umberland sank in fifty feet of water, her masthead, from which
floated the flag, remaining visible above the waves.

"The Merrimac then turned her attack upon the Congress, and the
other Confederate ships began to engage in the battle. The Congress
soon ran aground and was practically helpless against the
tremendous fire that was turned against her. About four o'clock her
flag was hauled down, and she was boarded by a Confederate officer.
Later she was discovered to be on fire in several places, and, her
magazine exploding, she was destroyed. The Minnesota was next
assailed. She also ran aground, and the Merrimac could not reach
her, but the wooden fleet poured in shot and shell, inflicting
serious damage. As night was now drawing on, the Confederate fleet
withdrew, having carried everything before it.

"Early Sunday morning the Merrimac again turned seaward, evidently
intending to attack the Minnesota. I hurried down to a point on the
south side of the bay, from which I could get an unobstructed view
of whatever might take place. The Monitor had arrived the night
before. I had never seen the strange-looking craft, but the minute
I laid eyes on it I knew what it was. Young as I was, I realized
that I was about to witness the most remarkable naval battle that
was ever fought up to that time--the first encounter between
ironclads.

"The Merrimac was the pride of my heart. When I saw the Monitor I
wondered what the result of the fight would be. With a glass in my
hand I shivered with excitement as they approached each other. The
two strangest vessels on the sea were face to face. A cheese-box on
a plank, all painted black, not inaccurately describes the
Monitor's appearance. She was much smaller and more active than the
Confederate vessel, and carried only two guns, but these could be
pointed in any direction by the revolving of her turret. Quickly
they engaged, and the fight soon became furious.

"The guns on the Merrimac poured forth broadside after broadside.
The shot and shells glanced off the turret of the Monitor and fell
harmless into the water. In the same way, the heaviest shot from
the Monitor's guns bounded off the slanting sides of the Merrimac,
like foul balls from a player's bat. Sometimes it looked as if they
were in actual contact. Even then the shells did no ha