Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-30
NOTWITHSTANDING.
Admiral Porter's Account of the Memo
rable Contest.


[Admiral Porters History."l
Worden showed his confidence in the
Monitor and her eleven-inch guns by steer
ing directly for the Confederate iron-clad.
The latter slowed her engines and paused
as if to survey her little adversary and as
certain her character; but if there was any
doubt on board the Merrimac there was
none on board the Monitor, which kept
straight on her course, and the Confederate
saw that in few moments she would be
directly alongside of them. The Merrimac
opened fire from her forward gun upon
what seemed more like a large floating
buoy than man-of-war, but, not having
frigate's broadside to aim at, the shot
passed harmlessly over.
The Monitors answering guns were bet
ter aimed. The solid eleven-inch shots
struck the Merrimac fairly, with blow
that resounded through the vessel. This
was returned by broadside from the Mer-
rimac, but those shots that struck the tur-
ret glanced harmlessly off. Both vessels
then turned and approached each other
still closer, the Monitor firing about every
seven minutes, each shot striking the Mer-
rimac. The latter vessel, having lost part
of her smok estack the day before, was not
working so well, the chief engineer report
ing 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 10
narrow channel while the Monitor, draw
ing but twelve feet, could take any position
and always keep within range of her antag.
onists guns, and, though the enemy had
many more guns, the Monitor stuck so
close to her adversary that the latter could
use but 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 demol-
ished, 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 manner which her
officers feared might in the long run Grip
pie their ship.
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 Merrimac. but previous to leaving
New York Lieut.. Worden received orders
from the Bureau of Ordnance not to use
those shot with the increased charges rs
fifteen pounds of powder was as much as
the eleven-inch guns would bear. Worden
felt obliged to conform to these instruc-
ions, as the responsibility OF bursting the
guns would have fallen upon him. 1t was
subsequently proved by experiment that
the eleven-inch Daghlgrens 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 result The
Merrimac's armor would have been broken.
and she would have been at the mercy Of
the Monitor, as her speed was not sufficient
to have enabled her to escape.
AT last Jones thought he saw chance of
ramming the Monitor and gave the order
to go ahead at full speed, but before the
great vessel could gather Roadway the agile
Monitor turned, and the disabled prov of
the Merrimac gave glancing blow, which
did no harm whatever. Again the Monitor
came upon the Merrimac's quarter, her
bow actually against the ships side, and at
this distance fired twice. Both shots struck
about half way up the Merrimac's armor,
abreast of the after 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 conclusion,
bleeding from the nose and ears. A few
more shots in the same place would have
made an opening, and had Worden known
this at the time, he would doubtless have
taken the responsibility of using double
charges of powder and the steel shot, and
thereby secured complete victory