The National tribune., 1911-03-16
The Merimac Runs Away.

The Merrimac was leaking badly and
she ran away. A few shots were fired
at the retreating vessel as she continued
on her way to Norfolk. To have fol-
lowed her past the batteries off Sewell's
Point would have been running great
risk considering the important interests
at Hampton Roads, of which the Moni-
tor was the sole protector.
1t appears that the movements of the
Monitor at the time when there was no
Captain 10 direct her led others besides
Capt. Van Brunt, of the Minnesota, to
suppose that she had given up the fight,
and the assertion has since been conf
IDENTIFY made that the Monitor was beat
en- and driven off by the enemy. This
statement is not borne out by the facts
however, as the Monitor only went OFF
a short distance and got into shoal wa
tor and presently renewed the fshr
with their retreating enemy.
But supposing for moment that the
Merrimac was left in possession of the
field; why was it that she did not con-
tinue the fight? The retreat of the
Monitor would have left things in pre-
cisely the situation in which the Merri.
mac supposed them TO be when she
came out fresh for the fray in the early
morning. 1t is to be supposed that hel
object was to destroy the Minnesota
and Roanoke. This the Monitor pre-
vented her for six hours from doing
Now, however, if the Monitor had re-
treated why did she (the Merrimac)
not again attack the frigates? Instead
of continuing the fight. the Merrimac
steamed as fast as possible under the
circumstances back into Norfolk.
Lieut.. Catesby Jones, of the Merri-
mae, says his reason for returning to
Norfolk was that he believed the Min
nesota to be entirely disabled. What
ground he had for forming such a be-
lief he does not say. II has also been
suggested that his pilot led him to sup
pose that delay would prevent him from
crossing the bar. But what need had
he to cross? The bar was about a mile
above Sewelps Point. He had anchored
safely the night before under the bat
terry, and after destroying the Mime
sofa, surprising The Monitor had disap-
peared, he could do the same again and
go up to Norfolk or stay where he was
at his leisure.
If, however, his injuries were so great
that he was compelled to lose no time
in returning to Norfolk, it would seem
that instead of his having defeated the
Monitor the Monitor had given him a
sound thrashing and was left In full
possession of the field.
Again, the claim that the Merrimac
was victorious is very singular, in view
of the fact that half an hour after the
lying aground in the very spot she had
occupied in the morning. The Monitor
was lying alongside of her, neither of
them being materially injured, and the
supposed victor was Steaming as fast as
possible TO Elizabeth River in order to
cross the bar before the ebb tide.
Tho both the ironclads were terribly
pounded in the engagement. neither of
them developed fully its offensive
strength, and, all things considered,
they both got off very easily Attic
the Merrimac leaked badly from the
collision of her unarmed stern with the
Monitors overhang, and the plates Of
her armor were broken where they
we're struck, the wooden backing was
not penetrated.
The roof of the Monitors pilot house
was badly misplaced. but otherwise the
vessel was left intact. She was struck
81 times. eight OH her side armor, twice
on the pilot house, seven times on her
turret and four times on her deck. The
deepest indentations on the sides were
four inches. on the turret two inches
and on the deck only one inch.
SO the close of the first naval IRON
clad combat found our blockade still
unbroken, the fleet and the troops on
shore were saved and the Hampton
Roads reconqucred. For these over
whelming results and for the skill and
heroism that achieved them the names
of Capt. Worden and the late John A.
Griswold, both of Troy. n. Y, and the
Monitor will always be linked together
by the country in affectionate remem-
brance.-A. w. B., I'd n. Y, Troy, n. Y.