Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-22
SHAFT OF MERRIMAC.
PERHAPS THE ONLY MEMsNTo or
THIS OBSTRUCTIVE VESSEL.
Proposition 20 Mount II on Granite Base
and Cap with shell-A
Little History.

their subsequent etects, rev as tley WEI =,
one would be amazed IT the manner IN
which the scales would wore, ~! .ils kIssser
brlk OF army victories would be tilted up or
onfweirhed by the greater effect, but less
fulk OF solid achievement OF the little
Confederate navy,
This might be better and more appreci-
ablv illustrated by balancing O light and
unsubstaptiRl substance with metal, and
pure gold at that. The proportionate et-
eots OF the army and navy would show the
difference in bulk.
DECISIVE OF NOTHING.
The results Of the army and its battles,
costly Ia blood and money, were many ana
unsubstantiRi, decisive Of nothing, unless
II was 20 proloug the war and suetch u
through four years of carnage and Whst
tbe French term glory The effects have
beon scared over by lapse Of less than
twenty-fye years, and the United States,
internally speaking, is more prosperous
than at any other period az IT'S existence
The effect OF the armies victories ceased
with the last shot, and the wound com
menoed at once 10 heal, but not so WY" WIN
the effect of the Confederate navy; us
work still lives after the death OF the navy
and the Confederacy. Phantom SHIPS WIN
the Confederate colors hying ct mast-headI
still Goat on the high seas, and the timld
and superstitious Jack Tar sees them IN
bis dreams. Alas. the real ships have sue.
cumbed 10 time and the barnacles OF SAT-
water or rest upon the bottom OF the deep,
but their works do follow them.
STILL COMO on.
The Alabamas and Floridas drove from
the sea the business of ocean traihc. Inc
eunremacy of the sea by the United states
was then lost, and has never been recover.
ed. The very shadows Of the small put
plucky Confederate navy 10 even at TINS s
late day doing the work OF depletion OF
YankeeI commerce as effectively as when
the Confederate priyateers in their proper
nersons sailed the oceans rampant Tor the
fray. The fight, though the war has been
ended still goes on. and the white sails OF
American ocean vessels DO longer heck the
boeom of the mighty waters. Inc loss OF
dollars and cents TO the enemy by the Con;
federate navy cannot be estimated anu
where il may end no one can say.
AY1AMIHo PAGE OF HISTORY,
A flaming page of history is that of the
Confederate ironclsd monitor Merrlmac,
as on the sth day of March, 1862 she
steamed down the deep channel OF the
TliSabeth river and passed Norfolk
accompanied by the steam tugs Beaufort
and Raleigh. IL was trial trip, and
At the same time a trial of naval battle
that was TO terrify the northern people
and electrify the world, and demonstrate
the worthlessness of modern war-shlps
against the new creation OF lronclad
"monitors" Naval warfare was thus rev.
olutlonlZed,
TEE MEBBIdAo's ONSET.
Undaunted by her heavy draft OF twenty
ak feet and the shallowness OF the water
of Hampton Roads in many places, she
ploughed her way over the shoals 10
fortress Monroe, where lay the Minnesota
with an armament of forty guns, the st.
Lawrence with fifty guns, and also the gun;
boats Dragon, Mystic, Whitehall, and
Oregon. Making straight for this fleet.
she made quick work Of the gun-boat ore
gon, destroying her with shell, and the
eunboat Zouave and the Cambridge re-
ceived her compliments and were serious
" damaged.
TEE CUMBERLAND AND THE CONGRESS.
Rocking at anchor off Newport News
was the Cumberland with thirty guns and
the Congress with nifty. there were Iahu
batteries at Newport News, eud the
heaviest of guns at Fortress Monroe, and
the great gun Mt the Rip-Raps within
short range. Everything was serene.
There was no sign of war. The crews
newly-washed clothing was hanging on the
line and floating in the breeze Undaunted,
regardless of her great draught, and her
small armament of only ten guns, the
Merrimao slowly steamed into this circle
of batteries with the following oincers
aboard: Frank Buchanan, flag officer;
Lieutenant Catesby Ap Il. Jones, Execu-
tive Officer, Charles @. Simms; X. ID.
Minor, Hunter Davidson, John Taylor
Wood, j. T. Eggleston, and others.
QUICK WORK OF THE THREE.
slow-steaming, water-logged, and only
able to steam five knots an hour at best, and
with A draft Of TWENTY-FIVE feet she re-
iuctantly obeyed her rudder and threaten
ed TO ground every minute, taking forty
minutes to turn. Captain Buchanan was
in command. The entire little fleet con-
sisted only of the Merrimac, ten guns; the
Beaufort, one gun; Raleigh, one guns
gunboats Patrick Henry, twelve guns;
the Jamestown, with one gun, and the
RunboAt Teaser, one gun-making IN ali
fWenty-seyen guns against an armament
Of 500 guns. The Merrimao passed the
Congress and opened on the Cumberland,
gave her a broadside and had the compli-
ment returned One hundred guns poured
their contents upon the Merrimao. Stand
ing ON, she brought her ramming power
into use and struck the Cumberland,
crushing her and killing ten men at one
Sun. She then raked the Cumberland
with a tremendous fire, and sixteen men
were killed at gun No. 10. The Congress
tried TO escape, but she grounded, and the
Virginia OF MeTrimAc rlddled her OF dis
tAnoe of two hundred yards.
BRAVE LIEUTENANT.
Lieutenant Morris, Of the Cumberland,
As brave On officer as ever lived, continued
the hght, and the Cumberland sank with
the American flag flying at her peak. The
Minnesota, Roanoke, and st. Lawrence
grounded, but got away. Throughout the
fight the Merrimac worked badly, touch
ing the bottom and dragging the mud.
She had her ram broken of IN the Gum.
berland, which rendered her less danger
ous. This duel lasted from to IL o'clock
and the contest cook place at fifty yards.
The smoke was bligding. So great was
the conclusion the Merrimac's crew bled
at the nose. The result was the Cumber.
land was sunk, the Congress burned,
the Minnesota riddled as o sieve
the Dragon burned, the Whitehall
injured, and the Roanoke and st. Law.
renee escaped with the marks OF the Merri.
macs work upon them. Thirty persons
were captured and $50 killed andwounded
TIE MERRnMAo's DOOM.
The MerrimaC then retired. But her life
was OF short duration. Soon afterwards II
became q military necessity 70 eyacuate
Norfolk. and on account of her heavy draft
The Alternative was presented to Commo.
dOre Tatnall to either abandon her TO the
snemy or destroy her. de chose the
latter, and on the nth of May, 1862, he
steamed out Of Norfolk and destroyed heI
by blowing herup
AN INTEREsTNo RELIo.
In this city lying neglected in front Of
the Haxall-C renshaw Company's mills i
the main shaft OF this destructive vessel.
II IS twenty-seven feet long and about
thirteen inches IN diameter. IL is made OF
hammered iron, but very roughly done. II
is perhaps all that remains of that great
engine Of war. The entire navysof the
Confederate States, small IS II was, II Il
were still extant, would scarcely be toe
large for purchase and preservation by
loving hearts and reyerential hands. II
II. then. possible that this probably
only surviving mementO OF the naVy
shall be allowed TO be purchased
and sent out Of the Slater Thu
HAxall- lrenshaw Company now and theI
receive letters from the North on the sub
feet. but have not entertained them. Oh
the CONTRARY, although the shaft is left ex
posed 70 the elements they have had 4
painted several times for preservation. A.
the SHAFT is OF good height, round ans
symmetrically prOportioned,. 10 has beer
proposed TO mount II on pedestal OF gran
lie and cap Il with q large shell. 1t would
Ynaka both a haaufiffil and gun0eetlVl