Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-08
BACK TO CIVIL WAR
Famous Naval Battle, March
9, 1862, in Hampton Roads.
MONITOR MEETS MERRIRAC
Engagement Described by DR.. Viii
liam Tindall, an Eyewitness.
OFFICER WHO OBEYED ORDERS
Speculation Regarding result Had
Lieut.. Dean Dared to Ignore
His Instructions.
MONITOR MEETS MERRIRAC
OFFICER WHO 0BEYED ORDERS

Tomorrow will be the fiftieth anniver-
sary of the battle between the Merrimac
and the Monitor. The famous sea fight.
which marked the beginning of a new era
in naval warfare, was witnessed by DR.
William Tindall, secretary to the board of
Commissioners Of the District Of Column
ba. who, at the time, was stationed
with regiment near Fortress Monroe.
DR.. Tindall has prepared for The Star the
following account of the engagement:
1.-THE Sth of March, 1862, was one of the
most beautiful of the early spring days in
the vicinity of Hampton roads. The regi-
ment to which 1 belonged was stationed
at the west end of the bridge which
crosses the inlet just west of Fort Mon
roe. During the afternoon of that day
we were aware that a naval action was
In progress between the Confederate iron
clad Virginia, but generally known a S the
Merrimac, and two United States wooden
vessels, the sloop of war Cumberland and
the frigate Congress, which were sta
toned in the James river off Newport
News. We could hear the firing and see
the smoke rising from the trees many
miles away, but did not observe the fall
of the Congress until she ran on the bar
in her attempt to escape from the Merri-
mac.
Picturesque Naval Conflict.
cit would be difficult to imagine more
picturesque naval pageant than the par
ticipation in the display of the afternoon
by the Minnesota, the st. Lawrence and
the Roanoke, while under sail and in ac-
ton with Sewalls point batteries, as
those ships sailed by. The grounding of
the Minnesota before she reached situa-
ton where her aid would be of any
benefit to the Congress. suspended further
participation by that ship or either of her
two companion ships mentioned during
the rest of the afternoon.
notwithstanding the exciting nature
of the day, my boyish proclivity for slum-
Der sent me to my bunk about dark,
where / was soon in sound sleep, from
which l was awakened by the tremendous
roar and vibration from the explosion of
the magazines of the Congress, which
had been burning during the late after
noon and night. l rushed out of the tent
in time to see an immense fantail of fire
in the sky, Uttered with all sorts of fraS-
ments and surrounded by dense masses
of black smoke scintillating with the fire.
quently bursting Shells.
1.-THE next morning / went to the hos
pital. in building which still exists, near
the end of the bridge 1 mentioned. to visit
a comrade who was sick there. While in
the sickroom ] noticed the surgeon of my
regiment and the captain of a battery OF
artillery stationed near our camp, go to-
gether upstairs, aQd was led by curiosity
and presumption to follow them. When
they reached the roof of the house, which
had a small observatory, l was SO inter-
ested in their conversation about the
mysterious Monitor, of which / then for
the first time heard. that I intruded until
came under their observation. The
captain then said to me, My son, your
eyes are younger than ours; take these
glasses and tell us what you see over