Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-10

bombardment and capture of the Hatteras
forts in September, 1861; volunteered for the
ommand of a cutting-out expedition OF
boats from the Cumberland at Newport
News, February, 1862; was second Lieutenant
of the Cumberland and in command Of the
gun deck battery March s, 1862, in the fight
between the Merrimac and the Cumberland,
In which the Cumberland went down with
her flag flying"-just there | began my cross
examination Of the smiling, but reluctant
admiral.
KNEW SHE WAS COMING.
Did you know the Merrimac was coming
and what kind of a craft she was?"
"Oh, yes; we had been hearing about her
right along all the time that they were
altering her and putting the ram and armor
on, and we had been expecting her out from
Norfolk, and we could see her coming for
some time. We thought she was not going
to attack us, but was going after the ships
further out, but she came for us and, of
course, we did our best to fight her. If the
Cumberland had been a steamer I believe
we could have held our own with her, wood
against iron, for we had ten guns on a
side to her four, and we could have laid
alongside of her, silenCed her guns and taken
her. Even with the sails we might have
accomplished something If there had been
any wind, but there was hardly a breeze
that day, and she had all the advantage of
being able to fight us as she pleased, while
we were hardly able to move. AS 1t was,
however, her ram, which was the death Of
the Cumberland, came near being the death
Of the Merrimac as well, for it stuck in
the Cumberland, and il anybody at the bow
of the Cumberland, where our two great
heavy anchors were bitted, had had the
presence of mind to throw them over on
the Merrimac, she might have gone down
with us. But she struggled for two or
three minutes to be free, until she broke off
her ram and left it in the Cumberland, and
back away, while we went down..
WAITED ORDERS TO QUIT.
Where were you when the Cumberland
went DOWN." ooh, l was on the gun deck,
where I'd been all through the fight, directing
the fire Of the battery"
What effect did your guns have on the
Merrimac?" well, it so happened that my
battery had most of the work TO do, and |
believe the shots did tell on the Merrimac,
not only on the smokestaCks and whatever
else was outside The armor, but on the armor
itself. 1t was very much shaken by our
fire, and in places a distinct impression was
made on it,"
And you kept on firing while the Cumber-
land was sinking?" o course, We kept
right on until the order was given and passed
along to us that everybody take care of him
self, which ends all discipline on board ship
and leaves nothing to do but get out of it
as best you can"
What did you do?"
CRAWLED OUT THROUGH A PORTFOLIO,
'Oh, l went to the hatchways and found
them so crowded with men that l saw that
there was little chance of my getting on the
upper deck, and that the only thing for me
10 do was to get out through one OF the
portfolios, so | took off my sword and belt
and my coat and hat, and everything else
except my shirt and trousers, and crawled
out through a portfolio just as the snip went
under the water. OF course | went down
with her. but | was a good WINNER in those
days and | came to the surface again and
made for one Of The boats Of the Cumbe--
land. which had been fastened TO the stern,
and in which | got ashore. | had lost
everything | had on the ship, OF course, and
had nothing left but the shirt and trousers
| was standing IN,
"Where were you the next day, when the
Monitor and Merrimac had their fght?'
81 was at Newport News and did not see
much Of the fight. 1t was slowly fought.
and was really a drawn battle. and IL was not
very interesting TO look at from the shore. 81
HIS COMMAND or THE MONITOR.
when were you put in command OF the
Monstor?"
1t was the next day that Mr.. Fox, the
assistant secretary Of the navy, who had
come down from Washington when they gol
the alarming news Of the sinking Of the
Cumberland and the rest Of our disasters
and was on the Roanoke, commanded by
Captain MsTstou, the senior officer present
| Commodore Goldsborough having gone down
to the North Carolina souEds-sent for me