Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-05-06
WATCHED MONITOR
AND MERR|MAC DUEL
Calvin Burrows, Connecticut Vet
Gran, Witnessed Historic Sea
Fight SO Years Ago.

Living IN the village Of Pnquonnoc,
Conn nj the age of & is a man who has
hal nm experience which II y doubtful
If any other person living IN this country
today can duplicate Calvin burrows
was witness of The famous encounter be
tween The Monitor aud the Merriinac-
- wears ago this month Mr. Biir
rows was standing guard duty on the
parapet at Fortress Monroe. mnskef
thrown over his right shoulder. MS ho
watched with strained eyes the his.
tore combat. battle winch revolution
lacd the methods If naval warfare
Although born ~ the town 0f tiroton
Conn, Mr. Burrows chanced Ia be ~
WISCONSIN when the Civil War broke out
aud hen President lincoln Issicd hl'
call for volunteers the young onnce
tIcut man lost no time N enllstine ~
the Fourth Wisconsin Battery under
Capt G. Il lfaaterlS Their first service
was NJ Fortress Monroe Il happcnea
that tho Fourth Wisconsin was dolnf
garrison DUTY ~ the fortress. and Whie
the ld-lamnus battle between thf
lrunclad engine 81 var ON the onfed
crate side md the insignificant looking
Monitor OF the North VIZ taking Idace
Mr. burrows, with the resi- 81 his com
radoe VAS watching viii hreafhles'
| interest Mr. burrows atates TINT Whet
the Nerrlmac wrought 81 great dafnag'
Ia the ships of the ederal flfef n on
gross and the cumberland he. then IN
vatc burrows. WINS delegated - one q
the gun aopiad to man the famous F'in
then known among the soldiers rs tho
mon Gun This famcd p,eee. Hhlrh
was 4 l2-lnch rifle. had been set on tho
T. a
hrSt saw the Monitor NJ the break 81
day on March ..
Naturally there waa great JOY 81 Fort
ross Monroe ~ the sight 81 the wonderful
Il II new So Fl htfr, queer looking thonPh
II proved Ia ~ The troop had Itvcd ~
a state 81 apprehension inco the ter
rorirlnq nf the nearby waters by the for
inidailc Nerrimac A. that irving date
Il appeared to III - though the hcrri-
macs destruction of the fleet, the passing
~ Fortress Monroe and the lombard
mcut 81 New \ orb WAS merely mat
ter az time But the 9prc rance Of
the funny little sea-turilc, commanded
by icut John | Nordeu, drove all
doubts and fears away The tiny Monitor
| Law all night under the Ice Of ! FEDERAL
vessel, and when the Ncrrinac bore down
on the Federal hattlcship m the carly
morning. With the evident intention Of
adding another trophy to her list, the
little L mon craft slipped out from the
| shadow Of the stern Of the Federal vessel
and like a daring mite Of 4 sesl-DaSid
engaged the bulky armored 6,nlIath :
| confident and So imposing on one Of II,
most memorable water battles Of any
time Fast and furious waRei the com
bat. and when II had terminated, th'
disabled Nerrimac withdrew from ilamp
ton Roads, and IN iaet from active var
| fare
It was said Nj Burrows narrates
that the final shot Of the combat, tn
one which ended the blooishcd am
destruction, was fired from the Monte
from such a position that the deadly shell
whlstled through portfolio Of the Merri
mac. exploding within the ernored por
| ton. killing many men and running III
| machinery
1t is AN interesting f..et that Nh
| Burrows. even at scventy-four. has los
none Of his patriotic ardor and IS anXlou
10 do his hlt for Uncle sam and Ia
preservation Of world democracy