Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-16
THE meRRIMAc's BATTLE.
Account of the Great Victory by an Eye.
Witness.

The MeRRlMAC'S BATTLE.
Account of the Great Victory by an Eye
Witness.
WILCOX WHARF, CnARLrs Orr COUNTY,
April Is. 1893.
To ne Editor of he Dispatch:
Your well-timod leader Of the 9th in
slant. under the caption Naval Rendez-
vous," IL able and true TO history. / am
reminded by II TO send you an account Of
the attack OF the Merrimac upon the
United States feet under the heavy guns
Of the shore battery at Newport News as
! saw 1t. j was visiting the men of the
Southern Guard, company of infantry
under the command of the gallant Captain
j. q. Harwood, then doing duty az heavy
artillery at Mulberry Point. The Patrick
Henry. Beauford. and Teaser were an
chored in James river just IN front of the
Point. about seven miles from where the
Cumberland was anchored in front Of New
port News.
EXCITEMENT.
The Confederate war vessels were there
to cooperate with the Nirginia-and for
several Gays the coming fight was freely
discussed by officers and men OF Mulberry
Point. The gunboats had been steamed
up for days and all felt that something
momentous was about TO happen, but
fever of excitement and interest ran
through the barracks when request came
from the commander of the Patrick
Henry" for volunteers from the shore bat
terry TO man one of his guns.
Most of the men in the company were
very young and none of them had been
under fire, and watched their faces curl
ously to see how they would be affected.
There was solemnlty, but there was no
sign of fear. and now. after thirty-one
years. remember the thrill of pride with
which saw so many of our brave county
boys go forward and ask TO be sent.
The complement was selected by the
Captain, and they went of to the ship
with pleasant adIeus. and then the vessel
steamed rapidly down the river. IL was
about o'clock z. NJ, think.
How intently we watched from the high
battery, in full view of the mouth of the
river and the roads, for the coming of the
Virginia right through what the DISPATCH
leader saws /" will shortly be the anchorage
ground Of the iron and steel leviathans of
the present-in a sense paying homage at
engine of destruction"
WHAT Is TIP
Three hundred men around me are
straIning their eyes towards The mouth of
Elizabeth river. The sky is as clear as ether.
Ten miles was q short distance even to the
naked eve. Some one cries out What's
that-see? A big log Ii looks like a great
serpent" il Is coming nearer TO US. IL
grows larger-larger still. Now curious
looking low-lylng thing upon the water,
but growing bigger and higher, black
smoke settling horizontally In her wake,
and on, on she comes. Like the "remorse-
less monster death she is making for the
doomed war-ship of seventy-sIx guns. Is
Al. al.ssy aAg hn Anr hafr
guns. Oh the big, black thlng-the
black, silent, iron-clad monster of the
deep. King Olaf would tremble now and
vikings cover by the shore.
Up TO this time ! had seen her with the
naked eye. Now the Captain-gallant,
courteous fellow that he was-hands me
his glasses, and within an instant the
whole scene Is within GOO yards. She. Is
not 50 near her victim as th ought be-
fore. but she is coming nearer, and the
feet is silent.
FIRE AND FLAME.
But now sheet of fame from fifty
sheet of fire from thi rty-six guns on
the Cumberlands starbOard side, and II
looks as If the world is on fire.
But on comes the huge. black monster
and nears her splendid foe. She looks to
be within 100 yards. A hundred dollars
would not have bought the glasses then
if il were right TO keep them III this SUI
preme moment. But / muot be as cour-
teous as he, and hand them TO the Cap
tain. The focus is right for him and ne
sees the awful stroke of doom TO so
many gallant men.
TUE SHIP GOES DOWN.
He fancied that he saw the brave Fede-
raj commander waving his sword az the
ship went down. / saw the stroke and the
great ship, well built and strong" like
helpless thing go down and settle to the
bottom, her tOp-masts Visible and her
pennon flying.
The Unsuitable monster draws away in
pursuit of another foe. The Congress Just
below has seen the awful fate OF her com
panlon, let's loose her cable. and is drifting
to the shore. Now the Confederate gum
boats are engaged with the shore bate
ries. shot has entered the port whore
our brave county boys are handling their
gun like veteran tars. The guu is dis
lodged, but there Is no dismay and none
of them are killed.
AS A FAR-OFF THUNDER.
And now through all this terrible scene,
though in plain view. we can hardly hear
a sound of cannon only rumblng sound
as OF far-of thunder The belching fire
and the smoke are all that tell of the fight,
and this goes on for hours. Inc whole
Federal feet has taken shelter under the
shore. and night has come and stiffness
that oppresses. Where is the Virginia
now? Has she destroyed the fleet? Is
she out and moving to northern waters!
This question before morning Is being
asked the people of two continents.
Morning comes and with the dawn 100
guns, with their deafening thunder, are
shaking the battery where we are stand
ing. We can see nothing now. Dense
smoke has settled on the roads. But we
hear as If the guns are at our feet.
Now another &" Black Knight" "enters
the lists"
THE wELL-KNowS STORY.
The rest of the story all who read true
history know. How the BATTLE ragged be-
tween these giants of modern war how
the gallant stranger sought safety at
last in shallow water, where the Prov
of her bigger foe could not come; how
the feet Of nation sought refuge under
the friendly shore; how she steamed to
her port to "whet her beak and returned
TO offer battle again. Gould she have left
them IN "inql0rions ANCHORAGE" and passed
out TO sea is question when never Will
be answered till some adventurous in
yader, copied from this great model. has
encountered the huge prOiectiles that are
piled in myriads around the ramparts at
Fort Monroe. ISAAC II. CHRISTIAN.
hTToACTtONc EOQ TAE WEEK.