Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-14

I: Lieut.. Samuel Howard. ''@i'' "''
and Howard were confined during the
fight was little more. than trap. 1t was
| just large enough for the strong-heartcd
trio: to occupy. The wonder is that any
of them lived to tell of it. Admiral uhen
| lieutenanD Worden received injuries from
| q shell which struck the pilot house, from
which he did not recover for years When
undiminished Quarternaster Peters and
Howard were exhausted physically. , .
| Appointed a Ariieutenant.
! Howard's services, were recognized after
the engagement and he was made leu
tenant in the volunteer service. His SER
vice was also recognized by Admiral wor-
den, whom Howah was accustomed to
VISIT before his death, and the admiral
rersnnaliEE iateTssts.t s,is,sseA ia the Old
mans behalf Howard need not have
taken part in the engagement at all If
he had not so chosan. HE has been put on
the retired list as second lieutenant of the
revenue marine services but is endeayoring
to push his claim through toia first heu.en-
ancy on the list. ,f.
Lieut.. Howard is a native of Ireland and
followed the sea for SOME years before he
enlisted In the Untfedf9aates navy al New.
pelss r. f,tine 1S6isc4deI was born in -Is2l.
ne vas Sat 2, saae time captain Of vessel
Una IN P the Wien and SSr5h 6 Go
out he enlisted9and becomE master On fiier
gunboat Amandat commanded by Acting
Lieut. Goodwin of the volunteer service.
The Engagement. 1f+-
The ship was lying in Hampton Roads
when the noted engagement took place
The lieutenant told of his part In the ell
gagement to Star reporter. He said:
1T was the afternoon of Saturday. March
8. 1852 that we first learned of the exist
rence on Che Mefriinac IN our vicinity She
made her appearance first. steaming from
Norfolk and heading for Newport News
L was on the Amanda and went up on her
miZZen crosstrees with field glass get
| ting a, full view, of the action between the
confederate ironclad Merrimac and the
United States ships Congress and CurrDe err
iathd. L am sorry to state that the battle
between those did not last Very long. The
Nerrmac. .#s'.i iii1a5 - a" ~ i%f''
II remember the details exactly When
the Merrimac first appeared in Hampton
Roads our. captain twas on shore at Fort
Iess Monroe. About O'Clock he came on
BOARD ;riIn tnd the officers that the .Mofii-
tor was coming UP the bay. .'--''-'' ''
- i'sE aim geiag tfownnfrf my .gig to meet
the Monitor the captain said. =
I. s"'Castain: ST don'tfRaftii y6u MO think
Ike s% a 'es es!a a saf ~ r3 Fun
Maybe can be of some assistapee,. ..
r lie granted me- pefmfssi6n,s and gs;ot In =
thes gig. with him .-.Wd ieft the Amanda.
proceeding down the bay until we met the
Monitor off the Wil3ouehfY Spit light ship, 8
We gave Lieut.: Woraen on the Monitor the
Congress. an6 Cumberland. He aid not say
much but this was characteristic Of the
man. | learned afterward and found out
my self by Associating' with him Tfelt- con-,
hdent however, by watching him, that he
would do whatever was In his power to
block the advances OF the unknown mon
ster with the iron sheathftg. He expressed
TegIst a the de dsstr try, Of the two ships
mayed.
capt Goodwin remained on Board ' uiintil
the Monitor was anchored off the United
Marsden. Lieut.. Worden went on board /
the Roanoke to report his arrival. He was
Ordered to the relief of the Minnesota, ,Iy-
Ing aground between. Newport News and
l. Pilot Refuses to Proceed. -
''The pilot who brought the Monitor to
Hampton Roads refused to take her any
further: His excuse was that he was a
Baltimore pilot and knew nothing about
,the roads.
E Hes sly s,1Ytsstsqpfa .pq., I told
want e continue s3rat De to ao try
it myself. I'd bes WAlMg to go through
ht-1Wfth you, sin o 1o1t.-a 1,O.t mr. IT 4
:. Lieut.. Worden aisssptfd the offer Of my
services s;n,a s -, and d. was al board the whole
movements or the NesfHt6raine tife eranpels
up pilot house. but Itn4member very welt
the appearance of 4.ieptn Worden. He was
{qst a. ea!n and lSelf,Posssssed as Il he
Our elbows touched ali oshe time. He gave
voice, but clear asosARa'i be. The concus-
sion was 1somethin& tKrrible.. The balls
would strike the MnnituT, and. we seemed
to feel Ii every time like an electric shock.
Theaship ;peula gutter From stem to stern.
4.,x, ,sResnlts c shot.
: 1--WE we're only struck once in the pilot
house, but this shosrt,ame near proving fa- /
tai to LIEUT.: Worden: He was peeping out
between the crevfces IL the BLOCKS OF Which
the Eliot house was constructed. land the,
fragments of the she'll and smoke knocked
him backward, completely binding him for
the time being. He brushed his hand across
his eye and seemed staggered for minute
Then he said. as If nothing had happened:
I must 90 below" =:
'If the Merrirnac had fired another shot
at US all three Of us would probably have
been blown into kingdom come We were
rounding the Merrimac's stern, and were
only about IS feet ,awaE. wren the shot
s Ssa stsadf a afa kaEFe Ct f sig Tss
'99use. not only, wou1ding him, but some
'Whax denofa H2fng aus all ~ st'f'' tfs7s
=. tfkfeuti. Werden was carried into. the,
cabin and the command Of the Monitor Was
~.