Decorah-posten og ved arnen., 1918-03-22

We have met this evening to COM
memorate one OF the most far-reach-
ing and momentouS events OF our
great civil wal and the leading spirit
and chief inspiration OF that event.
When that occurred the war had
been dragging, on land and sea, for
nearly a year with Scant success for
the cause of the Union.
To obtain and hold the mastery of
the sea had become all-important for
the success OF our arms.
To maintain a blockade of the ports
of the South and to keep the ports of
the North open was vital, and became
the great task OF Il navy.
For this task the North had a small
fleet of wooden ships. some of sail and
| some of steam The best of these
were our four steam irigates. the Mer-
rimac, the Wabash, The Roanoke and
the Minnesota, all of the same class
and each of $500 tons burden, and
40 guns.
The South had no feet at the open
ing OF the war, but proceeded to make
up for this deficiency by embarking,
in a limited way, upon the construc-
ton of ironclads OF various types and
designs.
In the spring III 1861. the Union
forces were Obliged to vacate and
abandon the sNorfolk Navy Yard.
where the Merrimac was undergoing
repairs. When the yard was aban-
doned she was scuttled and set on
fire, but only partially burned. The
Confederates, during 1861 and the
early part of 1862, raised, repaired
and converted her into a powerful and
formidable ironciad.
In the meantime, in August, 1861.
Congress had directed the Secretary
of the Navy to take steps for the con-
struction Of ironclad5.
At this juncture John Ericsson came
to our relief by furnishing plans and
specifications for the construction of
his noted ironclad - the Monitor, and
offering to construct and complete the
same within less than four months.
At first he met with a chilling and
unfriendly reception in the Navy De
partment, but finally a few patriotic
and public-spirited men came to his
relief and, through their intervention,
his plan was adopted, and a contract
was made with him and his friends
for the construction and completion
of the Monitor within 100 days after
the contract was let, with the unusual
and drastic condition, however, that
if the vessel failed to accomplish all
that was expected of it, the cost of
construction was to be borne by
Ericsson and his friends.
Those 100 days were days of great
trial for Ericsson. He not only had
to study out and prepare, from day
to day. the specifications and detailed
working drawings and supervise the
work, all of which kept him busy and
under constant strain, early and late,
but he had also TO bear the nagging
and criticism OF unfriendly or doubt
ing officials of the Navy Department
who, from week to week, i'll one form
or another, were admonishing him
and criticising his work.
However. in spite of all obstacles
and drawbacks, the Monitor was com
pleted nearly on time and turned over
to the government, after a trial trip,
on the 10Th of February. 1862.
SAfter being duly equipped, oficered
and manned. on the 9th of March,
1862, she left New York for Hampton
Roads where she arrived, after a
stormy and tempestuous passage, late
on the evening of the 9Th of March,
anchoring first by the side of the
Roanoke, and later by the side OF the
Minnesota. where she nestled until
early the next morning.
The Monitor arrived none too soon:
i'll fact, she came at a time when our
entire feet in Hampton Roads was
threatened with complete destruction.
Thara can,,E tn-tn,-a haa, ,e -
were, a veritable race in construction
between the builders of the Merrimac
and the Monitor, with ampler time in
favor of the Merrimac.
The Merrimac appeared on the mo-
mentous scene of action one day
DON Early on the 9th day of
March, 1862, she boldly and defantly
steamed out of the Navy Yard at
Norfolk and proceeded on her raid OF
havoc and destruction.
There were at that time in Hamp-
ton Roads sixteen of our war vessels,
of all classes, mounting 298 guns. OF
these the most important were the
Roanoke, the Minnesota, the Cumber-
land, and the Congress - all wooden
ships and one Of them, the Congress,
without steam power. On that fated
day the Merrimac destroyed and sank
the Cumberland and Congress and
disabled the Minnesota; and then. as
if wearied of her days work and feel
ing certain OF her prey - the remnant
of our fleet - on the morrow, re-
turned in the afternoon to her lair
in the Norfolk May Yard. TO
for the raid OF the next day.
The cause OF the Union was at this
time at it's lowest ebb. Another days
work of the Merrimac, such as that
OF the 9th OF March, would have de-
stroyed the n of the fleet in
Hampton Roads, and Washington.
Baltimore, New York and Boston.
and our other cities. would have been
at her mercy. Our merchant marine
would have been driven from the sea
and McClellans army could never
have found a safe retreat on the banks
OF the James River after its defeat in
the Peninsular CAMPAIGN.
1t was in the midst of this gloom,
when our cause seemed well-nigh
hopeless, that the spirit of John Erics-
son, embodied in the Monitor. came
to our relief. It seemed an act Of
Providence that had found its ex-
great inventor. who had sealously. for
months. day and night, labored at his
task, with a fai-h that was boundless
and harbored no doubt. Quietly and
modestly, the Monitor, after a trying
and stormy passage, anchored late
that night OF he 9th of March in
the shadow OF the disabled Minnesota.
ready for its task OF the morrow. Her