The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-06

hoffery were all slowed below the water
line. the movements OF the ship and rev.
olutions of the turret being regulated by
signal from the officers occupying that
| npnb-proof station. The claims OF the
inventor were nigh 1T remained to be
seen how fer the behavior of the ship
in action would vindcate them.
During tho afternoon OF March 9th Sec
retary Weles dispatched by wire the fol-
lowing Imperative order:
Navy Department,
410 Il. M, March 6. 1862.
To Commodore Pauldlng. Navy Yard,
New York:
Let the Monitor come direct TO Wash
ington. anchoring below Alexandria.
GIDEON WELLES.
Secretary OF the Navy.
on this dispatch as given in Volume
TX. page U.s. OF the OFFICIAL Record of
the Rebellion. appears an interesting en-
dorsement:
Il never received the foregoing tele-
gram. JOHN Il. WARDEN.
Rear Admiral"
Had the order been promptly transmit
ted and obeyed, the whole subsequent
course OF events might have been
changed. As il was the ship left New
York later than was intended, Gncouh-
tered heavy weather on her passage 10
the Virginia capes. and was more IMAM
once In great peril OF laundering. was
it that fatality which ruled so many
crises during our American conflict as
when sydney johnson was stricken at
/ Shiloh in the mOent Of victory, jackson
felled at Charlottesville just as the ford
In Hooker's rear was in his grasp; and
Lonpstreet disabled at the Wilderness ere
he could give the coup de grace 10
Grants shattered flank? or was an in
tuhion Of the brave commander, telling
him that the hour Of greatest need and
suprcmcst opportunity was at mana,
which held the Monitor on her stormy
course, against battling winds aud through
mountainous seas?
Late in the evening OF March Sth her
pilot sighted the light at Cape Charles,
! and four hours Iater-the burning Con
gress having served during the last miles
! Of the voyage rs a beacon for guidance
and q herald of disaster-the Monitor
steamed between Fortress Monroe and
/ the Rp-Baps. and came TO anchor under
| the lee OF the grounded and battered
Minnesota. Here Lieutenant Warden
heard the dire tale Of the days disasters
and was informed of the task the NOR
row held for him. The fcw remaining
hours of night were spent in putting the
ship in trim for action. Before dawn
the stage and the actors were ready for
another chapter in the great tragedy; but
| il was TO be played without the accesso.
| Iics and Incidents which gave to tee
! opening scene incompatible interest.
The mist was just lifting from the
smooth bosom of the Roads the next
morning when the Virginia got under
way. The brave admiral Of yesterday
| had been sent ashore, minus a leg, but
full Of glory. In leaving the ship he
| had transferred the command TO Catesby
| Jones. with orders to tight her as long
as the men could stand TO the guns"
No better man was there in either navy
! 10 carry out such instructions.
| Shortly after sunrise the anchors were
! trpped and the great hulk forged slowly
| ahead, standing across the channel to-
wards Hampton Bar. the Minnesota be-
| ing sim aground on the inner edge of
| the middle ground. About s o'clock
| earlier. according 10 Federal reports, but
there was an hours difference in the time
kept by the hostile feets), the Virginia
fired her first gun. The Monitor ran
under the stern Of the Minnesota and in
teTpossd between that ship and her as
sailant TO those of us who were on
the lookout from the strand at SewelfS
Point the contest seemed to be an IN
equal one from the start. The same i'm
preston prevailed among the Union spec
tatorS of the movements preliminary to
actual combat. For, in the language Of
a Federal naval officer who was present:
The Rebel ship was a noble and inn
posing structure while Warden's craft
looked dimiuutive and unsightly, in com
parison But in that very insignifcance
OF appearance lay the comparative
strength of Ericssors invention, for her
| almost Uncomfortable turret was the only
target offered 10 an enCny's fire.
The first efforts Of Jones were directed
! 10 completion of the destruction of the
Minnesota, hut the draught of his ship
was 50 great that the pilots were unable
10 come within direct range of her. When
yet a mile US;aut from the frigdte the
Virginia ran aground. and when. with
| Some difficulty. she was backed into deep
water again, the Monitor ran out and
challenged her sole attention for a while
In the close and stubborn conflict which
enSued, so far as could be seen by OBJ
servers from the shore, no material adj
vantage was gained by either cOmbatant
Tney turned and twisted about each other
like trained wrestlers seeking an under
hold, their ports belching fire and smoke
almost continuously. In this method of
warfare the Monitor was at her best
owing to the superiority of her motive
power ard The alacrity with which she
responded to her helm. The great
length and weiiht Of the Virginia, ana
her comparatively weak engines taken
together with the narrowness OF the
channel and the propinquity OF shoal wa
ter, MADE rapid handling of her impossi-
Dle Her immense surface was also a
source of weakness. Hardly shot from
tho Monitor could fail Of that towering
and widespread mark, while time and
again We saw her own heavy balls pass
by the narrow tower of her antagonist
and go skipping, in long rcochets across
the water.
That thus standing off at long taw. eX-
changing Bullets which, however terri
bic, were not decisive, did not suit the
temper Of the Southern captain, was evi-
dent from the frequent attempts he made
TO close with his adversary. Nor, TO do
the Union commander justice, did he seem
averse to h. nd to-hand work, so far as
exchange Of shots was concerned Nat
urally and properly ne sought 10 eVdde
the prov Of the Virginia, not knowing.
perhaps. that the cruel beak which had
torn through the bonds OF the Cumber-
land had lost its efficiency in that col
lision, and generally his superior nimbe-
ness enabled him to turn in time. once
the ponderous giant drew near his side
head on, but the speed was moderate.
the direction Oblique. and the BIO"
glanced of inocuously TO the assalled.
though it widened a leak already existing
in the bow Of the attacking ship. FROM
this encounter the vessels swung INTO po-
eitiop of actual contact side to SIDE.