The Republican journal., 1908-09-03
FACTS FOR SICK WoMEM.

tary Society of Massachusetts by Rear
Admiral T. O. Selfridge.
Saturday the Sth day of March, 1862,
was beautiful spring day. The Cum
berland was laying at single anchor
with her sails loosed to dry, when at
one bell, a half hour after noon, the Of
ficer of the deck reported that the
Merrimac had just hove in sight long
distance off, in the direction of Norfolk.
Owing to the mirage her movements
were much obscured, and her progress
so slow that it seemed doubtful at first
if she was really coming out. But as
the low hull came into view abreast of
Crany Island lighthouse all doubts
were dispelled and all hands were
called. The sails were quickly furled
and the sharp beat to quarters assured
every one on board that the hour SO
long expected had come. At that mo-
ment the Cumberland was splendid
type of the man-of war of the old navy,
with her towering masts, long yards
and neat man of-war- like appearance;
and her crew, as they stood at their
guns for the last time-cool grim,
silent but determined seaman, confident
in their discipline, proud of their ship
were a model creW-a crew that haC
never been excelled and perhaps rarely
equaled-a crew that knew no Surrend-
er. Could they have had IA motive
power other than winu and sail, or
even under sail with a good working
breeze and room to manWuver so as to
avoid the ramming, they would have put
up one of the grandest fights that the
world ever saw. But. alas, it was a
dead calm, and yet they longed for an
opportunity to try their heavy guns,
for nothing was known at that time Of
the relative merits of irouclads as
against wooden ships, and great conf
dence was felt on board the Cumber-
laud in her well trained crew and solid
shot of eighty pounds weight.
At $50 p. III. the Merrimac came in
full view, heading directly for the Con-
gress, which was riding to the last of
and little inshore, had begun TO
swing and laid almost across the river,
her bow outward. AS the Merrimac
with her whole broadside, which ratified
off from the sides of the Merrimac like
hail from a roof This caused no sur
prise on board the Cumberland, whose
guns were much heavier than those of
Founders.
The Merrimac moved slowly across
the bows of the Cumberland and ma
noeuvered for position to ram.
Three times was the gun deck division
sent from one battery TO the other, I'M
til finally the Merrimac came sufficient
ly in sight upon the starboard bow to
enable the forward guns to be trained
"a
them and with the bow 10-inch pivot.
The Merrimac replied with her 7-inch
rifle and broadside guns, sometimes
aiming the latter at a small fort on
shore. Her first shot passed through
the starboard hammock netting of the
Cum berland, killing and wounding nine
marines. Lieut.. Haywood Of the
marines was knocked down but not
injured. The groans of the men as
they were carried below to the cockpit
the first to fall-was thing new to
the crew as they stood to their guns
and was an Introduction to a scene of
carnage rarely witnessed in any war.
The Merfimac, laying about 800 yards
distant on the starboard bow, was
raking the Cumberland at every shot,
while the latter could train none of her
broadside guns upon the foe. For tif-
teen or twenty minutes the Merrimac
kept her sneaking position out OF the
range of all the broadside guns of the
Cumberland, and poured broadside
after broadside into the doomed ship.
No. l gun of the 1st division of the
Cumberland was fired but once. While
the guns crew were running out the
gun the second time a she'll from the
Merrimac's finch rifle destroyed the
whole guns crew with the exception OF
the powder man. The spring from the
starboard quarter was then manned
with view to bringing the ship broad
side to the ram, but the tide was setting
in such direction that the spring laid
fore and aft and was useless. From this
time events followed each other too
fast to record them. The dead were
thrown to the other side of the deck
and the wounded carried below. No
one of that brave ships company
finched. They went on loading and
firing and as one was killed or wound
ed another took his place, as they had
been drilled to do. The carnage was
awful. Great splinters from
the ships sides killed and wounded
more men than did the shot and shell.
The 1st and End captains of the LIST and
End divisions of guns were killed or
wounded, and Lieut.. Selfridge, with a
box of primers in his pocket, went from
gun to gun and fired them as fast as
the decimated crews could load them.
The Merrimac kept up this destructive
fire for a time, when she headed for the
striking her on the star
board bow. her ram penetrating the