The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-04-14
waves. and his gallant crew fighting

10 tue tdct.
;, During the whole wal there was
no finer incident than this, and the
bravery of the officers and men OF
I. the Cumberland even won the APP
plause of the enemy vi
the Cumberland's crew one hundred
and twenty-one were either killed
outright or drowned. while, OF those
T saved, a large portion were woun-
ded.
"When the commanding officer of
the Congress saw the fate ofthe Cum
berland, and realized how little
chance there was for him, he slipped
his cable, set his foretopsail and en-
deavored to get closer in shore so as
to have the assistance of the land
batteries. but the ship ran ashore
where she continued the unequal
{ contest for more than an hour after
the sinking of her consort; the Mer-
rimac living at a safe distance and
boring her through and through
with her shells, and finally setting
her Oh fire.
Notwithstanding the heavy ar
NOR of the Merrimac, her less in kill
ed and wounded was t%wenty-one,
showing the good use of their artil-
lery made by the Union Ships. The
armor was, however, but little dam
aged by the shot, although the Con-
federates asserted that at one time
they were under the fire of one hun
bred heavy guns ahoat and ashore
Thus closed one of the most
memorable days of the civil war, a
day which carried gloom and sorrow
to the hearts Of all loyal citizens.
The authorities at Washington were
dismayed, and it appeared TO those
lmost familiar with the circumstan-
ces that this was the crisis of the I'M
ion ause.
"All through the South there
were scenes of rejoicing bon-fres
blazed on the hill-tops, and every
where the Confederates expected
that the next news would be the to-
tai destruction of the Federal fleet
at Hampton Roads, and the advance
of the Merrimac to Washington.
"But the avenger was at hand,
and at 9oclock that night Ericssons
little Monitor, under the command
of Lieut.. John l.. Worden arrived
from New York, after experiencing
trials and difficulties sufficient TO
have appalled, an ordinary officer.
at was a great relief to the Off
GERS and men of the squadron to
know that an ironclad OF any kind
was at hand TO assist them, but
when they saw the little nondescrIpt,
her decks level with the water, and
appearing above it only her pilot
house and q small turret, in which
latter were two eleven inch guns,
and compared her with the appar-
emily inyulneraDle ironclad of the
enemy, they could not feel very
sanguine of the result of the coming
conflict. p
The morning dawned clear and
bright, and everything looked so
calm and peaceful that it was hard
TO realize that two hundred and if
ty meu had the previous day given
up their lives in defense of their flag
in a contest hopeless from the begin
ming.
The flag still hoated from the
Cumberland, whose light masls APP
peared above the surface of the wa
ter, marking thespot where the dead
slept their last sleep in the shatter-
ed wreck. while the smoke from the
burning Congress assembled to beav-
en-, = funeral pyre over the corpses
which strewed the decks of that i'll
fated ship.
The Minnesota badly cut up, still
lay hard and fast aground, and it
was evident to all that should the
Monitor fail there was nothing but
destruction to look forward to. = =
When the Merrimac was within
the distance of a mile, the Minneso-
ia opened fire with her stern guns
and at the same time the Monitor
was signalled to attack.
"Worden showed his confidence
in the Monitor and her eleven-inch
guns by steering directly tor the
Confederate iron clad. The latter
slowed her engine and paused as if to
survey her little adversary and as
certain her character. INT if there
was any doubt on board the Merri-
mac 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 them.
The Merrimac opened fire from
her forward gun upon what seemed
more like a floating buoy than a
man-of-war, but not having 4 frig-
ate's broadside TO aim al the shot
passed h~armlessly over. The Mont
tors answering guns We're better aim
ed. The solid elevon-inch shots
struck the Merrimac fairly. with a
blow that resounded through the
vessel. This vas returned by a
broadside from the Merrimac, but
those shots that struck the turrett
glanced harmle-siy off.
Both vesseiS then turned and
approached each other still closer
the Monitor firing about every seven
minutes. every shot striking the
Merrimac. = The Merrimac
drew twenty three feet Of water, aad
was thus confined To a narrow chan
mel. while the Monitor. drawing but
twelve feet. could take any position
and always keep within range of her
antagonists gGHs, and though the
enemy had many more guns, the
Monitor stuck so close to her adyer-
sary that she 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 Gp as rapid
a fire as possible upon whist was
visible of the Monitor, pausing nov
and Shen when the smoke cleared
off TO see whether the little vessel
had been demolished, but always
finding her apparently unharmed
and active as ever, pUxnns an her
solid shot aud shaking the gEeat