1862 "MERRIMAC" SINKS "CUMBERLAND" a seven-inch rifled gun at close range. The first shot put one of the gun crews on the "Cumberland" out of action. At a range of 200 yards the "Merrimac" opened fire on the "Congress." "Our clean and handsome deck," reported one of the officers on the "Congress," "was in an instant changed into a slaughter pen, with locked legs and arms, and bleeding, blackened bodies scattered about by the shells, while brains actually dripped from the beams." Leaving the "Congress" on his starboard quarter, Captain Buchanan now headed for the "Cumberland," and used the ram for the first time in modern history. The shock sent the "Cumberland" leaning over, though scarcely felt on board the "Merrimac." The ram itself broke off. As the "Merrimac" backed out, Buchanan called for the "Cumberland's" surrender. It was then that Lieutenant Morris answered: "Never. I'll sink alongside.” With the red flag of "No surrender" flying at the fore, the "Cumberland" went down, her crew firing upon their impregnable adversary until the bitter end. The "Congress," realizing her helplessness, made off for shoal water, where she ran aground. The "Merrimac" followed her up within 150 yards, and, taking up an advantageous position, raked her fore and aft for more than an hour. The doomed ship caught fire in several places. As the "Merrimac" drew near to board, the shore batteries redoubled their fire, wounding Buchanan and his officers. On this the "Merrimac" drew off, and resumed her fire on the burning "Congress," whose survivors jumped overboard and swam for the shore. The remaining American ships-"Minnesota,' "Roanoke," and "St. Lawrence”—were saved from sudden destruction only by anchoring in shoal water, where the “Merrimac" could not approach. That very night, with dramatic promptness, the "Monitor" put into the Roads. She had taken the sea a few days before, commanded by Lieutenant Worden, and manned by a 1 Edwin M. Stanton 2 Salmon P. Chase 8 Abraham Lincoln 4 Gideon Welles 5 William H. Seward 6 Caleb Smith 7 Montgomery Blair 8 Edwin Bates BATTLE OF "MERRIMAC" AND "MONITOR" 1862 crew of volunteers, since she was regarded in the light of a forlorn hope. She was stationed near the helpless "Minnesota." On the following morning the "Merrimac" came out into the Roads to finish her work of destruction. There she beheld her new antagonist lying beside the "Minnesota” like a “tin can on a shingle." Lieutenant Jones commanded the "Merrimac” in place of the wounded Buchanan. He realized at once that the new outlandish vessel was his foremost adversary. The day was sunny and bright, and crowds of spectators thronged the shores to behold the great duel. After exchanging shots with the "Minnesota," the "Merrimac" closed with the “Monitor." Both vessels pounded each other ineffectually. The "Monitor's" cast-iron balls broke upon the armor of the "Merrimac," while the "Merrimac's" shells burst to no purpose over the "Monitor's" turret. After thus exchanging fire for two hours, the "Merrimac's" gunners quit to save the ammunition. Manifestly the "Monitor" had an immense advantage in her superior speed and manœuvring power, as well as in the greater radius afforded by the revolving turret. Lieutenant Worden, accordingly, resolved to ram his enemy. He missed the "Merrimac" by only two feet, both ships grazing. The "Merrimac" retaliated in kind. Jones ran his stem right over the "Monitor's" deck, the force of the blow knocking down most of his men. Before they could get over the side of the ship, the "Monitor" glided away from under the "Merrimac." The slow speed of the "Merrimac" saved the "Monitor." It was fortunate indeed for Worden that the "Merrimac" had lost her ram on the previous day. Later the "Monitor" drifted into shoal water, and the "Merrimac," unable to follow, drew off. Thus the engagement ended as a drawn battle. Neither ship had been seriously injured, nor had either lost a single man. The "Monitor" had been struck twenty-two times without appre 662 CONTEST FOR THE MISSISSIPPI jable injury. The "Merrimac," as a result of her two-days' fighting, had ninety-seven indentations in her armor. Bloodless as this first encounter between ironclads was, it proved one of the decisive battles of the Civil War, securing to the North the command of the sea. The demonstration of the superior merits of steam power and armor protection in action was so striking that it practically sealed the doom of the old ships, A full month elapsed before the "Merrimac," having refitted, came out once more with solid shot to engage the "Monitor." The Union ships hugged the shore and ignored the challenge. Both the "Merrimac" and the "Monitor" came to an inglorious end. On the evacuation of Norfolk, the Southerners, finding themselves unable to bring their ironclad up the James River, scuttled the "Merrimac." Shortly afterward, the "Monitor" foundered off Cape Hatteras, in a storm. The naval front changed from the James River to the Mississippi. At the outbreak of the war, the lower end of this great watercourse, from Cairo to New Orleans, fell into the hands of the Confederates. "The Mississippi is the backbone of the rebellion," said Lincoln. "It is the key of the whole situation." On February 3 Captain David G. Farragut, on the "Hartford," sailed from Hampton Roads to Ship Island, be tween New Orleans and Mobile. This was the rendezvous for a considerable Union fleet under command of David D. Porter, and here the expedition against New Orleans was prepared. Farragut took command. He had 17 men-of-war, with 177 guns, and Porter a flotilla and steamships. In their rear was Butler with 6,000 men on transports. The utmost haste was needful, since the Confederates were constructing four ironclads, all of the "Merrimac" type. They were nearing completion. A peculiarly dangerous vessel on the Con |