Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-10

Concededlv there was no Drawer deed
during the entire s'war OF sections than
the rescue By Delaware river boatmen OF
more than 400 fighting marines from the
water Of Newport News, under the guns OF
the Confederate iron clad Merrimac, just
"a wears ago--March 8, 1862 The great
act OF heroism was also staged on Della
,y,re steamboat, which, prior to her being
commandeered by the Federal govern
ment had been engaged in the prosey pur-
suit of carrying Delaware peaches to
market and beforc-the war Delaware bellies
and matrons to Philadelphia to shop and
10 see the sights of the great city.
Possibly no other incident of battle
demonstrates better the type of bravery
that has always characterized the sons
of Delaware in action. wherever they may
have been placed in the more than a
century and quarter Of wars.
A letter, hitherto imprinted, records
this notable achievement and having been
written Immediately after the incident,
gives lucid and graphic pen picture of
the engagement of the naval battle at
Newport News that kept the North and
the South stirred to the highest pitch for
many days.
The sudden appearance of the Merri-
mac HI IlaiupApu INotuS fAIiti IltI
ate activity. on March so. 1862, set the
entire North on tip-toc for by one days
battle, almost every ship on the Northern
fleet stationed there, to maintain block
ads of the important waters of Virginia
and to keep the Confederate capital,
Richmond, isolated so far rs possible from
the outside world, had been beaten or had
In the excitement of battle been run
aground to he easy prey for the big IRON
clad at her leisure, next day.
With this preliminary it Is easy to see
that the letter from a witness to this
most vital naval battle Is really most
interesting. The observer was a boatman
and was almost into the naval conflict
every minute while it ragged.
The letter, addressed TO the late
Anthony Reybold. reads:
Steamer Express.
Fortress Monroe, March Q, 1862.
My Dear Brother: suppose you have
heard ere this, of the Naval Engage
mentp which commenced on Saturday,
March s. at one o'clock and ended on
Sunday at one o'clock.
The steamers engaged on the rebel side
were the iron-clsd steamer Merrimac, the
hope Of the rebels-the Jamestown and
Yorktown. On our (the Northern) side,
we had the u. s. Sloop of War, Cumber-
land, the Frigates Congress, Roanoke, st.
Lawrence, and our flag ship, the Minncso-
ta--we may call her (the Minnesota the
pride of America several 'small
gunboats."
The loss on our side is very great. The
names of the vessels lost are the Cumber-
land, Congress, Dragon and Whitehall
The rebels lost none,
The irou-clad steamer. Merrimac cnme
down from Norfolk Aon SATURDAY. about
l O'Clock, and sailed up towards Newport
the Cumberland and
Congress. They saw her coming and both
prepared for action. The Minnesota and
Roanoke also saw her and weighed anchor
and started up towards Newport News,
but unfortunately the Roanoke got |
aground off Sewellfs Point, and the Min |
ncsota off Pig Point, within range Of the !
Of each point. We went to /
Cherrystone and the Whilldin was at |
News in our place, and laying at !
the wharf at the time. The Cumberland |
was about 400 yards away from the Whill- |
din and the Congress was about 500 yards
from her and she thought she was we'll |
protected by the two ships. But, alas, il |
was not sol
As she (the Merrimac) passed up, the
Congress and Cumberland both gave her
a broadside and one would suppose that |
it would sink anything. The battery at |
Newport News also opened on her, but |
hey all had no more effect than pouring |
water on her. They all hit her fairly. She /!
passed by and then rounded too and came |
down on the Cumberland, both vessels |
and the battery pouring shot and shell at /
her but she appeared to take no notice of /
them She THE Merrimac) came close |
under the bow of the Cumberland and |
asked her to surrender. The answer was
No never'' She then backed out and /
came up with full force-all the time re-
ceiving the shot and shell from the ships
struck the Cumberland with her plough
she had on her bow and at the same time
opened her battery on her. She did it
second timeAthe Cumberland still pour
ing her shot on her. BY this time the Cum
oerland had sunk SO that her bow was
under water and could only
Use her after glIHs--but still kept up her
Tag and fought.
Her (the Cumberland's) commander
then said: Boys we are sinking, Shall
we give her one more broadside?"
They all said YES" and as they fred
she sank with all her crew, (her crew was
rescued) and as she went out OF
,ight, the last words of the crew were
beard on the shore. They were:
''All hail the Stars and Stripesi'
All those who could swim were picked
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