The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-19
THE MONITOR CANE.


''The next morning, while we were
! transferring our admiral to the shore
and preparing for action, we saw COM
ing in from the sea the most remarka-
bic looking craft. which we were soon
convinced was the Monitor. Now all
was excitement. Greek was to meet
Greek. For the first time in the history
of the world, ironclad was to battle
with ironclad. The Monitor approached
and opened fire, which, we returned with
spirit For two hours we bombarded
one another with little or no effect. The
two ships sailing in a circle, pass and
| repass, delivering broadsides at point
blank range. Lieutenant Jones coming
down from the upper grating and OBJ
serving Lieutenant Eggleston's division
standing at ease, said to him: WHY
are you not firing, sir?' Because our
powder is precious, sir, and I find [ can
do the Monitor as much damage by
Swapping my finger at her every five
minutes.
The combat between the two vessels
was kept up for six mortal hours, and
Lieutenant Jones decided to ram the
monitor. Now, in my opinion, here lay
I the error of the fight. After this de-
cision, Lieut.. Jones sent for me and
ordered me to reverse the engines as
soon as 1 felt the collision, fearing that
ourselves after the compact, as we
did with the Cumberland, although one
was a wooden and the other an iron
vessel To that end he was afraid to
strike her hard, and [ was given the
signal to reverse quite while before
we actually hit her. AS a consequence
we just gave the monitor a little tap
and glanced off. We should have run
her down with all our force and fairly
hnr 1JT1T AY. Mt Do,>;.,,
force and weight. Cireling around af-
ter ramming her we were enabled to
plant one of our pointed shells right
on the pilot house. 1t was this shot
which damaged the pilot house and
wounded Commodore Worden. The
Monitor then stood directly towards
Old Point and gave up the fight We
assumed that she was badly crippled
more so than she was Lieutenant
Jones then sent for me, and calling
attention to the fact that we had
driven the Monitor off and said that he
intended to draw off under the guns of
SewaH Point, and renew the attack
later in the afternoon. [ went below
and arranged for banking the fires I'M
der easy steam. In the meantime we
started up full speed and 1 soon heard
great cheering on deck I sent one of
my assistants to learn. the cause. He
ASpOI ISO l4ieel- we WS1S GoSSlllS5 Tie COIL
federate batteries at Craney Island on
our way to Norfolk, and the cheers
were from the soldiers on the fortifica-
tons Ny heart sank at the intelli-
gence. Were we to relinquish the fruits
of our victory, leave. the Minnesota
hard aground, where she had been for
"a hours, and return to Norfolk-to
run away, apparently, for that is the
way it has been since regarded. 1 has
tened at once on deck to interview
Jones, and on my demonstrating with
him for leaving without finishing the
Minnesota and capturing the Monitor,
he said that on consulting with some
Of his lieutenants he thought 1t better
to return to Norfolk and finish arm
ing the vessel below the water line
that the Monitor had proven herself to
be formidable opponent and now that
she was badly crippled he thought it
best to take advantage of that fact
and put his ship in fighting trim. [
begged him to send the Minnesota to
the bottom, or to wait another day, but
he declined.
LAS the Merrimac steamed up the
Elizabeth river, trailing the large and
beautiful ensign of the congress be-
meath the stars and bars, she was the
recipient of a perfect ovation. Cheer
ing, waving of handkerchiefs and flags,
people yelling themselves hoarse, hun
dreds of small boats following in our
rear. AS history records, the Monitor
would never meet the Merrimac again,