The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-03-15
THE FIRST CLASH OF NAVAL IRONCLADS.
An Eyewitness Talks of the Menmac- Monitor Fight
During the Civil War.
SAYS THAT THE MERRIMAC WAS NOT WHIPPED
Most Interesting Narrative of That Memorable Event
Given by Man Present

There lives in Kansas Cityaman
who was an eye witness to the first
engagement between iron-clad naval
vessels in the history of Uhis country
the meeting Of the M errimaC and
Monitor, just forty years ago last
Saturday That man is Captain A
Atkinson, who was in the confederate
service at that time. He is now "A
member Of the police force in the
Kaw city. Recently, in referring to
this memorable war event Capt,
Atkinson said:
81 belonged to the Thlrteenth
North Carolinas, Scales regiment
the sames Scales so highly praised by
Lee at Gettysburg. Our brigade
commander was General RE. Coul-
ston, who afterwards went to the
Soudan, after the war CLOSED. Our
company and another one had been
ordered to Todd's Point, ON Hampton
roads, to man battery This bat
terry was erected by General R. L.
Page, who died last summer at the
age Of "a. / had enlisted in the crew
for the Merrimac, but he crew was
all made up before my name was
reached, and | coulda't join it.
While at the battery Lieutenan q
Hunter, my commanding officer, who
was my personal friend, asked me if i
wanted some extra duty He said I
could take five men and g0t0One of
the signal stations whfch we had
established along the James river,
from Norfolk up. / took the men
and went to the station, which was
five miles south of Newport News.
There we spent our time making the
place secure. We had b-oughta fine
United States field glass From the SON
of the keeper Of the light, whlchwas
in the middle Of the river. He was
supposed to be union man and we
were afraid Of him, His son sold us
the glass for S25. We had itmounted
and took turns in watchin G 1t.
81 remember the day very well; 1T
was more like an Indian summer day y
than anything else. We were Dig
ging a cellar in the bill lside and we
could see the United States vessels in
the harbor. The vessels had wash
day then, and the clothes of the men
were hanging out to dry, and tine
ships were not in lighting trim at all.
"a little fellow named Billy Camp
bell was at the glass. About o'clock
he shouted: Come here; see what this
is. / went and saw that it was tn e
Merrimac. We were expecting her.
/ told the rest, and we watched her
come out. She was strange looking
craft. She was an old u nited States
vessel, you remember, which they had
burned to the water when they burned
the Norfolk navy yard She had
been coated with railroad iron and
slushed down with grease. We
watched her come out OF the river,
and then she steamed for the Cumber-
land. To do this she had tOSteam
right under the guns or the fort to
keep the channel. You see she drew
twenty-three feet Of water, The
United States men o war did not
seem to see her, and vVere caugh t
mapping, believe. The fortress
opened up on her with g lnS, but the
shot had no effect wha teyer She
went right on, and stea zned out and
and then rammed the Cumberland.
We, in the meantime, had taken our
boat and put out into the harbor,
and we were about a n1ile from the
two vessels when they met, III
never forget that sight aslong as
live. 1t was terrific.
'The FIRST shot had beeu fred by
the Beaufort, which, with theRaeigh,
had accompanied the Merrimac dow n
the river The Merrlmac had pissed
the United States ship csongeS, and
went down the river to turn, she
drawing too much water topermlt oi
this elsewhere. After doing so the
bow VI the Cumberland ofTeredher q
fair show and she plunged right at il
The AIerrimae had only oldagines,
which we're in her when she wal