A history of the United States for Catholic schools . h,with the land batteries, rained shot and shell against the iron-clad monster but with no effect. The strange craft thrust itsl^row into the Cumberland and sank it. It next drove the othervessels ashore and set several of them, on fire. Had not dark-ness come on, it would have destroyed the whole fleet. Satis-fied w4tli the results of the day, however, it withdrew to Nor-folk, intending to continue its work of destruction the nextday. As it steamed proudly out from Norfolk the following ABRAHAM Lincolns administration 411) morning (March 9
A history of the United States for Catholic schools . h,with the land batteries, rained shot and shell against the iron-clad monster but with no effect. The strange craft thrust itsl^row into the Cumberland and sank it. It next drove the othervessels ashore and set several of them, on fire. Had not dark-ness come on, it would have destroyed the whole fleet. Satis-fied w4tli the results of the day, however, it withdrew to Nor-folk, intending to continue its work of destruction the nextday. As it steamed proudly out from Norfolk the following ABRAHAM Lincolns administration 411) morning (March 9), the Confederate ironclad was, to its in-tense surprise, confronted by the Union ironclad Monitor,in command of Lieutenant John Worden, By one of the strang-est and most dramatic coincidents in our history, this newUnion ironclad had arrived during the night from New once the battle began and continued for four hours with theutmost desperation. The little Monitor darted at the greatConfederate warrior and, close against each other, the two. Tin: MOXTTOK AND THE MERRIMAC craft exchanged their heaviest shots. The Merrimac, tryingto run down the Monitor, could only grate over its iron deck,while the Monitor glided out unharmed. Unable to conquerits little antagonist, the Merrimac, partially disabled, steamedback to Norfolk for repairs. On the victory of this, the first battle ever fought betweenironclad ships, hinged tlie fate of the war. Had the Merrimac succeeded:(a) the blockade would soon have been destroyed, the cotton 420 A HISTORY OP THE UNITED STATES markets opened, and perhaps European recognition of the Confederacy secured. In short, secession might have triumphed;(&) the Peninsular Campaign, which we shall presently study, would have been Monitor, scarcely one-fourth as large as the Merrimac, wasa new Union ironclad built by John Ericsson in the Brooklynnavy yard. It was a hull with a deck a few inches above water,in the center of which was a cur
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, civilwar, ironclads, merrimack, monitor
