The National tribune., 1893-03-16

THE GREAT NAVAL CONTEST.
1t was the most perfect naval contest ever
fought. Both were ironclads, both expert
mcnts, and both vastly different in construc.
ton. The commander Of the Merrimac knew
that she could stand perfect shower of balls
from the best guns in the navy, but the COM
mander of the Monitor had no knowledge OF
the resisting power of the ,urrct. lie went
into the terrible contest with his experiment,
full of confidence and full of courage His
faith was we'll founded. The battle was for the
destruction of one or the other. 1t failed, but
it demonstrated that the Mcrrimac had met
her match in the very nick of time. The con-
test was at close range, and when ball missed
its mark from either vessel it would either
ricochet for miles or make path Of white
foam until it sank. The battle continued un-
til the afternoon. when the Merrimac gave up
the contest and retreated. This has been dis
puted, and the rebels claim the Monitor gave
up the contest first. This is not true. The
Merrimac was leaking badly, and was obliged
to give up the contest when she did. Besides,
the Monitor did not leave the scene Of the bat
tie until the Merrimac had passed SewelPs Point
on her way to the Gosport Navy yard. where
she was Immediately placed in the dry-dock.
Those who saw the fight can we'll remember
this When the Merrimac attempted to ram
the Monitor the contact made her urch badly,
and brought her greasc-covered side i'll posi-
tlon that met the direct rays of the SUI,
whereby it seemed for an instant that she had
gone down. cheer went up from the troops
in the fort, extending through the fleet to the
Rip Raps, that shall never forget.
When the movements of the iroDclad mon
sters brought them within range of the Min
nesota she would pour a whole broadside into
the Merrimac to show that while prisoner on
the treacherous sandbar she could fight.
One steamer that played an important part
in the second days fight have never seen
mentioned in connection Herewith. The
name Of the Captain, | am sorry to say, l
have forgotten, but he was brave 10 reckless
ness. The steamer l refer to was formerly a
South Brooklyn ferry boat, called the White
hall. She was donble-ender and ran between
Brooklyn and New York City. She carried
two guns. one at each end. She lay alongside @
the Minnesota during the long battle betwe' n
the ironclads and her Captain used his two
guns during the entire engagement One shot
from the Merrimac would have sunk her. Be-
fore dark she steamed down and anchored near
the machine shop wharf. Between II and II
that night
SHE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED.
The long roll sounded and the entire garrison
was under arms in less than five minutes; and
just as the two guns on the unfortunate little
ferry boat went of, one shot passing over our
waiting for ORDERS believing that the rebels
had got in among the fleet in small boats.
This is one Of the many events that has failed
to get into the history of that memorable
struggle.
During the early part of the second days
fight, when the Minnesota was delivering her
broadsides at the Merrjmac the Captain of the
rebel gunboat jamestown, which was formerly
freight and passenger boat between New
-t,v 11- onf
lie ran boldly into the mouth of Hampton
Creek and cut ont schooner loaded with hay
and other supplies for McClelan's army, and
carried off the prize within easy range of the
two 10-inch C0lumbads over the main entrance
to the fort. Lieut.-Co Loder, now at Fort
Monroe then Post Adiutant, wanted to open
fire on the daring raider, but old Maj. Roberts,
who commanded, exclaimed: 1t won't do;
it won't do; it won't do now. You might
knock off the topmasts of those schooners
lying at the wharf," Lieut.. Loder turned
away in disgust, and the jamestown was al
lowed to escape without shot being fired.
Many thought at the time that the jamestown
ran into our lines to be captured, but as not a
shot was fired she turned around and took a
hay schooner along as an excuse. Loder could
have sunk her in five minutes had he been al.
lowed to use the guns This is the true history
of the Century's account of the capture of two
a heavy fire from the forts" This glaring un-
truth was written by Col. John Taylor Wood,
G. s. A.. then ON the Merrimac. He claims
"The jamestown and her three prizes were
cheered by the crew of the English corvet
Rinaldo as she towed them past" Just how
Col Wood could write such yarn is not well
understood.
In the Century's view of the famous battle be-
tween the Merrimac and the Monitor j find a
a tod
man-of war. There was no French war. vessel
present, nor an Englishman either; but i'm
mediately after there came several war vessels
of different nations. The CeatuTy'S" Bird's-eye
View Of the Engagement " is very inaccurate
in many details. 1t shows Pig Point engaged
with something, when there was nothing. 1t
shows Craney Island firing at an enemy seven
miles away, when there was not gun there
with over a three-mile range. 1t shows what
is intended for
TIE GALLANT FERRYBOAT WHITEHALL
hiding on the safe side of the Minnesota, when
the picture should show ker on the battle front.
1t shows the Cumberland sunk with nearly
half mast out of water, when only small
part of the mainmast was out of the water. 1t
shows the Congress burning fercey, when
she blew up between one and two o'clock the
night before. But such is the history OF that
memorable two-days' fight, both written and
illustrated. The Minnesota is represented as
aground off Newport News. when in reality she
was about midway between the fort and that
point The artist who made the famous picture
must have drawn it from information furnished
after the battle was over.
About noon during the second days fight a
small feet of river craft, including the gum
boats Jamestown, Yorktown, Teaser Raleigh,
and Beaufort were congregated near. SewelPs
Point, watching the fight between the iron
cads.
serg't Welsh, with his monster 12-inch Union
Gun, got permission to try his luck on the
rebel fOtilla. A monster 625. pound steel.
pointed shot was rammed into the great gun
and then elevated for about a fve-and-a half
mile range. Welsh pulled the lanyard and of
she went, with a dull heavy roar. In few
seconds the monster shot struck in the midst
of the little feet, throwing the water like a
geyser, sending the steamers and the gunboats
back around the point in a hurry. That was
the only shot fred from the Union Gun dur
ing the day. The Merrimac and the Monitor
were so close together during their fight that
it was not considered safe to use the big gun.
The next day after the fight, the Monitor
steamed down close to the fort and anchored.
Everybody who could went on board. She had
one good sized scratch on her deck sbaft the
turrct, while the turret itself showed three dis
siye power of the same. The Minnesota was
still fast Oh the sandbar, but otherwise there
were no signs of the terrible battle OF the day
many vessels at anchor as there were on the
morning of the Sth. Our flag was still flying
at Newport News, but our two noble frigates
tb bad Uuardad the month of the lanes