Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/594

 562 The Merrimac and the Monitor. [1862 news of her victory and of the loss of two ships with 257 officers and men fell upon the North with the suddenness of a thunderbolt. At Washington it caused not unreasonable alarm, as it seemed likely that the Merrimac would attack the capital, though, as a matter of fact, her draught of water made it impossible for her to ascend the Potomac. At daybreak on March 9 she started from Norfolk to renew the attack on the Northern fleet, and headed straight for the wooden Minnesota, which lay fast aground. The Monitor was moored beside the big ship, as her light draught enabled her to bid defiance to the shallows in the estuary. Worden's hour had come; he moved out instantly to the fight and interposed his little craft, one-fourth of the Merrimac > size, between her and the Minnesota. The Merrimac opened fire on her new antagonist, but this time the shells had no effect. The Monitor made no reply; she steamed up to the Merrimac till she was close to the Southern ironclad, and then discharged the two guns in her turret point-blank at the iron pent-house. The shots glanced off, yet they dealt a heavy rblow. For some minutes the ships fought at close quarters, wreathed in smoke, pounding each other with no visible effect, though many small injuries were inflicted on both vessels. Then, eager to disable his enemy, and finding his guns of no avail, Worden determined to use the ram. He ran at the Merrimatfs propeller but missed it by two feet and dealt his blow in the air. The ships grazed and, at this moment, the Monitor fired her guns once more, almost in contact with the enemy, crushing in the iron, but failing to penetrate. On this the Merrimac drew off and manoeuvred to attack the Minnesota, which at least was vulnerable to shell. But in the attempt to approach the unarmoured ship the Merrimac ran aground and there remained some minutes. The Monitor failed to make use of this opportunity to disable her enemy; and the Merrimac, getting afloat once more, abandoned her attack on the wooden vessel, as the range was too great for effective fire, and turned on the little turret-ship. In this last stage of the fight she attempted to run down the Monitor, and struck her a heavy blow, but did no serious damage. The Monitor's turret now ran short of ammunition, and Worden had to haul off to the shallows, where he was out of the reach of the Merrimac, to get up fresh powder and projectiles. This done, he closed once more ; but the final bout was indecisive, though the Monitor's conning- tower was shattered by concentrated fire and Worden very severely wounded. The Monitor was now left without direction for some minutes ; she withdrew to the shelter of the shallows, and, not without considerable delay, after the second officer had taken command, steamed back towards her foe. But the fight was already over ; the Merrimac' s captain was under the not unnatural impression that his enemy had retired from action, and not caring to venture in shoal water near the wooden ships, he withdrew to Norfolk. The combat was indecisive;