we got under
way and steamed out toward the enemy,
opening fre from our bow pivot, and clos
ing, we delivered our starboard broadaids at
short range, which was returned promptly
from her eleven-inch guns. Both vessels
then turned and passed again still closer.
Tn 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, MI. Ram
say, chief engineer, reported that the
draught was so poor that 1t was with great
difficulty he could keep up steam- Once or
twice the ship was on the bottom. Drawing
twenty-throc feet OF water, we were con-
fined 10 a narrow channel, while the Mon
itor, with only twelve feet immersion
could take any position, and always
have us in range Of her guns. Orders were
given TO concentrate our fire IN the pilot
house, aud with good result, rs we had made
no impression on the enemy, 80 far as we
could discover, while our wounds were
slight. Several times the Monitor ceased
nrfno .nA ta In honaa rha ruua HE
abled. but the revolution again Of her turret
and the heavy blows of her eleven-inch SHOT
on our sides soon undecsfved us.
Coming down from the spar-deck and OBJ
| serving a division standing @at ease Lieut..
Jones observed:
"Why are you not firing, Mr.. Eggleatonfs
why, our powder is very precious" re-
piled the lieutenant; "and after two hours
incsssant firing / find that / can do her about
As much damage by swapping my thumb at
her every two minutss and a half
Lieut.. Jones now determined to run her
Town or board For nearly an hour we
nanoeuvred for a position. Now Ego ahead"
now stop; now "astern"; the ship was as
1nwieldly as Hoahis Ark. At last an OPP
portunity offered. @Go. ahead, full speed"
But before the ship gathered headway the
Monitor turned. and our isaBed ram
only gave a CHANGING blow, effecting
nothing. Again she came up on our quarter,
her bow against our side, and at this
distance fired twice. Both shots struck
about half way up the shield, abreast Of the
after pivot, and the impact forced the side
| bodily in two or three inches. All tie crews
Of the after guns were knocked over by the
conclusion, and bled from the nose or oars.
Another shot at the same place would have
penetrated. While alongside, boarders were
called away; but she dropped astern before
they could get on board. And SO, for six or
more hours, this struggle was kept up. At
length the Monitor withdrew over the
middle ground where we could not follow,
but always maintaining a position to
protect the Minnesota To have run our
ship ashore on a falling tide would ave
been ruin. We awaited her return for an
hour; and at 2 o'clock p. m. steamed to
5ewall's Point, and thence to the dock yard
At Norfolk, our crew thoroughly worn out
from the two-days' fight. Although there is
40 doubt that tho Monitor first retired-for
Capt Van Brunt. commanding the Mime
sota, SO btates In his official report-the bat
tie was a drawn one, 80 far as the two YES
sells engaged were concerned. But In its
general results the advantage was with the
Monitor. Our casualties in the second days
hght were only a few wounded.
The Monitor was well handled, and saved
the Minnesota and the remainder OF the feet
At Fortress Monroe. But her gunnery was
poor. Not a single shot struck us at the
water-line, where the ship was utterly un-
protected, and where one would have been
fatal Or had the fire been concentrated on
any one spot, the shield would have been
pierced; or had larger charges been used,
the result would have been tho same. Most
Of her shot struck us ~obliquely, breaking the
iron OF both courses, but not injuring the
wood packing. When struck at right angles
the backing would DO broken, but not pene-
trated. We had no solid projectiles, except
4 few OF large windage, to be used as hot
shot, and of course made no impression on
The turret But in all this II should be borne
In mind that both vessels were on their trial
trips. both were experimental, and both re-
ceiving their baptism OF FIRE.