. Popular history of the civil war . e rebels called her a Yankee cheese-box. She seemedinnocent enough; but, like a parlor-match, she gave out anamazing amount of noise and fire. Her harmless-lookingturret was made to revolve, and carried two heavy were arranged to slide back and forth at wifl; andas the turret turned round they could be pointed in anydirecdon. She was taken in tow by a steam-tug at NewYork as soon as she was finished, and was hurried down toHampton Roads with all possible speed. Notwithstandingthe rough weather which she met, and the necessary delayresulting from
. Popular history of the civil war . e rebels called her a Yankee cheese-box. She seemedinnocent enough; but, like a parlor-match, she gave out anamazing amount of noise and fire. Her harmless-lookingturret was made to revolve, and carried two heavy were arranged to slide back and forth at wifl; andas the turret turned round they could be pointed in anydirecdon. She was taken in tow by a steam-tug at NewYork as soon as she was finished, and was hurried down toHampton Roads with all possible speed. Notwithstandingthe rough weather which she met, and the necessary delayresulting from it, she accidentally made the harbor of Hamp-ton Roads on Saturday night, the 8th of March. Acciden-tally? Providentially, without doubt; that is, directed byGods kind care. These two enemies, the Merrimac andthe Monitor, soon had an opportunity to make each othersacquaintance. Several men-of-war were stationed at For-tress Monroe, among which were the steam-frigates Minne-sota, Roanoke, and the St. Lawrence, which ran down the ^lil. i862.] On to Richmond! 233 Petrel, ever so long ago. At Newport News, on the north-ern bank of the James River, a few miles from FortressMonroe to the west, lay the Cumberland and the Congress,also belonging to the Nationals. You will remember thatCommodore Goldsborough commanded the Union fleet inHampton Roads at this time. On the very morning that General McClellan marched outto Manassas, the Merrimac was seen steaming slowly towardthe Cumberland. The boom of her guns startled the garri-son at Fortress Monroe. The alarm-gun was fired. Thelong-roll was beaten. The men fell into line of battle. Thevessels at anchor were made ready for action. Besides theMerrimac there were five other Confederate gunboats. Withthe force of her powerful engines she drove her bow, sharpas an eagles beak, into the Cumberland. At the same timeshe opened a raking fire upon the frigate, not caring a pinfor the broadsides which she received in return. In half anhour, water
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