The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-07-14
THE DAI;,Y GATE CRY AND OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

desired effect on the commander OF
the Congress, who surrendered as we
steamed towards her Federal sharp
shooters from the shore were pick
ing off some Of our men, and wound
ed Commodore Buchanan.
"The tide was going down and
threatened to leave us aground. so We
could not reach the Minnesota. So,
after having demonstrated our lighting
ability, we steamed back to our moor
ings off Granny island, none the worse
for the battle except the loss OF our
ram.
Comes the Little Monitor.
Flushed with our success we
steamed out up the bay the next
morning. 1t was Sunday. and beaai-
tiful day Our officers had learned in
some way of the arrival Of a nlyster-
ious craft during the night. This yes
sci of mystery was the famous little
Monitor, aside from our ship, precur.
sor of the formidable superdread.
naughts of today. AS we approach
ed the Minnesota the Monitor, which
was behind her, steamed out into the
bay to take UP our gage Of battle. We
watched her closely. She did not seem
very Formidable, and looked more like
cheese box on raft than a fighting
ship. Little did we lighthearted
youths think the fame of the battle
we were about to fight would ring
around the world and that all navies
that came after us would be influ-
enced because of it.
THE Monitor drew only twelve feet
of water, while we drew twenty feet.
She unanswered much more easily
than we did. A few minutes after the
battle opened we went aground, which
gave the smaller ship the advantage
She pounded us with her battery of
11-inch guns, but the damage she
did WIS negligible.
Finally we got back into water.
AS we swung around, Gunner Simms
put seven-inch shot through the
top of the Monitors pilot house. As
the Merrimac completed her circle,
Gunner Woods sent a second shot into
the pilot house 1t was the most eff
fective shot of the entire engagement,
binding Captain Worden of the Mer-
rimac and almost putting the Monitor
out of commission. The Monitor, dis
Point Comfort We were left in pos
session of the disputed waters and
considered that we had the best OF
the engagement. We then attacked
the wooden ship Minnesota, and put
her out of commission with a single
shot through her boilers, exploding
them. Then we went back to Granny
island for repairs.
Commodore Buchanan's wound
was of such a character that he was
sent to the hospital, and Captain Josh
Tapneil was put in command. The
Merrimac was repaired, and on April
6 steamed out and challenged the en-
tire federal fleet in Hampton Roads.
The challenge was not accepted, the
repairs on the Monitor not having
been completed. The commanders of
the wooden ships knew that they
could not expect to cope with the Mer-
rimac.
Shortly after that we were bot
tied up, and rather than let the Mer-
rimac fall into the hands of the fed
erals, blew up the ship that had serv-
ed us so well, and the crew was serS
to various places.
fair. She was not seaworthy, and
could only fight on smooth water. 1t
was some time before practical
fighting vessel was evolved from the
Ericsson idea
TT is not generally known that the
Monitor was not owned by the United
States at the time she made this fight,
out was the property of the inventor
and those who had financed him in
the building of the little ironclad. De
lay followed delay and Ericsson was
not paid for the Monitor until several
years after the war ended
Il look back at my service in the
navy as the most attractive time of
my life, and would not be deprived
of the memory of those glorious days
for anything On this earth. A thou
sand times since that memorable