the plan, and private enterprise had constructed the ship,-the Naval Board merely permitting the experiment to be tried. Throughout the country generally, but little was known of the Monitor. Those who had heard of her were by no means confident of her success. Still, with her presence, there was, at least, a chance of the life of our fleet. Without her, there was no chance at all. There was but little sleep at Fortress Monroe that night. The Monitor was new and untried. She was insignificant in size, compared with the Merrimac. She mounted but two guns, while her adversary carried ten. Her chance of success, over such fearful odds, appeared small. The night, however, passed away without an alarm.

The next morning was the Sabbath, March 9th, and the sun rose with unusual brilliance in the serene and cloudless sky. Never did a more lovely morning dawn over those peaceful waters. Anxious eyes gazed in the direction of Sewall's Point, where three rebel vessels were at anchor. One of them was supposed to be the Merrimac, though the distance was too great to determine with accuracy. A movement was made about nine o'clock, which indicated that they were preparing for another engagement. Instantly all was life on board the Monitor, and in fifteen minutes she was in perfect fighting trim. The iron hatches were closed, the deadlight covers put on, and every obstruction removed from the main deck, so as to present a smooth surface, only twenty-four inches above the water, unbroken, save by the turret and pilot-house. Every man was sent to his post. Lieut. Worden and several of his officers stood upon the top of the turret, earnestly watching every movement of the vessels in the distance. Soon it was manifest that the Merrimac was on her way, presenting the aspect of a submerged house, with the roof only out of the water. The terrible battery was accompanied, as before, by her consorts, the Jamestown and the Yorktown, and by quite a fleet of tug-boats, crowded with gentlemen and ladies from Norfolk, eager to enjoy the pleasure of seeing the national fleet demolished, and Fortress Monroe bombarded and taken. Nothing but the little round tub, nine feet high, and twenty feet in diameter, supported by a float scarcely above the level of the water, stood in the way of the destruction of every thing at Fortress Monroe, which the most powerful guns could reach,-the raising of the blockade, and the shelling, perhaps, of Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. It was David meeting Goliath. Thousands were to witness the battle, who could not lift a finger to aid in its results. Men prayed then, who never prayed before.

The officers of the Monitor immediately repaired to their several stations. Lieut. Green took command of the gunners. Chief Engineer Stimers took charge of the revolving turret, to control its movements. The Merrimac, entirely unconscious of the new antagonist she had to encounter, came leisurely along, and opened fire upon the Minnesota, which was still aground. The Minnesota replied with a broadside, which might as well have been discharged against the rock of Gibraltar. The destruction of the frigate was to be manifestly but sport for the Merrimac. Just then, the Monitor hove in sight, resembling, as the rebels truly said,

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a small raft, with a "Yankee cheese-box" upon it. The idea at first did not enter their minds, that the insignificant little craft, whatever it might be, would venture to face their guns. But the Monitor steamed boldly onward toward its formidable antagonist, and, when at the distance of about half a mile, Lieut. Worden, who had taken his position in the pilothouse, gave the order to fire. The gun was aimed, the huge iron pendulum swung aside, the men sprang to the gun-ropes, a momentary creaking of pulleys was heard, then a thundering report, and a solid ball, weighing a hundred and seventy pounds, was hurled against the mailed side of the Merrimac. The Monitor had uttered her maiden speech, and it was a challenge which no antagonist could venture to disregard.

The Merrimac paused in utter astonishment, being scarcely able to discern her distant and diminutive adversary. But the gauntlet thus thrown, the scornful rebel was compelled to accept. She then turned upon the Monitor, to demolish a foe unworthy of her notice, but whose audacity had provoked her ire. Drawing near the little floating turret, at the range of but a few yards, she poured in one of her terrible broadsides, sure that after such a discharge, the Monitor might be sought for in vain. But as the smoke lifted behold the turret unharmed. As well fire at a phantom. Astounded and enraged at the failure, the Merrimac now ran, "head on, full tilt" upon the Monitor, to ride over her, and sink her to the bottom of the bay. "Reserve your fire," said Lieut. Worden to the gunners, "aim deliberately, and do not lose a shot." It was now Greek meeting Greek; iron against iron. Hundred pound shot rattled against the mailed and impenetrable sides of the combatants, in this tremendous duel, and glanced off like hail. Never before had ships met, carrying such heavy guns. From both vessels the firing was executed with great rapidity, and with equal skill. The little Monitor was superior in speed to the Merrimac, and steamed around her mammoth antagonist, almost as a hornet would attack a bull. The turret turned with perfect ease, so that in whatever direction the battery was heading, the two guns were always pointing at the foe. Lieut. Worden, in the pilot-house, had a good lookout through the iron gratings, and gave the directions, through speaking tubes, to Lieut. Green, who commanded the gunners in the

tower.

At one time, when the vessels were almost touching each other, Lieut. Green trained his gun on the Merrimac's water line. The shot struck, exactly where it was aimed, and apparently penetrated the ship." "Splendid, sir! splendid, sir!" exclaimed Lieut. Worden, through his tubes. "You made the iron fly. You cannot do better, but fire as rapidly as you can." A shot from the Merrimac, weighing 100 pounds, striking the tur ret fair and square, would produce a concussion which occasionally knocked the men down, but causing no other injury. The Merrimac, in her attempt to run down the Monitor, failed entirely. She struck her antago nist fairly and at full speed, causing, however, but a slight jar. By the colli- ́ sion the prow of the Merrimac was broken, and her mail cut through by the sharp edge of the Monitor, causing a bad leak. In the desperation of the fight the ships closed, actually touching sides, hurling shot and shell at

each other with demoniac energy. But these cast-iron missiles glanced or crumbled to powder. The rebel Yorktown at one time attempted to interfere. A single 170-pound shot, from the Monitor, passed through the traitor, and sent him home to have his wounds bandaged. The contest was, for a time, so hot, the muzzles of the hostile guns almost touching each other, that both ships were enveloped in a cloud of smoke, which no eye could penetrate. Flash and thunder-roar burst forth incessantly from the tumultuous maelstrom of darkness, and solid balls, weighing 170 pounds, glancing from the armor, ricochetted over the water, in all directions, for one and two miles. Such bolts were never hurled from the fabled hands of Jupiter Olympus.

Thus this duel raged with unintermitted fury for four long hours. The Monitor, at but a few yards' distance, steamed around her foe, planting a ball here, and a ball there, eagerly searching to find some vital spot. She tried her rudder, her sides, her screw, just above the water line, just below the water line. In some of these efforts she was successful, and at length three gaping holes were visible, and the Merrimac was evidently sinking. The rebel was whipped; and firing his last gun, turned to run away. Unfortunately, just at that moment, as Lieut. Worden was looking out, at the iron grating of the pilot-house, a hundred-pound shot struck pointblank upon the grating, just before his eyes. The concussion knocked him prostrate, and for the moment, senseless. He was also entirely blinded by the minute fragments of iron and powder driven into his eyes, inflicting an injury from which he can never wholly recover. This occasioned momentary confusion, until the command was assumed by Lieut. Green. The Merrimac, which had entered the conflict with a spirit so proud and defiant, was now limping on the retreat thoroughly whipped and humiliated. As so much depended upon the single Monitor, it was not deemed ⚫ wise to expose her to any risks not actually necessary. She had, therefore, received orders to act strictly on the defensive, and by no means to leave the immediate vicinity of the fleet. She, however, pursued her disabled foe a short distance, throwing into her a few parting military benedictions, and then left her to seek refuge in her rebel anchorage. As Lieut. Worden, after a time, revived from the stunning blow he had received, his first question was, "Have I saved the Minnesota ?" "Yes," was the reply," and whipped the Merrimac." "Then," he rejoined, "I care not what becomes of me."

It was a glorious victory. Thousands and tens of thousands on the shore, from Fortress Monroe, Newport News and all the rebel batteries, were watching the conflict. No tongue can tell the joy which thrilled the hearts of the National troops at the result. Cheer after cheer rose from the fleet and from the fortress, and rolled like reverberating thunder along the shores, and over the bay. The shattered Merrimac was soon met by two rebel steam-tugs, who took her in their arms, and bore her fainting and dying to Norfolk. Her injuries were vital. After the efforts of months to repair them, she did not venture to leave her hospital, again to face her foe, until, as we shall hereafter have occasion to describe, in the excess of chagrin and despair, she committed suicide.

The Monitor was entirely uninjured. She was struck twenty-two