Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-07-28
A CONFEDERATE PARALLEL.
The Merrimac's Exploit in Hampton
Roads Compared with Dewey's
M Manila.

The expressions regarding Admiral
Dewcy's magnificent victory: at is
unparalleled, it is phenomenal" fol.
lowed by such remarks as that the
American people will not forgive
Sampson if he does not win victory
or make triumph so dear to the
Spanish that they will not survive an,
other, brought forth the following
from my old friend, the eX-confed,
crate officer: This is all very well,
but the action of Dewey's squadron al
Manila, while phenomenal. is not un.
paralleled, as claimed. The destruc.
ton of the frigates Cumberland and
Congress, the silencing of shore bat
teries at Newport News. the partial
destruction of the Minnesota and the
driving back of the United States
steamer ST. Lawrence and other yes.
sells sent to the assistance of those
named, was accomplished by just as
few casualties up to the time the Con-
gress struck her colors and the trans.
fer of prisoners from her began"
Of course everybody will under.
stand that it was the historical per.
Torrance of the Virginia, better (but
less properly known as the Merrimac
in Hampton Roads, to which my naval
friend and authority referred. He con
tinued:
''It was after that time, and while
the white flag was flying on her, that
Admiral buchanan, Lieut.. Taylor and
other confederate officers and men
were killed or wounded. In both cases
it was the expected, but not the UMPIRE
pared for. that happened. The federal
vessels attacked by Buchanan were
for that day more up to date. better
equipped carrying more guns and
better drilledl than was Monteio's
fleet of this new era. Looking at the
situation. therefore, in the light of
the past. as well as that of the present,
/ think the gallant Dewey's action
more nearly resembles the then really
unparalleled attack made by Buchan-
an than it does the passage of Admiral
Farragut into Mobile bay.
The latter commanded vessels ana
men flushed with success at New Or
leans and on the Mississippi. He knew
almost to n nicely the capacity of his
own ships and men, as well as the ma
ture Of the ships and defenses, both
afloat and ashore, which they were
called on to assail.
''-As in Buchanan's case, Dewey COM
handed entirely untried men and a
class of modern-built ships whose ca
pacity to resist up-to-date artillery,
shore batteries, torpedo boats and
submarine mines was altogether an
unknown quantity. Montejo, with the
latter to support him, evidently felt
as secure as did the gallant command
er of the Cumberland, when. on the
appearance of the Merrimac, he called
his crew to quarters. and is stated to
have thus bravely addressed them:
"'My lads, here comes the great
southern bugaboo.' Stand to your
guns. and in Is minutes she is ours"
"They did stand to their guns, and
furnished an unparalleled example,
which our foemen at Manila have just
enulated, by firing their last broad
side as the ship sank with them in
Hampton Roads.
THE geographical situation at Ma
Mia may have more nearly resembled
that in Mobile bay. but I submit that
all the conditions are almost identical
with those of the Hampton Roads
fight, and to that extent rebound more
to the credit of our gallant new ad.
miral. Richmond Dispatch.