. Abraham Lincoln and the battles of the Civil War . ine which con-trolled the revolving motion of the turret, was incau-tiously leaning against the side of the tower, a large shotstruck in the vicinity and disabled him. He left the turretand went below, and Stimers, who had assisted him, con-tinued to do the work. The drawbacks to the position of the pilot-house weresoon realized. We could not fire ahead nor within severalpoints of the bow, since the blast from our own gunswould have injured the people in the pilot-house, only afew yards off. Keeler and Toftey passed the captainsorders and me
. Abraham Lincoln and the battles of the Civil War . ine which con-trolled the revolving motion of the turret, was incau-tiously leaning against the side of the tower, a large shotstruck in the vicinity and disabled him. He left the turretand went below, and Stimers, who had assisted him, con-tinued to do the work. The drawbacks to the position of the pilot-house weresoon realized. We could not fire ahead nor within severalpoints of the bow, since the blast from our own gunswould have injured the people in the pilot-house, only afew yards off. Keeler and Toftey passed the captainsorders and messages to me, and my inquiries and answersto him, the speaking-tul^e from the pilot-house to theturret having Ijeen broken early in the action. They per-formed their work with zeal and alacrity, but, both beinglandsmen, our technical communications sometimes mis-carried. Ihe situation was novel: a vessel of war wasengaged in desperate combat with a powerful foe; thecaptain, commanding and guiding all, was inclosed in I £ IN THE MONITOR TURRET. 759. JOHN TAYLOR WOOD, LIEUTENANT ON THE MERRIMAC, ANDAFTERWARD COMMANDER OF THE PRIVATEER TAL-LAHASSEE. (from A DAGUERREOTYPE.) one place, and the executive officer, work-ing and fighting the guns, was shut up inanother, and communication between themwas difficult and uncertain. It was this expe-rience which caused Isaac Newton, imme-diately after the engagement, to suggest theclever plan of putting the pilot-house on topof the turret, and making it cylindrical in-stead of square; and his suggestions weresubsequently adopted in this type of vessel. As the engagement continued, the workingof the turret was not altogether was difficult to start it revolving, or, whenonce started, to stop it, on account of the im-perfections of the novel machinery, which wasnow undergoing its first trial. Stimers was anactive, muscular man, and did his utmost tocontrol the motion of theturret; but, in spite of hiseftbrts, it was difficult i
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