Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/138

 132 Southern Hisforical Society Papers.

dence of the courage and discipline of the crew that the fire from the Patrick Henry did not slacken, but went on as regularly as before the damage. As the vessel was drifting towards the enemy, the jib was hoisted to pay her head around, and the Jamestown, Lieutenant-Commanding Barney, gallantly and promptly came to her assistance and towed her from her perilous position. The en- gineers soon got one boiler to work, the other was so badly damaged that they were unable to repair it at the time, and with the steam of one boiler alone the Patrick Henry returned to the conflict. Night, however, soon closed in, and as in the darkness it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe hostilities ceased, the victory of this day being without dispute with the Confederates.

During the battle the shores of the Confederate side of the " Roads" were lined with spectators from Norfolk and the adjacent camps, who seemed greatly to enjoy the " historical piece" that was enacted before them.

The night after the batde the Confederate squadron anchored un- der Seawell's Point, at the mouth of the harbor of Norfolk. There was little time for sleep that night, for the conflict was to be renewed the next morning, and it was necessary to make many repairs and preparations. Soon after midnight a column of fire ascended in the darkness, followed by a terrific explosion. The Federal frigate Con gress, which had been on fire all the evening, had blown up, the fire having reached her m^'azine.

At the first peep of dawn on the 9th of March the Confederate squadron was underway, it having been determined to destroy the Minnesota, that frigate being still aground near Newport News. As the daylight increased the Mimiesota was discovered in her old posi- tion, but the Miyinesota was not the only thing to attract attention ; close alongside of her there lay such a craft as the eyes of a seaman does not delight in ; an immense shingle floating on the water with a gigantic cheese box rising from its centre ; no sails, no wheels, no smokestack, no guns, at least, none that could be seen. What could it be? On board the Patrick Henry many were the surmises as to the strange craft; some thought it a water tank sent to supply the Minnesota with water, others that it was a floating magazine replen- ishing her exhausted stock of ammunition, but few were of the opinion that it was the Monitor which the Northern papers had been boasting about for a long time.

All doubts about the stranger were soon dispelled; as the Virginia steamed down upon the Minnesota the cheese box and shingle