The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-12-19

fedcrate batteries at Craney Island, on
our way ~ Norfolk and the cheers
were from the soldiers OH the fortifica-E
lions. My heart sank at the intelli-,
Sence. Were we to relinquish the
fruits of our yictory--leave. the Minne-
sofa hard aground where she had been
for twcnty-four hours and return TO-
NQrtGlt--to run away, apparently, for
thdi Is the, way 1t has been since
regarded. FASTENED at once on deck
To Interview Jones, and on my remon-a
Stratlng with him for leaving without
finishing the Minnesota and captur-s
ing. the Monitor, he said that on con-
Suiting with some of his lieutenanIts
ne thought 1t best 10 return to Nor-
inik and finish arming the vessel below
me water line, that the Monitor had
proven herself to be formidable on
p0nent, ana now that she was badly
crippled lie thought II best to take adj
VantaEe of thst fact and put his ship
III lighting trim. I,begged him at least
to send the Minnesota to the bottom,
or to walt another day but he declined. a
rs the Melrinac Steamed up the
Elizabeth trailing the large and beau
.,tuI ensign or the Congress beneath
me Stars and Bars, she was the recir-6
lent OF 4 perfect ovation. Cheering.
waving OF handkerchiefs and flags, peo.5
pie yelled themselves hoarse hundreda4
Of small boats following in our rear
As history records, the Monitor would 4
never meet the Merrimac again, all
though we repeatedly went down stoG
the roads and dared her to fight M
When 1t was decided 30 eyacua,fes
Norfolk plan was made to tighten thu
drausht of the Merrimac ana take her
/" new fields OF usefulness A signal
was 10 have been given lis to steonn8s
away, but the plans miscarried and Il
,Shcre was nothing left us but to blow
her up. | may add that when her
drausht was reduced ito is feet, the
point demanded by the pilots they, re.-9i
FUSED TO steer her over the bars
claiming at that late hour that her.
drauGht was then too much We con-
templated shooting 1ne OF 1.-The pjlotsf8
thinking it would bring the other on i
10 his senses. We also discussed JthaS
plan Of sailing into the fleet and fight
ing until we Went down with ScolorsS
lying, but that was discarded as 1--WE, II
felt that the Confederacy could ILL 1fsa
ford TO lose the 500 men aboard. There
was nothing left for us to ID o but ~ 81 /.
blow her UP, which we did that rirht #
with aching hearts. Il IA
i am confident that if Admiral 4 Hi 81, Us
anan had not been Wounded and had O.
been in command on the second a flav
when we met the Monitor, the result
would have been different d sFIe would B
have rammed her with full and sterrilis
bic blow and the very inertia Of the
Merrimac would have sent her 10 fbas
bottom. In that event we world ii III Ri
compelled Fortress Monroe to eYacuat as
and then leisurely steamed up to- We sh sS;
ington and compelled the cart III III ff1,,Ia
of that city just as Lincoln fearse 5sfss s8s
would like to say In closing ST ii f
the North never did Comma ore ,:TVS,s5s
den full Justice. Ericsson received siiS
the glory and all the cred Ii iii 4 ,,iss
GERS of the Merl'inac real led tf;es sY,i Az
did fight made by WordGn 7 d, a + mn a
wise course he pursued bot h d iirdna 3yssf
after the flght.E a ssss As: