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number of men, and full six times her weight of armament; she had engaged two other great vessels; and she had only been prevented from destroying them, because she could not come to close quarters with them. The Cumberland went into action with 376 men. When the survivors were mustered there were only 255. She lost 121 in killed and drowned. The crew of the Congress were 434 officers and men; of these, 298 got to shore, 26 of them being wounded, 10 mortally; there were in all 120 killed and missing; about 20 of these were made prisoners, leaving a roll of killed and drowned of 100 men. Besides these, 3 were killed on the Minnesota, and 16 wounded; an absolute loss of fully 250 officers and men. On the Virginia there were but two killed and eight wounded. On the other Confederate vessels four were killed and a few more wounded.

Early in the bright morning of Sunday, the 9th of March, the Virginia rounded the point of land at the mouth of the Elizabeth river. She approached the Minnesota. But lying near the vessel which was still stranded and supposed to be doomed, was a curious object, which some of the crew of the Virginia straining their eyes compared to a prodigious "cheese-box on a plank." It was another iron-clad-the enemy's experiment in naval architecture, which had come just in time to match the Confederate curiosity in floating batteries.

The new actor on the scene which had come in such a dramatic coincidence was a defensive structure, the invention of John Ericsson. He had named the invention the Monitor, in order to "admonish the South of the fate of the rebellion, Great Britain of her fading naval supremacy, and the English government of the folly of spending millions in fixed fortifications for defence." She was different in appearance from any vessel that had previously been used in war. Her deck, unprotected by any bulwark, rose about two feet above the water, whilst from it projected a turret about nine feet high, and a small box-looking place at the stern, used as a pilot-house. In the turret she carried her sole armament—two eleven-inch 168-pounder Dahlgren guns.

The two strange combatants approached each other; when within about one hundred yards' distance the Monitor opened fire. The contest continued for the space of two hours, the distance between the two vessels varying from half a mile to close quarters, in which they were almost side to side, belching out their fire, the heavy thugs on the iron sides of each being the only effect of the terrific cannonade. The strange-looking battery, with its black, revolving cupola, was more easily turned than the Virginia, and had the greater speed. The great length and draft of the Virginia rendered it exceedingly difficult to work her. Once in changing her position she got aground, but succeeded in getting afloat again, and turning rapidly upon the Monitor steamed directly at her, hoping with

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THE VIRGINIA AND THE MONITOR.

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her terrible armed prow to end the contest. But the blow was not fairly given, and merely scraped the iron plates of her antagonist.

About noon the Monitor, probably rather in consequence of an injury that had almost blinded the sight of her commander than of any serious damage to the vessel, ran into shoal water and declined the further prosecution of the contest. The captain of the Minnesota then supposed that his hour was come, and prepared to destroy rather than surrender his vessel. But it had been found impossible by the Virginia to get nearer the Minnesota than she had the day before, and supposing that her guns had already disabled the frigate, she retired slowly from the scene of contest and returned to Norfolk.

The results of this day, were indecisive, although there can be no doubt of the retreat of the Monitor; but each vessel had given proofs of invulnerability, which left their claims to advantage in the contest undecided. The injuries of the Virginia in the two days' fight were immaterial. Two of her guns had the muzzles shot off, the anchor and the flagstaffs were shot away, the smoke-jack and steam-pipes were riddled, the prow was twisted, and the armour somewhat damaged; but, with the exception of the injury done to her ram, she had suffered none other but what might be repaired in a few hours.

With reference to this wonderful contest in Hampton Roads the newspapers announced the conclusion that wooden ships were to be of no farther use in naval warfare, and that the great navies which France and Great Britain had built at such an immense cost were practically annihilated. Whatever haste there might be in this conclusion, the Government at Washington showed its early appreciation of the lesson in Hampton Roads. Almost immediately on the result of the action becoming known, a bill was introduced into the Senate to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to construct various iron vessels, both for coast and harbour defences, and also for offensive operations against the enemy's forts. The two combatants-the Virginia and the Monitor-which had given a sensation to the whole world, and turned the attention of every European government that had a strip of sea-coast to defend to the experiment of iron-clads, were never again engaged in contest. The first continued by her presence at Norfolk to guard the entry into James River, and was thought of such importance with respect to the Peninsular approach to Richmond that Gen. McClellan, who, as we shall see some months later, turned his design on Richmond in this direction, named as one of the preliminary conditions of the new campaign that this vessel should be "neutralized." She was to be "neutralized" in a way little expected by the Confederate public.

We may find in the close of this chapter an apppropriate place for a summary account of some other naval events belonging to this period of time in our narrative.

CAPTURE OF NEWBERN, &C.

The objects of Gen. Burnside's expedition were not accomplished with the capture of Roanoke Island. These objects, as stated in a memorandum furnished by Gen. McClellan, who directed the expedition as part of a general campaign for 1862, were an assault on Newbern, and, if possible, the destruction of the southern line of railroad through Goldsboro', and the Wilmington and Weldon railroad. The town of Beaufort, defended by Fort Macon, was next to be attacked, and the port opened, whilst operations against Wilmington were pointed to as the eventual objects of the expedition. On March 12th, the expedition started from Hatteras Inlet for its new object of attack. The troops were disembarked the next day eighteen miles below Newbern, and at daylight of the 14th advanced upon the Confederate works four miles below the town. These consisted of a line of detached forts of low relief. The entire Confederate force, under command of Gen. Branch, did not exceed five thousand men-a great part of them militia-and had to contend against an enemy outnumbering them at least three to one.

Fort Thompson was the most formidable fortification on the river, and mounted thirteen heavy guns. An attempt was made to storm the work, which was repulsed, and four Massachusetts companies which entered the fort from the railway track were driven out over the parapet. Another attempt was made, with increased numbers; and perceiving the enemy's gunboats moving up the river, and fearing that he would be surrounded, Gen. Branch ordered a retreat. It was commenced in good order, but finally became a rout. The guns of Fort Ellis were thrown down the embankment, Fort Lane was blown up, and the Confederates fled across the railway bridge over the Neuse. The bridge was fired by a raft laden with cotton and spirits of turpentine before the retreating column had passed over, and about five hundred prisoners were taken by the enemy. These, about fifty pieces of cannon, two small steamers, and large quantities of arms and ammunition, were the immediate fruits of the enemy's victory, at a cost estimated in Burnside's report as 91 killed and 466 wounded. The Confederate loss in killed and wounded was about one hundred and fifty.

Shortly after the enemy's occupation of Newbern, the town of Washington, situated at the mouth of Tar River, fell into their hands; the batteries for its defence having been dismantled, and the entrenchments abandoned by the small Confederate force that had been stationed there.

On the 25th of April, Fort Macon, which commanded the entrance of Beaufort harbour, was bombarded by three of the enemy's steamers, and three siege batteries on the shore. There were not more than five Con

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federate companies in the fort, and after sustaining a fire of ten hours they surrendered.

The reduction of this fort gave the Federal navy a port of entry, and a harbour fitted for vessels of heavy draught. So far the Burnside expedition had been a train of success. The Confederate position at Norfolk had been flanked; complete possession had been gained of Albemarle and Pamlico Sound; and now, by the fall of Fort Macon, the enemy had the entire coast of North Carolina. These blows on our coast disheartened the Confederacy, but, after all, they were of but little real value, and of scarcely any appreciable weight in the war. Burnside did not dare to pursue his enterprise into the interiour, and to follow out the programme of moving on the Weldon railroad. The vital points of the Confederacy were far in the interiour, and as we had but few war vessels our ports and harbours were of but little importance to us for naval purposes, and were really but picket posts in our system of defence.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE NEW LINE OF CONFEDERATE DEFENCE SOUTH OF NASHVILLE.-ITS OBJECTS.-CO-OPERATION OF JOHNSTON AND BEAUREGARD.-CAPTURE OF ISLAND NO. 10 BY THE ENEMY.GEN. POLK'S EVACUATION OF COLUMBUS.-M'COWN'S OCCUPATION OF ISLAND NO. 10 AND NEW MADRID.-CONDITION OF THE DEFENCES AT THESE PLACES.-POPE MOVING ON NEW MADRID.-SMALLNESS OF M'OOWN'S FORCE.-POPE'S STRENGTH IN ARTILLERY.— HIS OCCUPATION OF POINT PLEASANT.-A TERRIFIO BOMBARDMENT.-EVACUATION OF NEW MADRID.-EFFECT OF THIS MOVEMENT.-BOMBARDMENT OF ISLAND NO. 10.-GALLANT DEFENCE OF RUCKER'S BATTERY.-TRANSFER OF A PORTION OF M'COWN'S FORCES TO FORT PILLOW.-HIS PREPARATIONS FOR RETREAT.-GEN. MACKALL ASSIGNED TO THE DEFENCE OF THE ISLAND.-A CANAL OUT BY THE ENEMY ACROSS THE PENINSULA.TWO GUNBOATS PASS THE ISLAND.-MACKALL'S SURRENDER.-WRETCHED MANAGEMENT OF THE EVACUATION OF THE ISLAND.-GREAT LOSS OF CONFEDERATE ARTILLERY.-THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.-CONCENTRATION OF CONFEDERATE FORCES AT CORINTH.-GRANT'S LINES AT PITTSBURG.-BUELL ADVANCING FROM NASHVILLE.-DESIGN OF THE CONFEDERATES TO ATTACK BEFORE THE JUNCTION OF THESE FORCES.-UNFORTUNATE LOSS OF A DAY IN THE MARCH.-THE CONFEDERATE PLAN OF BATTLE. THE ENEMY DRIVEN FROM HIS ENCAMPMENTS.-SPLENDID AND IRRESISTIBLE CHARGE OF THE CONFEDERATES.— TRAGICAL DEATH OF GEN. JOHNSTON.-THE CONFEDERATES PRESS ON IN THEIR CAREER OF VICTORY.-GRANT IN THE LAST EXTREMITY OF DEFEAT.-HE RETREATS TO THE BANKS OF THE TENNESSEE.-BEAUREGard's order for a CESSATION OF THE CONFLICT.-A FATAL HALT.-EXPLANATION OF IT.-BEAUREGARD'S GREAT MISTAKE.-DEMORALIZATION OF HIS TROOPS BY PLUNDER.-BUELL'S FORCES ACROSS THE TENNESSEE. THE SECOND DAY'S ACTION. THE CONFEDERATES FALL BACK.-OVERWHELMING FORCE OF THE ENEMY.ODDS OF THE SECOND DAY'S BATTLE.-THE ENEMY DOES NOT ATTEMPT A PURSUIT.-A FRIGHTFUL SUM OF CARNAGE.-BEAUREGARD'S CLAIM OF SUCCESS.-FEDERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BATTLE.-EXULTATION AT WASHINGTON.-DEATH OF JOHNSTON, A SERIOUS LOSS TO THE CONFEDERACY.-SKETCH OF HIS MILITARY LIFE.-PRESIDENT DAVIS' TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN HERO.—HIS OBSEQUIES IN NEW Orleans.

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SINCE falling back to Murfreesboro', Gen. Johnston had managed, by combining Crittenden's division and the fugitives from Donelson, to collect an army of seventeen thousand men. His object was now to co-operate with Gen. Beauregard for the defence of the Valley of the Mississippi, on a line of operations south of Nashville. The line extending from Columbus, by way of Forts Henry and Donelson, had been lost. The disaster

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