FORTRESS MONROE, March 9. – The long expected Confederate
steamer Merrimac made her appearance here yesterday p. m., with the assistance
of two gunboats, which came out with her from Norfolk, made an attack upon
Newport News, and the naval vessels stationed at that place. The Merrimac was first seen from the ramparts
of Fortress Monroe on her way to Newport News, at about a quarter before one o’clock. Two rebel gunboats followed her. They all carried a rebel flag at the stern,
and had a French flag at the masthead.
The Merrimac had a flag at her bows, which was discernible by some as
the Commodore’s blue flag, and by others as a black flag. The sides, bows, and stern of the Merrimac
were covered with sloping iron plates, extending about two feet below the water
line, and meeting above like a roofed house.
On her bows on the water are two sharp iron points resembling plows,
about six or seven feet apart. The number
of guns is stated at twelve, but she might not have had so many. – At her bows
were seen two guns, projecting from long elliptical ports. The design of the enemy did not become
apparent till between 1 and 2 o’clock, and by that time the Minnesota had got
under way to the scene of action. The
Roanoke, the flag ship, being disabled by the breaking of her shaft some time
since, was taken in tow by two gunboats, about the same time the alarm gun was
fired at Fortress Monroe, and the whole garrison turned out.
The Rebel boats slowly pursued their way to Newport News,
and the Merrimac soon turned the point and was lost to view from the
Fortress. The first shot was fired from
the frigate Cumberland at a little past 2 o’clock. The Sewall’s Point battery then opened on the
Minnesota, which was passing, and the Sawyer gun from the Rip Raps replied with
a few shots at Sewall’s Point. A thick
smoke was now seen to rise above Newport News point, indicating that the
battery there as well as the Cumberland and Congress were engaged.
The action could not be seen from the Fort, but a telegraph
dispatch was received in the morning that the Cumberland and Merrimac were in
close quarters. After firing two guns at
the Cumberland the Merrimac closed, her sharp bows making a whole in her at the
waterline some seven feet in extent. The
Merrimac backing a short distance ran into her a second time, making another
terrible hole in her, causing the water to run in at a furious rate. The Cumberland continued firing until the
water entered her portholes, when she careened over slowly and finally sunk
about three o’clock. The Newport News
battery and the Cumberland fired continuously upon the Merrimac, but no
apparent effect was produced upon her.
The Minnesota got aground upon her way up and could afford
but little assistance.
Shortly before 8 o’clock the Yorktown and Jamestown arrived
from up the James River. – The former was disabled early in the p. m. and put
in shore for repairs. After sinking the
Cumberland the Merrimac turned her attention to the Congress and in less than
an hour afterwards a white flag was hoisted on the Congress. A rebel gunboat immediately went alongside
and took the officers and marines prisoners.
The seamen where allowed to escape to shore. The frigate St. Lawrence arrived in the p.
m., and without delay at once proceeded up the river and followed the example
of the Minnesota and Roanoke in firing on the battery at Sewall’s Point, but,
like the rest, her shot fell short. The
gunboat Mystic was also towed up in the p. m., but soon the Roanoke, St.
Lawrence and Mystic all returned. The
Merrimac continued to throw shells into the camp ant Newport News, while the
Jamestown and other rebel gunboats commenced firing on the Minnesota. The latter replied as vigorously as possible
and the conflict was continued without any apparent effect until dark. During the evening the Congress was set on
fire. At midnight she was blown up,
making a terrible explosion. During the
evening the Monitor arrived and at once proceeded to take part in the
action. During the night only an
occasional gun was fired. Reinforcements
and men and ammunition were sent to Newport News early in the p. m. Little serious damage was done and no one was
killed.
This morning the Confederate was near until the presence of
the Monitor was known to the Merrimac.
The latter was engaged with the Minnesota, and but for the fortunate
arrival of the Monitor the Minnesota might have been lost. The Monitor and Merrimac engaged each other
for two or three hours at long and short range without perceptible effect upon
either. They went alongside of each
other once or twice and seemed almost to run each other down, but they soon
appeared again to renew the action. The
battery finally succeeded in forcing a long hole in the port side of the Merrimac,
and she retired with the whole revel fleet to Norfolk.
At about 1 o’clock the United States gunboat Oregon was
struck by the Merrimac in her boiler and was blown up. This morning the U. S. gun boat Scioto was
also seriously damaged and was obliged to return.
The principle loss of life was on board the Cumberland,
where it is thought as many as one hundred and fifty must have been killed or
drowned. But few lives were lost on
board the Minnesota according to account of her officers.
A rebel gun boat was cut in two yesterday by the Cumberland.
The Merrimac is understood to have been under Commodore [Buchanan],
last of the Navy Yard.
Further Particulars.
WASHIGNTON, March 10. – Lieut. Wise, commander of the
Potomac flotilla, in his official report to the navy Department, confirms the
Rumor of the abandonment of the rebel batteries at Cock Pit, Shipping and other
points along the Potomac, and also the burning of the steamer Page, and other
rebel craft.
Lieut. Wise arrived this p. m., bringing dispatches from
Fortress Monroe. But few particulars
have yet transpired, as his interview is not closed. The following items are reliable:
Capt. Radford was engaged on a court martial and not on
board the Cumberland.
Lieut. J. B. Smith, son of Com. Smith, was on board the
Congress, and is killed.
The loss in killed, drowned, wounded and missing, is
supposed to be over one hundred.
Lieut. Worden, who handled the Monitor so skillfully, is
here in the hands of a Surgeon. – He was in the pilot-house of the Monitor when
the Merrimac directed a whole broad-side at her, and received his injuries from
the minute fragments of shell and the powder, which were driven through the
look out holes.
Lieut. Worden was stunned by the concussion and was carried
away. On recovering, he asked, “Have I
saved the Minnesota?” the cry was “yes, and whipped the Merrimac!” to which he
replied: “Then I don’t care what becomes of me.” His injuries are not supposed to be
dangerous.
The Minnesota was eventually got off and towed under the
guns of Fort Monroe.
The loss of 100 killed, given you in a former dispatch, was
on board the Cumberland. And the crew of
the Congress is scattered and there are no means of ascertaining her loss at
present.
The Naval authorities expect to hear soon that the Merrimac
is disabled and that the Monitor is adequate to her in every respect.
There is no longer any doubt that the rebels have evacuated
Centreville, Winchester and other important points, indicating a general
falling back of their forces.
The telegraph to Fortress Monroe has been fully occupied on
Government business all day, which has prevented the associated Press
despatches. There has been no change in
the state of affairs at that point.
Every effort will be made to give the names of the killed
and wounded at the earliest moment.
FT. MONROE, March 10. – With the assistance of the steamer
Spalding, the Minnesota has been got off, and she is now on her way here. She has received several shots but no serious
damage.
The Congress is supposed to have lost over 100, men,
including but one officer. The released
crews of the Congress and Cumberland have arrived here.
The Monitor has come up to the expectations that were formed
of her, and has proved herself impregnable to heavy shot at close quarters. –
She behaved remarkably well on her passage from New York. She did not seem to be at all disabled. To her presence may be attributed the safety
of the Minnesota and other vessels in port, and final disabling of the
Merrimac, which had previously been proof against ever thing.
Capt. Worden of the Monitor, was wounded in the head. No other accident of any kind occurred to the
battery or crew, who have an accurate list of the killed and wounded.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 15, 1862, p. 4
