The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

preached and opened fire. which we re-
turned with spirit. For two hours we bonn
barded one another with little or no effect
The two ships sailing in a circle, pass and
repass delivering broadsides at point blank
range. Lieut.. Jones coming down from
the upper grating and observing Lieut..
Eggleston's division standing at ease, said
TO him: why are you not firing, sir"
Because our powder is precious, sir, and
I find l can do the Monitor as much dam
age by swapping my finger at her every
five minutes"
The combat between the two vessels was
kept up for six mortal hours and Lieut..
Jones decided to ram the Monitor. Now,
in my opinion here lay the error of the
fight. After this decision Lieut.. Jones
sent for me and ordered me to reverse the
engines as soon as 1 felt the collision, fear
ing that we would have difficulty in extri-
eating ourselves after the compact as we
did with the Cumberland, although one
was a wooden and the other an iron YES
sell To that end he was afraid to strike
her hard, and l 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 planced off. We
should have run her down with all
force and fairly forced her under with our
superior force and weight Circling around
after ramming her we were enabled to
plant one of our pointed shells right on the
pilot house. It was this shot which dam
aged the pilot house and wounded Commo-
dore 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. Lieut..
Jones then sent for me, and calling atten-
ton to the fact that we had driven the
Monitor off and said that he intended to
draw off under the guns of Sewali Point
and renew the attack later in the after
noon. l then went below and arranged
ha0kipnr ha fires Under steam.
In the meantime we started up full speed
and soon heard great cheering on deck.
1 sent one of my assistants to learn the
cause. He reported that we were passing
the confederate batteries at Craney Island
on way to Norfolk, and the cheers
were from the soldiers on the fortiica-
lions. My heart sank at the intelligence.
Were we to relnquish the fruits or our
victory, leave the Minnesota hard aground
where she had been for twenty-four hours
and return to Norfolk-to run away APP
parently, for that is the way 1t has been
since regarded? fastened at once on deck
to interview Jones and on my remonstrat-
ing 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 re-
turn to Norfolk and finish arming the
vessel below the water line, that the Mon
itor had proven herself to be a formidable
opponent and now that she was badly
crippled he thought 1t best to take advan-
tage of that fact and put his ship in fight
ing trim. I begged him at least to send
the Minnesota to the bottom or to wait an
other day. but he declined.
AS the Merrimac steamed up the Eliza
beth river trailing the large and beautiful
ensign of the Congress beneath the stars
and bars, she was the recipient of perfect
ovation. Cheering, waving of handker-
chiefs and flags. people yelling themselves
hoarse, hundreds of small boats following
in our rear. AS history records, the
Monitor would never meet the Merrimac
again although we repeatedly went down to
the roads and dared her to fight.
Then it was decided to evacuate Norfolk
a plan was made to tighten the draught OF
the Merrimac and take her to new fields or
usefulness. A signal was to have been
given us to steam away, but the plans mis-
carried and there was nothing left us but
to blow her up. l may add that when her
draught was reduced to eighteen feet-the'
point demanded by the pilots-they refused
to steer her over the bars, claiming at that
late hour that her draught was then toc
much. We contemplated shooting one or
the pilots, thinking it would bring the 9TH
er one to his senses. We also discussed
the plan of sailing into the fleet and fight
ing until we went down with colors flying,
but that was discarded as we felt that the
could i'll afford to lose the
three hundred men aboard. There was
nothing left for us to do but to blow her
up, which we did that night with aching
hearts.
I am confident that If Admiral buchanan
had not been wounded and had been IN
command on the second day when we met
the Monitor the result would have been
different. He would have rammed her
with full and terrific blow and the very
inertia of the Merrimac would have sent
her to the bottom In that event we would
have compelled Fortress Monroe to evacu-
ate and then leisurely steamed up TO
Washington and compelled the capituiation
of that city just as Lincoln feared
1 would like to say in closing that the
north never did Commodore Worden full
Justice Ericsson received all the glory
and all the credit. The officers of the
Merrimac realize the splendid fight made
by Worden and the wise course he pursued
both during and after the hight.
Who Are the Greeks?
T