New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-07
MERRIMAC AND MONITOR.
rHE First BATTLE OF IRONCLAD SHIPS

War Copyright 1856.
Each year. as 1t passes. finds fewer left OF those
,.bo witnessed the event in Hampton Roads which
.stt,sd once for all that the days of wooden ships
no fighting machines were past and gone. Fortress
Monroe. ON Old Point Comfort, was the stronghold
and centre of Union effort IN those
parts, the foster-mother of sucking sol
5iers. perfect Tom Tiddlers ground for
sutlers and q Paradise for contrabandS.
with little work, and plentiful ratiOns. Newport
News, Just at the embOuchlTe of the James River
was less familiar name in Northern ears; quiet,
sleepy spot, frnged with pines turned into an
important post by the exigeUcies of war time
Back of the bluff with its fringe of pine and thick
cts of bushes, were the cleared spaces, or ola
fields" the site of camp which contained ABOUT
four Thousand men, mostly infantry. Al hrst
General Phelps commanded the camp, dHihng
his raw troops and dreaming his dreams for he
was in advance of his time. Some of his dreams
came true, for he was among the hrst OF military
men to advocate not only the freedom of the slave,
Int the placing of the musket in his hands. But
before very long Phelps went of 10 ship Island with
Butler, and General Mansfield came in his placc-a
crand-ooking old soldier, stalwart aud tall and
erect. with silvered locks-who aiterward sealed
his devotion to the Union by laying down his life
Mt Antietam He commanded the camp at Newport
Nows when the Merrmac came out.
Just off the camp lay the Congress and the Cum
berland, occupying the fairway and blocking the
channel of the James. The deep water ran close by
the north OF left bank leaving wide shallow space
stretching away toward the southern shore of the
river, where the Rebels had heavily casemated
battery. on Pig Point, at the mouth of the
Nansemond.
The two wooden sailing ships just mentioned
were fine specimens of their knd-the Congress a
large and powerful frgate. and the Cumberland a
splendid and powerful frst-class sloop-Of-war.
Their batteries eectualy closed the passage of the
river to ordinary vessels. while they hanked and
protected the camp from any attack by land or
water. The Congress had made foreign cruise
before the war had called her home so that In Jan
uary 1862, the time of enlistment of her crew had
expired. and they were discharged aud sent North
A much less numerous and less able crew replaced
them. So short we're the numbers, in fact,
that a small company of the Goth New
York, or Union Coast Guard" were ordered
on board for duty. Even then she
was not fully manped-a very good thing as it
turned out, for there would only have been more
lives lost. The Cumberand's crew was full and
efficient one and had been long enough together
under good officers to be TeckOned " frst-class,"
and nobly did they do their duty when the day of
trial came, rs all the country knows
During the forenoon of March the writer, who
W
camp IN company with George Morris, the gallant
defender of the Cumberland and Joe" Smith the
Acting commander of the Congress. We had a
sroll. calling upon military friends eating
oysters indu ging in many Jokes and bidding good
nv "a we eXUectod to be oil IN day or two. We
received many congratulations upOn the prospect of
change from dull blockadlnH ut ancbOr-a change
which was coming sure enough and soon enough.
respective ships where every thing was going on in
Tie same humdrum routlLe. At o'clock the mems
dinner hOur was over the meal pendant hauled
down, and work resumed, principally with view
TO our speedy departure. Nothing could be rlore
oniet and peaceful than the Towing river and the
shining expanse of the Roads below, while the
men went abOut their work IN the easy. per-
functory way induced by the mild hazy afternoon.
Bat about hall past l there was an excitement
and stir upon the poop; a pointing OF glasses and
Exchange of remarks in n. ore excited tones than
usual with the officers who were then taking their
afternoon airing sMessenger boys darted down the
matches and more officers came up, for the quarter
master of the watch Ia fine old seaman, who had
about hour more TO liyel reported some vessels
--steamers-comlng down the channel IRON Nor
folk showing up against the fringe of woods and
appTOaching Sewalls Point. They were several
miles off, and their course at that time just at right
angles with the channel OF the James
We were deeply interested, OF course, as the
glasses were brought TO bear upon channel where
Tor months vessel larger than a small tug had
been seen. Then we made out two or three small
steamers accompanying Il huge black, slow moving
mass, which "as moving down win extreme dellD-
Grafton Then, all at once, IL struck us that TINS
was the iTOnclad, the MerTlmac, and we thought
she must be coming down to try conclusions with
the Minnesota and the other ships lying down at
Fnr,ress Monroe Owing to the conformation OF the
land these ships could not See her until long after we
had made her out: but by and by there was
hustle among the shipping there, and then we knew
that they had discovered the strange craft and her
satellites But instead Of heading over that way
tbe ironclad then turned mp the channel of the
James toward Newport News and IL was evident
that she was coming TO attack MS and break up the
blockade of that river. Going into battle was a
novel sensation 10 most people on board those ShiDs
Of I'm 4 think |
no particul AZ alarm or mSgvlng among the officers
or men. who had the utmost confidence in their
batteries, and who were IN good discipline.
When it was plain that they were coming our way
the gallant young commander OF the Congress, Tho
was not see the sun set turned TO the group upon
the poop, with his peculiar CHEEKY smile and
quietly said: Gentlemen we'll go TO quarters!
Mr.. Moore, beat TO quarters" Poor Moore did not
see the set either bat he transmitted the order
briskly rubbing his hands as If to say, Here at
last is something TO dOw Then the drummer raped
oot the well-knOwn call which we had all heard so
many times. under many different circumstance,
AID the Cumberand's drum answered ours like an
echo, while on shore the long roll" was beaten
and the regiments fell in under arms.
Even then many on board the ships did not
believe that the newfangled monster was gong to
give us 50 very much trouble. we were III happy
ignorance of the effects of heavy rted guns and OF
the power of defensive armOr; just as at this day
the great maritime cities OF our country are
repOsing in a FOOLS paradise and ready to be laid
under contribution by third-rate naval power.
Slowly against the ebb. but surely as fate the
great boating fort drew mp the river, half an hour
passing with u.s. without anything to break the
silence That half hour is always worse than
actual combat The men stood at their quarters by
the side OF their shOttcd guns with tram tackles led
out hammers and spOnges symmetrcally placed,
division tubs filed and magazines and she'll rooms
oDen. Not a word was to be heard except
occasional low order from division officer correct
ing some slight matter of detail. The crews of the
two stern cbaseTs had the advantage, for they
could. by glancing out of the port watch the
progress of the nOndescrpt; while the greater
number manning the port battery, could only see
the smooth drumming river and the southern shore
d i'm in fia hqI
from the guns and spring ship"-an evolution
intended 10 bring tho brOadside to bear down the
channel This had been done a dozen times during
the winter, but now-tug as those brawnv arms
might at the great falls-not inch would the ship
answer to the effort
"Neyer mindi ayast hanlingi Back TO your
pnnsw and then there Was silence again. broken