The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-23

congress turns 10 aVOlu Cu1 oAo", 10
partly successful and opens her broad
side on the attacking enemy. Lieut..
John Taylor Woods answers with his
stern pivot gun, raking her fore and
aft, and sweeping away whole rows of
men at their station. Every gun crew
of the Congress is broken up and her
magazine is threatened. Some one
crying for ammunition goes to seek it,
and finds the carrying party in long
line, dead.
.Who is it fighting this section of
the Government ship where the de-
struction is so heavy? 1t is the
brother of the commander of the at
tacking vessel. Some one ask the
latter if he knows his brotheris on the
Congress. His answer is, Yes, and
it is my duty to attack him as we'll as
any other Such is the heroic mold
Of the man who commands the Vir-
ginia. He stands exposed on the
deck and himself fires rife after rife
that is passed up to him.
:'The officer in command of the
Congress is killed. His successor,
finding resistance hopeless, hoists
flag of truce and surrenders his sword.
Taking advantage Of the cessation of
the Virginia's fire, the batteries at
Newport News, which should have
helped the Congress in her stress,
opened on friend and foe alike. Two
officers Of the Virginia were killed
while assisting the Federal wounded
aboard the Congress-, and while the
flag of truce is flying above them.
Capt. Buchanan, anxious to save
his brave foes, is stricken down by the
comrades of the men he would be-
friend. His first words when taken
below we're, Open fire again. Then
from every available gun the storm
burst on the ill-fated Congress. Some
of her crew leap into the sea to swim
ashore, others trust to pieces Of wreck,
while many resolve to die with their
ship. Then comes scene beautiful
beyond comparison: grand and awful,
above the conception of poets brain
or Inner pencil. The Congress
takes fire. From bowsprit and ham
mock netting the bright flames dart in
fantastic tongues and leap up the
masts 70 the trucks, every rope line
of FIRE, every sail a sheet of fame,
every mast mammoth link, cracking,
sparkling, glaring through the after
noon and the long night, till hulk and
sail aud shroud are consumed and the
gallant vessel is no more.
sit was now 5 o'clock. The Min
nesota, frigate, which had started to
the rescue of the Congress, was
aground at the mercy of the Virginia:
but the pilot could not then risk the
channel on The falling tide, and the
Virginia withdrew for the night to
Sewell' Point, and this memorable
day was over.
Commander Buchanan was sent to
the Naval Hospital, and with this day
his command of the Virginia ended.
But ON that one day he had written a
record which the obliterating hand of
time will never etface, and in it the
whole system of naval architecture
and naval warfare was revolutionizcd.
"The next day the Virginia, on her
way to attack the Minnesota, met the
Monitor. After six hours Of sharp
fighting the Monitor withdrew where
the Virginia could not reach her, and
never again gave her chance of
attack during her stay in these waters.
On the Virginia the casualties were IL
few slightly wounded.
''Thc Confederate Congress passed
a resolution Of thanks to Capt. Buch-
anan and his command for their un-
surpassed gallantry. On the 21st day
Of the following August Capt. Buch
anan was appointed admiral, an office
newly created, and became the ranking
officer Of the Confederate navy.
''In the summer of 1864 the Con-
federatc feet lay off Fort Morgan,
guarding the approaches to the city Of
Mobile. 1t consisted of the ram Ten
nessee, the flag ship. and of the gun
boats Baltic, Morgan, Gaines and
Selma. The Tennessee was stronger
constructed and had II good armament
The others were rather river craft and
tug boats made over.
.'The Federal fleet had been lying
off the bay in the Gulf of Mexico. 1t
consisted of ten wooden ships, of
which the Hartford was the flag ship
of -Admiral I'arragut, in command.
~. d. l.l &c A,4 - ~: ...l.