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

towed down to the fort and the little
battery il watching the Merrimao and
ready for another fight. She is not hurt
one bit,
She (the Monitor mounts two 1856
pound guns and can fire them all, five
times in minute. She loads by steam and
when In action YOU cannot see a single
man.
My love 20 all
Your aifectionate brother
james A. Stewart.
James A. Stewart, the writer, was a
brother-in-law of the late Anthony Rey-
bold. the owner Of the Express and her
sister steamboat, the NhilldIn. The letter
written in lead pencil Il rs leeible as IT
probably was the day that it was dis-
patched by post to the vessel owner, then
In Wilmington 1t has since come into
possession of Captain Philip Reybold, son
OF Anthony, and one of the most capable
navigstors Of more recent years.
The p,irser OF the Express was n modest
chronicler Of the greatest naval battle Of
the war for he fails TO get down the gpec-
tacular details of the Whillidin's daring
rescue, in the very face Of what must
have seemed the destruction of the steam
Another reporter Of the engagement, how
ever. furnishes these, makes the narrative
complete, and shows il 10 have Justified
the appraisal Of Captain Morris, command
er of the Cumberland, who declared the
act OF the Whilldin and of her captain
and her crew Was Jhe most daring oN-
ample OF heroism Of the whole Civil War
His opinion was that of an expert who
saw every move on the part OF the steam
or and the Nerrimac and who every
instant thought the former and MI her
men aboard would he sent to the bottom.
While the Merrimac was shooting the
Northern war sloop Cumberland to pieces.
and the latter was in hopeless plight, her
shots taking no effect on the iron sides of
the Southern warEhip, the Whilldln was
tied mn at the wharf at Newport News in
the place of her sister ship, also COM
mandeered and employed 20 bring wutlnd-
ed Federal soldiers hack Aome.
Captain higgins, q man of umquestion-
ed bravery. saw the heril of the wooden
frigate and watched the sailors jumping
into the sea after shots had made parts Of
the craft mtenable. Vt one round, %
Northern sailors had been killed, and as
many at another. when the Merrimae
backed off n short distance and rammed
the Cumberland with her steel plough.
ripping great gap in the side Of the help
less sloop Fortunately, for the crew Of the
Northern craft, the latter gripped the
prov of the iron clad with such clutch in
the gaping wound that the latter WAS Sc
curely held, unable TO extricate herself
and making her guns effective only at
narrow angle. The shock of impact sent
the men overheard and those who were
not thus thrown into the water jumped
from the boat that was fast sinking.
Seeing the water filled with struggling
men and at the mercy of the enemy,
Captain higgins turned his head and cool
lev as if saying come to dinner, spoke
TO his chief engineer, Tom Ford:
Wen have TO go out and get them,
Tom indicating the men from the Cum
bcrland, not taking his eyes from the
scene of battle. except to now and then
unlimber and omit large portions Of to-
bacco Juice over the side Of the steamboat.
Ford who had been iniently watching
the men in the water and the Merrlmac
still held tight by the linking Cumberland,
retorted:
IF you do you'll have to 20 TO Libbey
nrison ar to hell one