BALTIMORE, May 9.
The special correspondent of the American sends the following relative to affairs in Hampton Roads
and the Peninsula:
FORT MONROE, May 8.
This has been a most stirring and exciting day at Old Point,
and all are anticipating the early fall of Norfolk. At 11 o’clock the steamer Naugatuck was
observed raising steam, and about 12 o’clock she moved out by the side of the
Monitor, which vessel also cleared her decks for action, taking down her
awning, and stood forth in full fighting trim.
11:30. – The gunboat Dacotah has just moved up on line of
battle, together with the sloops of war Seminole and San Jacinto. The flag ship Minnesota was also under steam.
12 o’clock. – The Naugatuck has moved up towards Elizabeth
river, followed by the Monitor and Dacotah in line of battle. The San Jacinto follows slowly.
Heavy firing can still be heard in the direction of James
river, where, you have already been informed by telegraph, the Galena and other
boats of gone. The Susquehanna has just
gone up in the meantime, the Dacotah, Monitor and Naugatuck have reached the
channel and taken a position near Sewall’s Point. The Dacotah fired a shot towards Craney
Island. A second shot from the Dacotah
struck the beach at Sewall’s Point.
12:30 – The Susquehanna moves up and takes the lead of the
San Jacinto and Seminole – no answer from either. The Dacotah and Seminole are steaming up
Elizabeth river. The Naugatuck is lying
off towards the mouth of the James River.
Presently, the Dacotah and Monitor approached Craney Island
and Sewall’s Point. The Dacotah fires
every few minutes alternately at Sewall’s Point and Craney Island, the enemy
making no reply, although the balls reached their intended destination. – The Monitor
is taking the lead. Meantime the
Seminole and Susquehanna open upon Sewall’s point, and two shots are fired from
the Point, the latter falling short of the Monitor, which is now a mile above
the other vessels.
12:40. – The rebels are firing rapidly from Sewall’s Point,
principally on the Monitor, while a succession of shells are being poured on
the enemy from the Susquehanna, Dacotah, Seminole and San Jacinto, broadside
after broadside. The Rip Raps also threw
occasional shells at Sewall’s Point.
12:50. – The Susquehanna, Dacotah, San Jacinto and Seminole
are pouring shells and the Monitor threw her first two shells full a mile and a
half from the Point.
FORT MONROE, May 8.
Shortly before noon to-day the Monitor, Naugatuck, Seminole,
Susquehanna, Dacotah and San Jacinto, in the order in which they are named,
steamed up toward Sewall’s Point – Capt. Lardner, of the Susquehanna, in
command of the expedition.
As soon as within range, fire was opened with a shot and
shell against Sewall’s Point. Most of
the shots were good ones. It was nearly
half an hour before a reply was made from the Point.
The Rip Raps next opened fire, and then the Naugatuck for the
first time. Several shots were fired
from the single gun on the extremity of the Point, when one from the Monitor
struck in the vicinity, doubtless disabling the gun, as it has not been fired
since. The position of the Monitor was
far in advance of the rest of the fleet, and she continued in motion until
within a mile or two of the Point where considerable execution must have been
done by here accurate firing.
The Naugatuck kept in the back ground, the range of her
Parrot gun enabling her to do so. Sewall
Point battery replied briskly. The Rip
Raps fired occasionally. A continual
fire was kept up from the gunboats. On
account of the distance, no details can be given. Nothing occurred till two o’clock, when the
firing was very feeble from the Point.
The Monitor about this time returned from her advanced position and
joined the fleet.
At 2:15 a very dense smoke arose rapidly from the Point,
caused probably by the burning of the rebel barracks and other buildings. At about half past two o’clock, the Merrimac
made her appearance, when the fleet returned with the exception of the
Monitor. The Merrimac is still (5 o’clock)
off the Point. The Monitor is ready to
attack her.
1 P. M. – The Monitor is now within a mile of Sewall’s Point,
moving slowly forward and firing. The
enemy are also firing briskly from Sewall’s Point at the Monitor and shells are
falling thickly around her. Craney
Island is also joining in the fight, and has thrown shells at the Monitor, one
of which exploded directly over her. The
Monitor moved steadily forward, and occasionally firing, and receiving shells
and shot from the rebel battery with perfect indifference.
2 P. M. – The monitor has fallen back, and lays alongside of
the Susquehanna, probably for the purpose of communicating with her. The Naugatuck in the meantime has been throwing
shells into Pig’s Point, and the fleet has also thrown a number of shells in
the same direction.
2:15 P. M. – The Monitor and Dacotah are moving along again
slowly up the mouth of the Elizabeth river, and dense black smoke has commenced
to arise from Sewall’s Point, indicating that our incendiary shells thrown
there have fired the barracks. The
Dacotah continues to throw her shells directly into the point. The vessels by constantly changing position destroy
the range of the rebel gunners, but they are, however, making quite a
determined fight, their works giving us almost shell for shell, shot for
shot. The Monitor has laid out of action
for nearly an hour, and is probably cooling her guns. The Rip Raps battery has the range of Sewall’s
Point perfectly.
2:45 P. M. – The Merrimac now makes her appearance on the
scene. She has just passed from behind
Sewall’s Point, and is slowly running down toward the Federal fleet. Simultaneously with the appearance of the
Merrimac the Monitor started from behind the wooden vessels and moved up to
meet the enemy. The larger vessels have
drawn aside and left. The Monitor and
Naugatuck are now in the approaching path of the Merrimac. The vessels of the fleet had been lying
quietly at anchor for the last half hour, when the signal from the flag ship
ordered them all to return. The
Susquehanna leads the way, followed by the San Jacinto, Seminole, Dacotah and
Monitor, being all apparently using the greatest speed towards the fort. To the spectator, this seemed rather
mortifying, but as they moved down in line the Monitor was seen to halt, and
the San Jacinto and Dacotah also followed her example, leaving the Susquehanna
and Seminole moving ahead. The four
steamers and the Monitor having taken their position the Merrimac also halted,
and the vessels stood there not more than a mile and a half apart – the Merrimac
apparently unwilling to come further down and the Monitor unwilling to go
further up. The Minnesota also steamed
up in front of the fortress wharf, followed slowly by the Vanderbilt, when both
stopped. After laying in this position
the Minnesota turned round and steamed back, and the Vanderbilt turning slowly
backed water down the river. Whilst this
maneuvering was going on firing had entirely ceased from all points.
3:30. – The Merrimac now turns round and steams back toward
Norfolk with her rebel flag flying. The
Dacotah again proceeds up towards the Merrimac and the Monitor starts toward
the mouth of the Elizabeth river. The
Dacotah is now within easy range of Sewall’s Point, but the batteries there do
not open on the shore. The Monitor has
stopped and the Merrimac is lying stationary about a mile from the Craney
Island Battery. Here commenced an
important movement, which cannot be made public just yet. The Vanderbilt and Arago have now steamed in
front of the wharf. The Merrimac has run
back under the guns of Craney Island, and the Monitor is steaming off towards
here at full speed. The Minnesota is
also coming up again at full speed, the effort being to draw the rebels
again. For the past two hours the fleet
has been moving back and forwards, but the Merrimac still lies under the guns
of Craney Island. The Minnesota, Arago
and Vanderbilt have gone back to their anchorage, and there is no prospect of a
fight to-night. The troops are going on
board the transports, and the war vessels, including the Monitor, have all
returned to their anchorage.
The President viewed the action from a tug-boat lying about
a mile in rear of the fleet. He has just
returned, and as he passed up the wharf was vociferously cheered by the troops.
Our fleet have retired.
The Merrimac is again steaming up.
An officer of the Seminole states that the rebel staff on the Point was
twice shot away during the bombardment.
The first time it fell, it was picked up and a rebel in a red shirt
jumped on the ramparts with a stump of the staff and flag, and waved it, when a
shell struck him killing him and it is supposed others near him.
Of the many shots fired at the fleet by the rebels, not one
struck our vessels. – Some went over their masts, but most fell short. The rebels could be distinctly seen from the
vessels carrying all of their wounded and dead.
– Published in The
Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, May 10, 1862,
p. 1
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