Our navy in time of war (1861-1898) . Bright and early on Sunday morning, March 9,1862, tlie Merrimac was ready to finish np the workof destroying the l^orthern fleet. Lieutenant CatesbyJones was now in command of the vesseL The nightbefore he and his men had seen the Monitor steam npbeside the Minnesota and anchor. They were notahirmed at the appearance of the E^orths ironclad,for snch they knew it to be. At half past sevenoclock in the morning the Merrimac started out onher days work. Her commander intended to ignorethe Monitor, and he fired his first shot at the Minne-sota, doing some damag
Our navy in time of war (1861-1898) . Bright and early on Sunday morning, March 9,1862, tlie Merrimac was ready to finish np the workof destroying the l^orthern fleet. Lieutenant CatesbyJones was now in command of the vesseL The nightbefore he and his men had seen the Monitor steam npbeside the Minnesota and anchor. They were notahirmed at the appearance of the E^orths ironclad,for snch they knew it to be. At half past sevenoclock in the morning the Merrimac started out onher days work. Her commander intended to ignorethe Monitor, and he fired his first shot at the Minne-sota, doing some damage to her. The Monitor beganto move as soon as the Merrimac was seen coming outto renew the fight. Lieutenant Worden was in thepilot house, and Greene and Stimers with sixteen menwere in the turret. The Monitor ran straight in frontof the Merrimac, and the Merrimac fired one of herseven-inch guns, but the Monitor was so low in thewater and the turret and pilot house were so small that the Monitor was not hit. The Monitor kept going 19. Map of Churleston harbor and vicinity. FIRST FIGHT BETWEEN IRONCLADS. 21 closer, and when very near the Merrimac fired her twoeleven-inch guns. The cannon balls struck the Merri-mac on the sloping deck house and glanced off, doingno harm. Then the Merrimac turned her side to theMonitor and fired a broadside against her. This timesome of the cannon balls struck the turret. Right there occurred the great test of the men inside the turret heard the balls smashagainst it, and to their great relief found that no dam-age was done. At once their spirits rose. There wasnot a spare man in the crew. When they saw thatthe turret would turn, they felt not only safe, butbelieved they would win the fight. The Merrimacpoured shot after shot at the Monitor, most of whichpassed over her, but many of which struck her. Near-ly every shot that the Monitor fired seemed to hit theMerrimac, but they did little damage. The Monitorfired solid shot, and the Mer
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectunitedstatesnavy
