USA > Virginia > City of Norfolk > City of Norfolk > History of Norfolk County, Virginia and representative citizens, V.1 > Part 13
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"The paddle-wheel gunboat. 'Whitehall,' and the screw gunboat, 'Mystic,' bore off toward Newport News also, but they took a very minor part in the fight. As these vessels come abreast of Sewell's Point battery that
"battery opened fire on them. They replied to it; but this fire at long range (about 2.500 meters), to which was added that of the Rip Raps, could but produce an insignificant effect.
"About 2:30 the 'Minnesota' ran aground on the shoals north of Hampton Middle Ground, a mile from Newport News. The Southern batteries and gunboats fired upon her at long range. The 'Roanoke' fearing. doubt- less, to take ground also, which her want of speed rendered imminent, then changed her course and, spreading her sails, came back to the anchorage off the Fortress, where she ar- rived about 4 o'clock. The tugs went to the aid of the "Minnesota.' The 'Mystic' came back to thej anchorage also about the same hour, and the frigate, 'St. Lawrence.' which up to that time had steadily proceeded toward the scene of the engagement, imitated likewise the maneuver of the 'Roanoke' and 'Mystic.'
"The 'Merrimac,' however, had continued to direct her course toward the frigates which she wished to destroy. The two gunboats had rejoined her and at 2 o'clock she was at the en- trance of the James River. She was immedi- ately greeted by a violent cannonade from the two frigates and from the batteries of New- port News. The Confederate battery at Pig Point replied. The fight was then hidden from us in a great measure by the point. which allowed us to see only the masts of the frig- ates: but we were able to estimate the force of the fire, which during a quarter of an hour. particularly, was of the hottest. We could see the entrance of the river constantly swept in all directions by the shot that ricoclietted and the strength of the detonations indicated to us that they were guns of the heaviest cali- bre, which were testing the armor of the 'Mer- rimac.' This vessel. after having delivered a broadside at the 'Congress,' the nearest of the two frigates, advanced toward the 'Cumber- land.' whose formidable battery might well be dreaded, and struck her amidships at a speed of four or five knots, partially breaking her ram. After drawing off two ships' lengths, and having delivered a second broadside at
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the 'Congress,' the 'Merrimac' a second time rammed the 'Cumberland,' which sank almost inunediately. It was then about 2:30. It would seem that this second blow was unnec- essary.
"The two steamers, 'Yorktown' and 'Jamestown,' which, having descended the James River, awaited a little higher up the moment of attack, after having opened fire upon the 'Congress' in passing, appeared in Hampton Roads and engaged in a very sharp 1 fight with the two Federal gunboats and the stranded .Minnesota."
"The 'Merrimac' reappeared also outside the point, fired alternately at the 'Congress and the batteries of Newport News, while the Southern gunboats did likewise. Toward 3 o'clock that frigate hoisted her jib, sheeted home her topsails, ran forward a ship's length and grounded immediately on the sand banks south of the entrance of the river. Almost at the same instant she struck her colors, which she replaced by a white flag and a little later she hoisted another at the mainmast.
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"It was at this time that the following inci- dent occurred. of which the Southern papers complain :
"So soon as the white flag had announced to the Confederates the surrender of the frig- ate, they ceased firing and one of their gun- boats, the 'Raleigh,' approached her and ran alongside of her on the starboard side to take off the officers and to tell the crew to go ashore in their boats ; but at the moment that the gun- boat in good faith came alongside the frigate guns fired by the Federals hid in the edge of the woods and some also from the 'Congress." killed and wounded many officers and sailors of the 'Raleighi.' Some inen, even on the 'Con- gress,' were struck by balls coming from the land. This incident, of which the Confeder- ates have bitterly complained, has been copied by the majority of the Northern newspapers ; not one has contradicted it. One of them ( the New York Herald. of the 14th) has, on the contrary confirmed it.
"The 'Merrimae' continued to fire at the
batteries of Newport News up to the moment that the 'Raleigh' drew off from the 'Congress' (about 4 o'clock). All of them drew near to the 'Minnesota' which, still aground and slightly inclined to starboard and surrounded by three or four gunboats, exchanged shots at long range with the 'Yorktown' and 'James- town.' The 'Roanoke' was already en route for the anchorage. The 'St. Lawrence,' which arrived on the scene of action, took part but for a short time and everything looked as though the resistance of the 'Minnesota' could not be prolonged.
"However, the shoalness of the water did not permit the 'Merrimac' to draw near to the frigate and the other vessels were of too slight a build to expose themselves near her power- ful battery.
"The combatants appeared. besides. ex- hausted by the emotions and fatigue of a con- tinued struggle of more than three hours. Per- haps the Confederates, almost sure of taking the frigate on the morrow, did not wish to damage the hull nor the machinery too much .. However it may be, the fire slackencd a great deal. About 6 o'clock it had entirely ceased and the vessels disappeared little by little in the fog which obscured the horizon. At 7:30. the 'Congress' was on fire and blew up at midnight with a tremendous report. The Con- federates had succeeded, besides, in cutting out in the James River and taking to Norfolk the water tank 'Reindeer.' which alone supplied the fort and vessels with water.
"Everything seemed desperate on the even- ing of the 8th and a general panic appeared to take possession of everyone. The terrible engine of war, so often announced. had at length appeared and in an hour at most had destroyed two of the strongest ships of the Union, silenced two powerful land batteries and seen the rest of the naval force, which the day before blockaded the two rivers, retreat before her. Several vessels changed their an- chorage and all held themselves in readiness to stand out to sea at the first movement of the enemy. Everything was in confusion at
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Fortress Monroe: ferry boats. gunboats and tugboats were coming and going in all direc-' tions; drums and bugles beat and soundel with unusual spirit. Fortress Monroe and the battery of the Rip Raps exchanged night signals without intermission. In spite of the assistance of half a dozen steamers, the 'Min- nesota' could not succeed in getting afloat again and I learned that a council of war held on the subject even entertained for a moment the thought of burning her. Already seven or eight guns had been thrown overboard and some others spiked. when about 8:40 the ·Monitor' ( Ericsson battery) arrived, which was to save the 'Minnesota' and the rest of the vessels at the anchorage.
"The sending of this new auxiliary restored the shaken confidence. She immediately direct- ed her course toward the place where the frig- ate was stranded and anchored beside her. The Confederate vessels had taken their posi- tion under Sewell's Point, and the night passe 1 without incident. each one awaiting with im- patience the results of the trial of the morrow. "On the morning of the 9th, slight breeze from the east; very fine weather; light fog. "At daylight, at the entrance of the Eliz- abeth River, the Confederate vessels were seen under steam, the 'Minnesota' still unmovable. and to the left of her, scarcely visible, a small black mass, surmounted by a curl of smoke.
"At 8 o'clock the fog completely dispersed. The 'Merrimac,' preceded by the 'Jamestown' and 'Yorktown.' stood for the Federal frigate. The lighter vessels commenced the attack, but the little black mass had put itself in motion and soon a cloud of smoke and the noise of two loud reports apprised the gunboats with whom they had to deal. They were then seen to abandon the attack and retire under the bat -. teries of Sewell's ( Point), leaving the 'Merri- imac' to defend alone the honor of their young flag. The 'Minnesota.' occupied in efforts to get herself afloat. only took part in the fight at long intervals, and the action resolved it- self into a veritable duel between two batteries. They engaged in the fight at first at long
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range, but the two enemies were not slow in coming together, each one striving to find the weak spot in the armor of hier adversary. In this contest of naval tactics entirely in a nar- row channel of little depth, the 'Monitor,' whose draft is not half that of the 'Merrimac,' had an enormous advantage over the latter. Sure of her workings she could run at full speed, approach or retire, as she judged best, without fear of running aground. The Con- federate battery, on the contrary, could not move nor perform any evolutions except with the greatest precaution, in spite of the evi- dent great skill of her pilot.
"At the commencement of the action she grounded and remained immovable for a quar- ter of an hour. However, the fight continued with an equal ardor. Several times in their evolutions the two adversaries fired upon each other at a distance of a few meters, and in spite of their powerful batteries the projectiles bounded off perfectly harmless, apparently.
"Once the 'Merrimac' ran into the 'Moni- tor,' but whether her ram had been completely broken the day before or whether it was placed too high, she struck her enemy at the water- line and produced only a slight depression on the powerful armor plating which protected that part. Shortly after, the flagstaff of the 'Merrimac' was shot away by a ball and the tops in the Roads, as well as the ramparts of the fortress, saluted this accident with frantic hurrahs as a victory. But soon a sailor ap- peared on the gratings showing at the end of a staff the flag which had for an instant dis- appeared.
"Two or three times the Ericsson battery drew near to the 'Minnesota' and stopped fir- ing to cool her guns. The frigate then fired a broadside at the 'Merrimac,' which replied with energy, and one of her balls struck the boiler of the tugboat 'Dragon,' which moored alongside of the stranded vessel hield herself in readiness to take her in tow. The boiler exploded, causing the 'Dragon' to sink, scald- ing and wounding several men.
" At length, about 12:30, after four hours
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of fighting, the 'Merrimac' started for Sewell's Point.
"The 'Monitor' came up to the 'Minnesota' and a little while after all the Confederate flo- tilla returned to Norfolk.
"During the following night the stranded frigate was gotten afloat, and at 2 A. M. of the ioth, one of the gunboats which had taken part in the fight, the 'Whitehall,' took fire and blew up at two cable lengths from the 'Gassendi." At daylight the 'Minnesota' and the 'Monitor' anchored in the Roads.
"The 'Merrimac' appeared to me to have received 50 or 60 shot. The funnel was literally riddled, and the flagstaff shot away. None of the shot had made a very serious im- pression. The first iron plate of the armor, sometimes the second. was broken, but no- where was the armor penetrated. Owing to the slope of the sides, even when the iron would break under the blow, there was no in- ternal bending of the entire structure, as near- ly always happened to the Ericsson battery. The unbroken plate remained almost intact. However. from the concussion caused by two shots, one at the edge, the other below the water-line, a piece of wood flew off inside, but the vessel did not make water in either case. The sloping arrangement of the sep- arate and not very wide plates, fastened on the inside by nut-bolts, allowed the 'Merrimac' to be promptly repaired.
"During the morning of the 9th a ball from the 'Monitor' parted her ( 'Merrimac's') chain a little below the hawse hole, the anchor dropped and the chain, violently driven in- ward, seriously wounded a man. A gun was broken at the inuzzle. They, nevertheless, con- tinued to fire it without accident.
"It is asserted that at the time of the rani- ming of the 'Cumberland' a part of her crew leaped on the roofing of the 'Merrimac,' but they slid off the incline plane and the greater part were drowned. It is doubtless to this incident that the disappearance of 200 men from that ship is due.
"The 'Monitor' was hit by 23 projectiles.
Some shells were thrown by the 'Minnesota' at the 'Merrimac,' and they produced no more effect than a blow of a hammer. The balls from the' 'Merrimac,' especially those fired al- most muzzle to muzzle, produced some re- sults. Three cylindro-conical balls fired from the rifle guns made an indentation nearly four inches deep on the armor plating. Two of them made an equally deep indentation on the inside of the turret, and a man leaning against the inside walls at the place receiving the blow was thrown forward and wounded. A third projectile struck one of the iron plates of the pilot-house and made such a depression that iron splinters were violently thrown off and blinded the captain, who at that moment was leaning his head against the plate. The other shots which reached the 'Monitor, and were for the most part round did not appear to me to have produced a very great effect, those es- pecially which struck the sides perpendicular- ly: two, however, struck the side at the edge of the deck, lifting and tearing it, causing the iron plates to give way and breaking three of them. The others only produced insignificant effects."
The above minute detail of the great com- bat by a foreigner and disinterested witness should put at rest forever the oft repeated as- sertion that the 'Monitor' defeated the 'Vir- ginia.' The French ship was at anchor be- tween Sewell's Point and the Rip Raps: and her commander had a good view of all that transpired, and his plain statements conclui- sively prove that the "Monitor" did not obtain a victory over the "Virginia."
Surgeon D. B. Phillips of the "Virginia" reported the casualties of the 8th as follows:
"Flag-officer F. Buchanan wounded in the left thigh, a minie-ball having passed entirely through the fleshy portion, grazing femoral artery and inflicting a serious wound. Lieut. R. D. Minor wounded in the left side. Mid- shipman Marmaduke, slight wound on the arm. Killed, Charles Dunbar, and - Wal- deck. Wounded. William Burkes, seaman ; John Capps, Company E. ist Regiment : . 1.
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1. Dalton, Company E, 4Ist Regiment ; Em- erson Ivas, seaman; and John Leonard, sea- man." The Federal loss in the battles of the 8th and gth of March was 201 killed and 108 wounded-the Confederate loss, 7 killed and 17 wounded.
On the 8th and 9th of March, 1862, the Confederate States fleet successfully encoun- tered, defied and beat a force equal to 2,960 111en and 220 guns as follows :
"Congress," burned. 480 men, 50 guns.
"Cumberland." sunk. 360 men, 22 guns.
"Minnesota," riddled. 550 men, 40 guns.
"Roanoke," driven off, 550 men. 40 guns. "St. Lawrence." driven off, 550 men, 40 guns. Two or three gunboats. disabled. 120 men, 6 guns. "Monitor," ironsclad, disabled and driven off to shoal water. 150 men. 2 guns.
Forts at Newport News silenced. 200 men, 20 guns.
. OFFICERS OF THE "VIRGINIA."
Commodore Franklin Buchanan. of Maryland. Lieutenant Catesby Ap. R. Jones, of Virginia. Lieutenant Charles C. Simms, of Virginia.
Lieutenant Robert D. Minor, of Virginia. Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, of Virginia.
Lieutenant John Taylor Wood. of Louisiana.
Lieutenant J. R. Eggleston. of Mississippi.
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Lieutena Walter Butt, of Portsmouth, Vir- ginia.
Midshipman R. C. Foute, of Tennessee.
Midshipman H. H. Marmaduke, of Missouri.
Midshipman H. B. Littlepage. of Virginia. Midshipman W. J. Craig. of Kentucky. Midshipman J. C. Long. of Tennessee. Midshipman L. M. Roots, of Virginia.
Paymaster. James Semple, of Virginia. Surgeon, D. B. Phillips, of Virginia.
Assistant Surgeon, A. S. Garnett, of Virginia. Captain of Marines, R. T. Thom, of Alabama.
Chief Engineer, H. Ashton Ramsey, of Virginia. Assistant Engineer, John W. Tynan. of Virginia. Assistant Engineer. Louden Campbell, of Virginia. Assistant Engineer. Benjamin Herring, of North Carolina.
Assistant Engineer, E. V. White, of Georgia, now of Portsmouth. Va.
Assistant Engineer. E. A. Jack. of Virginia.
Assistant Engineer, Robert Wright, of Virginia. Boatswain. Charles H. Hasker. Gunner. Hugh Lindsay. Clerk. Arthur Sinclair, Jr.
Volunteer Aid. Douglas F. Forrest.
Captain, Thomas Kevill. United Artillery. Pilot. William Parrish.
Pilot, William Clarke.
Pilot, Hezekiah Williams.
Pilot. George Wright. Sergeant Tabb, Signal Corps.
Commodore Josiah Tatnall relieved Ad- miral Buchanan in command. On the IIth of April he took the "Virginia" and steamed down to Hampton Roads, expecting to have a desperate encounter with the "Monitor." In vain did the "Virginia" endeavor to prevail on the "Monitor" to leave her place of retreat, under the guns of Fortress Monroe. Proudly she sped to and fro through the water, chai- lenging her opponent to come forth, and do battle, but the challenge was unheeded. Find- ing her efforts to coax the "Monitor" out un- availing, she opened at 4 o'clock, precisely, on a large gunboat and a small tug boat with a large gun on her, both of which kept lurking around the shore, close into Hampton Creek, immediately in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Female Seminary (now the Soldiers' Home) ; at these she fired three shots, which were promptly responded to by each of them. The first shot the "Virginia" fired, appeared, from the position the writer occupied, to strike the water and pass right over the tugboat, going over on the land. The gun on board the small tugboat seemed to have a much longer range than that on board her larger consort, the shot from which fell short each time as far as the little tug boat's gun overshot the mark.
This battle was carried on at long range. be it remembered, as these vessels kept their position in shallow water where they knew it was impossible for the "Virginia" to get at them. Several of the shot from the little tug boat passed away over the "Virginia," and came in very uncomfortable proximity to the English and French vessels lying in the rear. There were some nine or ten shots exchanged on this occasion, and the "Virginia." finding it impossible to get the "Monitor" out, retired to her anchorage near the city.
The prizes captured by the fleet were the brig "Marcus," of Stockton, New Jersey : brig "Saboah," of Providence, and schooner "Cath- rine T. Dix," of Accomac. The two brigs were loaded with hay-one of them having
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stalls for the accommodation of horses. The schooner was not loaded.
The prisoners numbered 13 in all, -II white men and two negroes. The latter, as also three of the white men, hailed from the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
.The fleet returned about 6 o'clock and came to anchor between Fort Norfolk and Craney Island. Shortly after their return, two Federal steamers, which had been caught at Newport News. and which remained out of sight while the "Virginia" was in the Roads, embraced the opportunity afforded them by her withdrawal, to advantage, and proceeded at once to Old Point.
One battery, engaged the Federal fleet when they bombarded the Sewell's Point fort- ifications on the 8th of May. This attack was vigorously made by the "Monitor" and the whole squadron from Old Point. The shower of great shells thundered and exploded all around us and some of the guns at the main fortifications were silenced ; but as soon as the "Virginia" hove in sight our assailants imme- diately retreated under the guns of Fortress Monroe. Although thus twice challenged, the "Monitor" would never risk another fight with the "Virginia.'
On the Ioth of May the evacuation of Nor- folk county was ordered and all troops were withdrawn from the seaboard. The C. S. S. "Virginia" was destroyed by her own crew, who had made her the marvel of the world ; Lieutenant Jones says :
"In order that the ship might be carried up the James River we commenced to lighten her, but ceased on the pilots saying they could not take her up. Her shield was then out of wa- ter; we were not in fighting condition. We therefore ran her ashore in the bight of Cra- ney Island, landed ilie crew and set the ves- sel on fire. The magazine exploded about 4:30 on the morning of the IIth of May, 1862.
The crew arrived at Drewry's Bluff the next day, and assisted in defeating the 'Monitor, 'Galena' and other vessels on the 15th of May. Commodore Tatnall was tried by court-mar- tial for destroying the 'Virginia,' and was 'hon- orably acquitted' of all the charges. The Court stated the facts and their motives for acquitting him. Some of them are as follows : 'That after the evacuation of Norfolk, West- over, on the James River, became the most suitable position for her to occupy; that while in the act of lighting her. for the purpose of . taking her up to that point, the pilots for the first time declared their inability to take her up. * That when lightened she was made vulnerable by the attacks of the enemy. * The only alternative, in the opin- ion of the Court, was to abandon and burn the ship then and there, which, in the judgment of the Court, was deliberately and wisely done.' "
There are side by side in the cemetery at- tached to the Naval Hospital at Portsmouth. the graves of two of the subjects of Queen Victoria, both of whom were killed on the Sth of March, 1862,-in the same battle, but on opposite sides. The "Virginia," as she steamed down the harbor on that day to en- gage the Federal fleet in Hampton Roads, was accompanied by several small gunboats, among which was the "Beaufort," and on the "Beau- fort" was a gallant British sailor named Will- iam Robinson. He was a young man only 28 years old and was conspicuous for his bravery. He was killed by a musket ball fired from the shore batteries at Newsport News, and was buried here. By his side lies the remains of a vonng Irishman, Thomas Fay, who was killed on the United States frigate "Cumberland" by a shot from the "Virginia," and thus these two men, subjects of the same nation, fighting as volunteers against each other, fell on the same day and were buried together.
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CHAPTER VII
MILITARY HISTORY OF THE COUNTY-Continued
NORFOLK COUNTY UNDER. MILITARY RULE -- POST-BELLUM OR RECONSTRUCTION TIMES- PATRIOTISM OF CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS-LIST OF THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS OF NORFOLK COUNTY -- CONFEDERATE FLAGS AND GREAT SEAL-SISTERS OF MERCY.
The evacuation of Norfolk county by the Confederates was the occasion of great dis- tress to the people and their worst fears of military rule by the invaders were fully real- ized. It is a dark and dreadful chapter in the history of our county. The infamous tyranny
every conceivable indignity from both white and black soldiers. Where the out-posts were stationed in the country, negro soldiers paced in front of the farm houses and sometimes at the dead of night they would fire musket balls through the window glass to terrify the de- fenseless women and children. Upon flimsy pretexts old men were thrown into prison, in- carcerated in jails or the casemates at Fortress Monroe : savages of war were turned loose to tyrannize over the people, and destroy their property. . David M. Wright, a prominent physician and respected citizen of Norfolk, with proud spirit, resenting an insult by an in- solent officer of a negro company, shot him down in hot blood, and was executed under Butler's rule.
A Confederate flag was stretched across
the narrow gateway to the ferry to force the people to trample upon it-a contemptible scheme to humiliate the inhabitants. A young lady, not to be forced to degrade her own flag, picked it up, concealed it under her cloak and disappeared in the crowd. A file of soldiers of the Federal commanders exceeded that of : was quickly called to recover the banner. but Dunmore's in the Revolutionary era. Old , could never find the dashing girl who rescued men, women and children were subjected to , the Southern Cross.
Churches were seized, converted into hos- pitals, barracks, and stables. and some entirely destroyed. Ten or 12 public school houses were torn down and the material used for camps.
The noble and devout rector of Trinity P. E. Church, Portsmouth, who ministered to the spiritual needs of his flock for 50 years-hon- ored, respected, loved by them and the good citizens of all denominations, was thrown into prison and humiliated as a common felon be- cause he omitted from prayers the name of the President, whose minions were insulting and murdering his kinsmen. Hear the Orders !
HEADQUARTERS, NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH, NORFOLK. VA., Feb. 25, 1864. ( Extract. ) . IV. It having been reported to the General com-
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