Diary of Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle: Friday, June 19, 1863

I embarked at 10 A.M. on board a small steamer to visit Drewry's Bluff on the James River, the scene of the repulse of the ironclads Monitor and Galena. The stream exactly opposite Richmond is very shallow and rocky, but it becomes navigable about a mile below the city. Drewry's Bluff is about eight miles distant, and, before reaching it, we had to pass through two bridges — one of boats, and the other a wooden bridge. I was shown over the fortifications by Captain Chatard, Confederate States navy, who was in command during the absence of Captain Lee. A flotilla of Confederate gunboats was lying just above the obstructions, and nearly opposite to the bluff. Amongst them was the Yorktown, alias Patrick Henry, which, under the command of my friend Captain Tucker, figured in the memorable Merrimac attack. There was also an ironclad called the Richmond, and two or three smaller craft. Beyond Drewry's Bluff, on the opposite side of the river, is Chaffin's Bluff, which mounts heavy guns, and forms the extreme right of the Richmond defences on that side of the river.

At the time of the attack by the two Federal ironclads, assisted by several wooden gunboats, there were only three guns mounted on Drewry's Bluff, which is from 80 to 90 feet high. These had been hastily removed from the Yorktown, and dragged up there by Captain Tucker on the previous day. They were either smooth-bore 32-pounders or 8-inch guns, I forget which. During the contest the Monitor, notwithstanding her recent exploits with the Merrimac, kept herself out of much danger, partly concealed behind the bend of the river; but her consort, the ironclad Galena, approached boldly to within 500 yards of the bluff. The wooden gunboats remained a considerable distance down the river. After the fight had lasted about four hours the Galena withdrew much crippled, and has never, I believe, been known to fame since. The result of the contest goes to confirm the opinion expressed to me by General Beauregard — viz., that ironclads cannot resist the plunging fire of forts, even though that latter can only boast of the old smoothbore guns.

A Captain Maury took me on board the Richmond ironclad, in which vessel I saw a 7-inch treble-banded Brook gun, weighing, they told me, 21,000 lb., and capable of standing a charge of 25 lb. of powder. Amongst my fellow-passengers from Richmond I had observed a very Hibernian-looking prisoner in charge of one soldier. Captain Maury informed me that this individual was being taken to Chaffin's Bluff, where he is to be shot at 12 noon to-morrow for desertion.

Major Norris and I bathed in James River at 7 P.M. from a rocky and very pretty island in the centre of the stream.

I spent another very agreeable evening at Mrs S——’s, and met General Randolph, Mr Butler King, and Mr Conrad there; also Colonel Johnston, aide-de-camp to the President, who told me that they had been forced, in order to stop Bumside's executions in Kentucky, to select two Federal captains, and put them under orders for death. General Randolph looks in weak health. He had for some time filled the post of Secretary of War; but it is supposed that he and the President did not quite hit it off together. Mr Conrad as well as Mr King is a member of Congress, and he explained to me that, at the beginning of the war, each State was most desirous of being put (without the slightest necessity) under military law, which they thought was quite the correct remedy for all evil; but so sick did they soon become of this regime that at the last session Congress had refused the President the power of putting any place under military law, which is just as absurd in the other direction.

I hear every one complaining dreadfully of General Johnston's inactivity in Mississippi, and all now despair of saving Vicksburg. They deplore its loss, more on account of the effect its conquest may have in prolonging the war, than for any other reason. No one seems to fear that its possession, together with Port Hudson, will really enable the Yankees to navigate the Mississippi; nor do they fear that the latter will be able to prevent communication with the trans-Mississippi country.

Many of the Richmond papers seem to me scarcely more respectable than the New York ones. Party spirit runs high. Liberty of the press is carried to its fullest extent.

SOURCE: Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, Three Months in the Southern States: April-June, 1863, p. 221-4

Diary of Judith W. McGuire: May 14, 1862

The anxiety of all classes for the safety of Richmond is now intense, though a strong faith in the goodness of God and the valour of our troops keeps us calm and hopeful. A gentleman, high in position, panic-struck, was heard to exclaim, yesterday: “Norfolk has fallen, Richmond will fall, Virginia is to be given up, and to-morrow I shall leave this city, an exile and a beggar.” Others are equally despondent, and, as is too frequently the case in times of trouble, attribute all our disasters to the incompetency and faithlessness of those entrusted with the administration of public affairs. Even General Lee does not escape animadversion, and the President is the subject of the most bitter maledictions. I have been shocked to hear that a counter-revolution, if not openly advocated, has been distinctly foreshadowed, as the only remedy for our ills. The public authorities of Richmond, greatly moved by the defenceless condition of the city, appointed a committee, and appropriated funds to aid in completing the obstructions at Drury's Bluff. The Legislature also appointed a committee to wait upon the President and ascertain the progress of the work. A member of this committee, a near connection of mine, has given me an account of their interview with Mr. Davis. He received them, as is his invariable custom, with marked cordiality and respect. The subject was opened by the chairman of the Senate Committee, who stated the object of the mission, and made appropriate inquiries for information. The President proceeded to give a distinct narrative of the progress of the work, expressed his great desire for its early completion, and regretted, that the natural difficulties arising from frequent freshets in the river, which the efforts of man could not overcome, had rendered the progress of the work slow. He said he had just returned from a visit to the Bluff, accompanied by General Lee; and having heard complaints against the man in charge of the work, he had discharged him, and had appointed another, strongly recommended for efficiency. That the flood was now subsiding, and he thought he could assure the committee that the obstruction of the river would be complete in twenty-four hours. At this point the door-bell rang, and General Lee was announced. “Ask General Lee in,” said the President. The servant returned, saying that the General wished to see the President for a few moments in the ante-room. The President retired, met General Lee and the Secretary of the Navy, and soon returned to the committee. The conversation being renewed, some further inquiry was made with regard to Drury's Bluff. The President replied: “I should have given you a very different answer to your question a few moments ago from that which I shall be compelled to give you now. Those traitors at Norfolk, I fear, have defeated our plans.” “What traitors?” asked nearly every member of the committee at the same moment. He then proceeded to give a detail of the desertion of the captain and crew of a steamer engaged in transporting guns from Norfolk to Drury's Bluff, who had gone over to the enemy with vessel and cargo, and full information as to the unfinished condition of the works. A member of the committee asked: “Can nothing be done to counteract these traitors?” The President replied: “Every thing will be done, I assure you, which can be done.” The member continued: “But, Mr. President, what will be done?” The President politely declined to answer the question, saying there were some things that it was not proper to communicate. The member again pressed for the information, saying: “This is a confidential meeting, and, of course, nothing transpiring here will reach the public.” The President, with a smile on his countenance, said: “Mr. –––, I think there was much wisdom in the remark of old John Brown at Harper's Ferry: ‘A man who is not capable of keeping his own secrets is not fit to be trusted with the business of other people.’” There was no unpleasant feeling manifested in the committee, and the parting was kind and cordial on both sides; yet, next morning, it was rumoured on the streets that the President had been rude to the committee, and that the meeting had been extremely unpleasant. On the night of this meeting the river was obstructed by the sinking of the steamer Patrick Henry, and other vessels, in the channel. This, it is supposed, was the plan agreed upon by Mr. Davis and General Lee in their short interview. Several days have passed since this interview, and I trust that all is now safe. How thankful I am that I knew nothing of this until the danger was passed!

The Legislature is in almost constant session during these dark days. It contains many gentlemen of great intelligence and of ardent zeal in the public cause. The whole body is as true as steel, and its constant effort is to uphold the hands of the President, to fire the popular heart, and to bring out all the resources of Virginia in defence of the liberty and independence of the South. I am told that day after day, and night after night, “thoughts that breathe and words that burn” are uttered in that hall, which, in other days, has often rung with the eloquence of the noblest statesmen, patriots, and orators of the land. These proceedings are all in secret session, and, for prudential reasons, are withheld from the public; but are they never to see the light? Is no one taking note of them? I trust so, indeed, that the civil history of Virginia, during this great struggle, may not be lost to posterity.

SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War, p. 112-5

The Rebel Steamers Lately Engaged Near Fortress Monroe

(From the New York Tribune)

THE MERRIMAC.

The Merrimac was originally one of the five war steamers authorized to be constructed by congress during the session of 1844-5.  They were to be first steam sloops of war, and were built as follows.  The Merrimac at Charlestown; Wasbash, Com. Dupont’s flag ship, which did such good service at Port Royal, at Philadelphia; the Minnesota at Washington; the Roanoke at Norfolk, and the Niagara at Brooklyn. – The Minnesota and the Roanoke were lying in Hampton Roads.  These five vessels were equal to any steam war vessels in the world, except iron clad vessels.  The spar deck of the Merrimac was 281 feet long and 52 feet broad in her original condition and she drew 23 feet of water.  She rated about 4,000 tons burden.  Her frame was of [live] oak, filled in solid, and caulked 14 feet out from the kelson.  Forward the ship had 10 live oak breast hooks, fastened through and through with copper under the water and iron above; aft she had seven breast hooks.

The engine was of 800 horse power, with a 2 bladed propeller 14 feet in diameter, so fitted as to be raised to the deck and lowered to its beaming at pleasure, enabling the vessel to be used with our without steam power.  She rated as a 40 gun frigate, but could carry as much as a 90 gun ship of the old style. – She carried 24 9 inch shell guns, with 2 pivot guns of 8 tons, each throwing 100 pound shells, mounted fore and aft.

The Merrimac was the first of the five to be completed, being launched in 1856.  She was soon after put in commission, and continued in the service until April 1861, when she was lying at the Norfolk Navy Yard, in need of some slight repairs.  But for the imbecility of those in charge, she might have been removed before the rebellion actually broke out in Norfolk.  Under the management of Com. Macauley, however, she and the ship of the line Pennsylvania where scuttled and sunk, while at the same time the Navy Yard and its 2,500 cannon were abandoned to the rebels.

Since then the Merrimac has been raised, placed upon the dry dock, and covered with an entire slanting roof or railroad iron.  This additional weight nearly broke her down upon the dry dock, and they found almost as much difficulty in launching her as was found in launching the Great Eastern.  Owing to a mistake in calculation, on being launched she was found to sink four feet deeper than before, so as to take in water.  So she was again taken out, being hogged in the operation and otherwise so strained that the Southern newspapers pronounced her a failure, and it is more than probably that with no opposition she would never dare to go to sea.  She is probably a very good moveable floating battery.  Above the water’s edge she is said to present nothing but her roof of railroad iron, with a smoke stack rising a few feet above it.  From the accounts which we have of the fight, her rate of speed is very moderate.  She mounted 10 100-pound Armstrong guns, which are reported to have mashed through iron mail as thick as that of the Warrior and Black Prince, but which do not appear to have made any impression on the Monitor.

THE YORKTOWN, OR THE PATRICK HENRY

The Yorktown, called by the rebels the Patrick Henry, is a steamer of 1,400 tons, which was built by Wm H. Webb for the line between New York and Richmond, in 1859.  She has two decks and is built of oak, with copper and iron fastenings.  She has two marine beam engines, of 350 horse power, and four water-tight compartments.  Her dimensions are, length 251 feet, breadth 34 feet, depth 18 feet.  She is described by a reporter who went up on the Express, under a flag of truce, on Thursday last, as mounting six rifled guns, one of which is an Armstrong gun, and is being much more formidable than her consort, the Jamestown.

THE JAMESTOWN

The Jamestown was formerly the consort of the Yorktown in the Richmond line.  She was built in 1852 by J. A. Westervelt, and her dimensions are slightly smaller than those of the Yorktown.  She draws but eight feet of water three feet less than the Yorktown.  She has a vertical beam engine, of 260 horse power.  The same reporter saw her also last Thursday, and says that she was worked with double engines, and had a sharp iron prow at her bow projecting some three feet at the water line, intended to run down wooden vessels, and that she carries 2 23 pound rifled cannon, Parrot style, fore and aft, the guns being furnished with telescopic sights.  The vessel looked trim, and the officers wore a profusion of gold lace, while the marines and sailors were smart and active in appearance.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 2

From Washington

WASHINGTON, April 5.

The Senate military committee reported against the confirmation of Blenker, Stahl and [De Anna] as Brigadier Generals, and in [favor] of Cadwallader as Major General and [Capt. Grover] and C. O. Van Allen [sic] as Brigadier Generals.

WASHIGNTON, April 6.

The War Department has issued an order appointing D. C. McCallum military superintendent of railroads; Anson Slayer, military superintendent of all telegraphs in the U. S.; E. S. Sanford, military supervisor of telegraphic dispatches and army intelligence – all the foregoing with rank of Colonel in the volunteer service, and will be respected and obeyed accordingly.

Edmund Ellis, publisher of the Boone Co., Mo., Standard, was called before the military commissioners at Columbia, Mo., on a charge of publishing information for the benefit of the enemy, violating the laws of war, &c.  The commissioners found him guilty, and sentenced him to be kept outside the lines of the State of Missouri during the war, and the press, types, &c., of the printing office to be confiscated to the use of the U. S.  The Secretary of War has approved the sentence, and issued an order that this form of procedure be adopted in like cases by commanders of all military departments.

A dispatch of April 5^th, states that the gunboat Carondelet ran the gauntlet of Island No. 10, and is now available for Gen. Pope.  She was fired at, but was not hit once.

There is authority from the war department for saying that the dispatches from Fort Monroe, dated 3 o’clock Sunday P. M., had been received.  A reconnoisance had been made towards Yorktown.

The headquarters of our army are now about five miles from Yorktown.  There had been some cannonading, but without injury on either side.

Tribune’s Special.

NEW YORK, April 7.

Wm. H. Russell, of the London Times, has engaged passage to England on the China on Wednesday next.

Assistant Sec’y Fox, Mr. Grimes of the Senate naval committee, and Mr. Sedgwick, Chairman of the House naval committee went to Fortress Monroe this, P. M.

Pleasure touring and sight seeing at Bull Run and in the vicinity of Manassas are not yet safe.

A private of the Lincoln cavalry is said to have been shot dead yesterday upon the former field, and one of the Harris cavalry was shot at long rifle range from the cover of a wood two miles from the Junction.

Soon after the publication of Mr. Montgomery Blair’s letter to Gen. Fremont, in which the writer criticized somewhat freely the President, the Postmaster General tendered his resignation, but Mr. Lincoln refused to receive it, and it is said that the relations between this Cabinet Minister and the President were never more kindly than at the present.

Special Dispatch to the Herald.

It has been ascertained that the rebel leaders are grievously disappointed and disconcerted by the change of programme of the army of the Potomac.  They had [hourly] information of the preparation for the transportation of Gen. McClellan’s Army, and supposing that the whole army of the Potomac was to be withdrawn from this vicinity, had arranged a programme, for the bold dash across the Potomac above Washington and a foray upon the Capital through Maryland.  Gen. Jackson’s command was to lead this enterprise, and to be supported by Smith and Johnston’s forces.  It was not expected that the rebel sympathizers in Maryland would raise the standard of revolt there and aid the execution of the project by the destruction of railroads and bridges, and the isolation of Washington from reinforcements of Union troops.  The rebel leaders reckoned without their host, and were taken by surprise on finding Gen. Shields when the attempt was made to execute the first part of their programme. – The repulse of Jackson, and the formation of two new departments in Virginia, under command of Gens. Banks and McDowell, convinced them that no vulnerable point has been left unprotected.

The Maryland sympathizers, who were emboldened to insolence at the prospect of this bold feat of the rebel army, have become disheartened, and are leaving by scores.  Numbers have been arrested in the attempt to escape south, and others who were known to have organized for the occasion are seeking avenues southward in large parties.

WASHINGTON, April 7.

The mails for California, Oregon and Washington Territory are now transported overland from St. Joseph, Mo. – to which place correspondence can be sent from any post office.

A telegraph dispatch was received in this city yesterday, announcing that General Mitchell with the forces under his command, had reached Shelbyville, Tenn., and had been received with great enthusiasm by the inhabitants.

The following in regard to the Merrimac has been received at the navy department.  When she ran for Norfolk on Sunday, 9^th March, in the evening, she had several feet of water in her hold.  One shot from the Cumberland riddled her, and one shot from the Monitor, through her port, dismounted two guns.

The Monitor put a ball through the boiler of the Patrick Henry, which killed two men and scalded others.

The steamer Freeborn has arrived up from Liverpool Point, bringing some additional particulars of the skirmish at Stafford C. H.

Gen. Sickles’ troops captured some 40 horses belonging to the enemy’s cavalry and a number of small arms and mails in the Stafford Post Office, in which are many letters, some of which will probably be of importance to the government.  Six prisoners were also taken, who were brought up on the Freeborn and sent to the old capital prison.

As the crew of the Freeborn, were getting off the horses and other property captured, the rebels opened a heavy fire upon them from a thicket, but on the Freeborn returning the compliment with a shrapnel, the enemy hastily disappeared.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, April 8, 1862, p. 1

Special to Post.

The naval committee of the Senate this morning agreed to report a bill at once for the appropriation of $15,000,000 for iron-clad vessels of war.

Senator Grimes has just received a dispatch from Assistant War Secretary Fox, at Ft. Monroe, declaring his confident belief that the Monitor, in her next engagement, will sink the Merrimac.  Mr. Fox confirms the reports that the Merrimac was injured in the fight.  He expresses the opinion that another contest between the two vessels is certain, and that the conflict will be terrible.

The official report of Lieut. Pendergrast, of the Congress, addressed to Com. Marston, has been forwarded to the Navy Department.  Lieut. Pendergrast states that owing to the death of the late commanding officer, Jas. B. Smith, it becomes his painful duty to make a report of the part which the U. S. frigate Congress took in the efforts of our vessels at Newport News to repel the attack of the rebel flotilla, on the 8^th inst.  The report says:  “When the Merrimac, with three gunboats, were seen steaming down from Norfolk, and had approached near enough to discover her character, the ship was cleared for action.  At 10 minutes past two the Merrimac opened with her bow gun, with grape passing us on the starboard side.  At a distance of about 300 yards, receiving our broadside, and giving one in return.  After passing the Congress she ran into and sank the Cumberland.  The smaller vessels then attacked us, killing and wounding many of our crew.  Seeing the fate of the Cumberland, we set the jib and top sail, and with the assistance of the gunboat Zouave, ran the vessel ashore.

“At half past two, the Merrimac took a position astern of us at a distance of about 150 yards, and raked us fore and aft with shells, while one of the smaller steamers kept up a fire on our starboard quarter.  In the meantime, the Patrick Henry and Thos. Jefferson, rebel steamers, approached from up the James river, firing with precision and doing us great damage.  Our two stern guns were our only means of defence.  These were soon disabled, one being dismounted and the other having its muzzle knocked away. – The men were knocked away from them with great rapidity, slaughtered by the terrible fire of the enemy.  Lieut. Pendergrast first learned of the death of Lieut. Smith at half past four; the death happened ten minutes previous.

“Seeing that our men were being killed without the prospect of any relief from the Minnesota, which vessel had run ashore in attempting to get up to us from Hampton Roads; not being able to get a single man to bear upon the enemy, and the ship being on fire in several places, on consultation it was deemed proper to haul down colors without further loss of life on our part. – We were soon boarded by an officer of the Merrimac, who said he would take charge of the ship.”

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, March 13, 1862, p. 1

The Gunboat Galena on James River --- She Silences Two Forts

GUNBOAT GALENA, Sunday, May 11.

DEAR BROTHER – I suppose by this time you have heard of the Galena leaving Hampton Roads.  I was glad of it, for such a fine ship as this ought not to be kept idle in such times as these, and the boys were all anxious for a fight.  We got under way and left the Roads fifteen minutes past seven o’clock on the morning of the 8th, and it was not long till we passed Sewall’s Point, without one shot being fired at us.  As we passed Newport News we were hailed by loud and long cheers from the men of the fort, who were glad to see us make a move to help their brother soldiers.  But we had only passed them about twenty five minutes, when, to our great joy, a battery hove in sight.  It was first seen by the well experienced eye of our gallant Captain.  He gave orders to Lieutenant Newman to call all hands to quarters, which he did in his usual cool way, for he is always cool and brave.  This order was promptly obeyed by the crew, who thought every minute an hour to try their skill on the rebels.  They soon had a chance, for at fifteen minutes to ten o’clock the ball was opened by our pivot gun forward.  The shot fell short.  The second and third were fired, but there was no reply.  We ran in under their gun range, and then they opened on us from six or eight guns, but all of the shot fell harmless against our iron sides.  I hardly think they knew what was coming at them.  We let fly from our whole battery, and made it pretty warm for them.  We sailed back and forward by the fort three or four times, and soon leveled their flag and made it drag in the dust.  After an action of forty minutes they ran like “red sharks,” as they always do from the well directed fire of our brave sailors.  Not one shot struck us up to the end of the engagement.

Fort No. 2 – The action commenced about one o’clock, three quarters of an hour after we had silenced the first battery.  In this fort we found a more formidable opponent than the first.  It mounted twelve guns and after an hour and fifteen minutes’ bombardment, eleven of them were silenced.  The remaining one fought us for an hour afterward, making this bombardment of two hours and fifteen minutes duration.  The gunboats Aristook [sic] and Port Royal were with us, but did not take an active part in the engagement, though they did some execution with their long guns.

The rebel gunboats Jamestown and Patrick Henry were lying under the guns of the second fort, but instead of assisting its defence, they got up steam and ran away with all speed toward Richmond.  Our damage in the engagement was small.  One shot struck the Aristook and went through her bulwarks under the hammock nettings.  No one was injured.  One or two shots struck us, but they only left their mark on our iron mail and glided off.

After passing the second fort we started up the river, but the buoys have been removed and there we stuck hard and fast, waiting for high tide.  The batteries silenced were called the Upper and Lower Shoal batteries.  Great praise is given to Captain Rodgers, First Lieutenant Newman and Engineer in Chief Thompson.

LATER – We are just getting off shore, and a boat has come on board from Gen. McClellan, by which I send this.  We will be off for City Point in the morning. – {Cor. Baltimore American

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 4

What one of the Merrimac’s Crew says of her Fight with the Monitor

From the New York Herald, 19^th.

James Thompson a sailor by vocation, a citizen of Massachusetts, and formerly a resident of this city, arrived here on Saturday night last from Norfolk, and furnishes us with a very interesting statement of affairs in rebeldom.  He was one of the crew of the Merrimac during the fight with the Monitor, having been impressed into the rebel navy, and had also been one of the crew of the rebel gunboat Lady Davis during the cruisings of that vessel off Charleston and the coast. * * * *

Having sunk the two vessels we steamed up James River, the rebel officers being in high glee, and came to an anchor about five miles from the scene of action.  Here we remained all night.  On the morning of the 9^th we prepared to go down again, the rebel officers thinking to complete the work of destruction by sinking all the vessels in the Roads.  When daylight had revealed the situation of affairs, the officers of the Merrimac discovered what they at first thought was a small tug boat, steaming towards us.  We hailed her but receiving no reply, let fly at her from one of our bow guns; but she very imprudently took no notice of the messenger we had sent and kept steaming on.  Then our officers began to be fearful of the “little cheese box,” and were fairly “trembling in their shoes” for the result of a contest with her. – They soon found out what she was.  Soon the little Monitor sent us her compliments in the shape of a round shot, which struck a gun on our starboard side, broke it completely in two, killed two and wounded four of the crew.  The firing was then kept up for about three hours, the vessels being very often side by side.  After an hour’s firing the Merrimac thought to try the virtue of her plough on her antagonist, and struck her with it amidships.  The effect produced was very unsatisfactory to the rebel, however.  The Monitor then turned on her giant compeer and struck her rudder, producing great consternations on board, but not rendering the rudder unserviceable.  Every time the two guns from the Monitor were discharged, each of the two shots seemed to strike us in nearly the same spot, bursting in the timbers of the Merrimac, loosening the bolts of the iron plates, and timbers, and doing us very great damage generally.  It was noticeable also that her shots struck us near the water line, and caused our vessel to leak badly.

Mr. Thompson also corroborates what we published some time since from the Richmond Dispatch, that the iron plates on the Merrimac were welded together in many instances by the heat and force of the Monitor’s shot.  The Merrimac’s crew, during the engagement, were made to swear that if a large number of rebels on board were killed, they would not reveal the fact to any one on their arrival at Norfolk.  Seeing that the tide of battle was against us, we were ordered to “’bout ship” and put back to Norfolk.  We had not proceeded far when we grounded, and orders had been already given to scuttle the ship, when we made another effort to get off the shoal, and succeeded, and we made our way up to Norfolk slowly, arriving there at six P. M., with about six feet of water in the hold.  The rebel steamer Patrick Henry, which bore down to the Monitor during the fight, was driven back by a shot and having steam turned on her from the Monitor’s boiler.  She had six men scalded and two badly wounded.  After reaching Norfolk she was put upon the dry dock for repairs, and for five weeks men were working on her night and day, giving her a thorough overhauling.  When destroyed she was in excellent condition, and her loss, Mr. Thompson thinks, will prove incalculable to the rebels.  While these repairs were going on great fear was expressed that the Monitor might come up Elizabeth river and shell the city.  If she had done so no resistance could or would have been offered (as the authorities and people were frightened at the very name of her,) and the evacuation of the batteries and the city was already decided on in the event of her visit.  Commodore Buchanan was badly wounded in the thigh, and was taken, immediately on our arrival, to the hospital, where, at last accounts, he still remains.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 2