the steamer, and no one knew whether there were this depth or not, for no one knew the draft of the Merrimac. Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Portland were in a state of terror. The Merrimac could laugh at forts. The experiment of an hour had wrought an entire change in naval architecture and in defensive fortifications throughout the world. Wooden frigates had almost ceased to be of any value. The blow which sunk the Cumberland, demolished also the fleets of England and France. All navies went down with that frigate into the abyss together. It is not too much to say, that such a night of anxiety, of terror, of bewilderment, as followed the triumphant return of the Merrimac to her anchorage behind Craney Island, this world has seldom witnessed before. Through unpardonable carelessness somewhere, the Minnesota and the St. Lawrence were both aground. The Roanoke also was in the same condition, and had for six months lain helpless in those waters with a broken shaft. About ten o'clock in the evening the agitated, sleepless garrison at Fortress Monroe, perceived two small steamers, coming in from the sea, and approaching Old Point Comfort. As the steamers drew near, they observed that they had a singular looking small raft in tow, upon the centre of which there was a small round tower or cupola, but a few feet high. The raft proved to be the new Ericsson battery, the Monitor, in tow of the gun-boats, the Sachem and Currituck. She had left New York on Thursday, the 6th, in company with these steamers. It was now Saturday evening, the 8th. The first part of the voyage the weather was pleasant and all things went smoothly. On Friday the wind rose, with a heavy sea, and the waves made a clear breach over the deck, which was but two feet above the level of the water. This, however, did not appear in the least to retard the progress of the Monitor, as she cut her way through the waves as easily as she rode over them. But owing to the imperfect caulking of a part of the deck she leaked badly, wetting the berth deck and engine room. The vessel was ventilated and the furnace draft gained by means of blowers. But unfortunately the blower strap broke, and stopped the supply draft for the furnace. The engine room was soon filled with coal gas, and Mr. Stimers, engineer-in-chief, Mr. Newton, senior engineer, and six others narrowly escaped suffocation. This defect was afterwards remedied. The battery, on the whole, proved to be an admirable sea-boat, the sea harmlessly washing over her, instead of lifting her on its crest. An eye-witness, from Fortress Monroe, thus touchingly describes the scenes which transpired, and the emotions which were excited, on that eventful Saturday night : "That morrow! How anxiously we waited for it! how much we feared its results! How anxious our Saturday eve of preparation! At sundown there was nothing to dispute the empire of the seas with the Merrimac, and had a land attack been made by Magruder then, God only knows what our fate would have been. The St. Lawrence and the Minnesota aground and helpless, the Roanoke with a broken shaft, these were our defenses by sea; while on land we were doing all possible to resist a night invasion;-but who could hope that would have much efficiency? Oh! what a night that was; that night I never can forget. There was no fear during its long hours-danger, I find, does not bring that, but there was a longing for some interposition of God and waiting upon Him, from whom we felt our help must come, in earnest, fervent prayer, while not neglecting all the means of martial defense He had placed in our hands. Fugitives from Newport News kept arriving; ladies and children had walked the long ten miles from Newport News, feeling that their presence only embarrassed their brave husbands. Sailors from the Congress and Cumberland came, one of them with his ship's flag bound about his waist, as he had swum with it ashore, determined the enemy should never trail it in dishonor as a trophy. Dusky fugitives, the contrabands, came, mournfully fleeing from a fate worse than death-slavery. These entered my cabin, hungry and weary, or passed it in long, sad procession. The heavens were aflame with the burning Congress. The hotel was crowded with fugitives, and private hospitality was taxed to the utmost. But there were no soldiers among the flying host; all in our camps at Newport News and Camp Hamilton were at the post of duty, undismayed, and ready to do all and dare all for their country. The sailors came only to seek another chance at the enemy, since the bold Cumberland had gone down in the deep waters, and the Congress had gone upward, as if a chariot of fire, to convey the manly souls, whose bodies had perished in that conflict, upward to heaven. I had lost several friends there; yet not lost, for they are saved who do their duty to their country and their God, as these had done. We did not pray in vain. ""The heavy night hung dark the hills and waters o'er,' but the night was not half so heavy as our hearts, nor so dark as our prospects. All at once a speck of light gleamed on the distant wave; it moved; it came nearer and nearer, and at ten o'clock at night, the Monitor appeared. When the tale of bricks is doubled, Moses comes.' I never more firmly believed in special providences than at that hour. Even skeptics for the moment were converted, and said, 'God has sent her!' But how insignificant she looked; she was but a speck on the dark blue sea at night, almost a laughable object by day. The enemy call her a 'cheesebox on a raft,' and the comparison is a good one. Could she meet the Merrimac? The morrow must determine, for under God, the Monitor is our only hope." On arriving at Fortress Monroe, Lieut. J. L. Worden, who had previously rendered himself illustrious, through the heroic adventures in which, traversing the land of the rebels, he had conveyed dispatches for the reënforcement of Fort Pickens, in Florida, reported to the Roanoke for orders. He was directed to lay aside of the Minnesota, to guard her in case of a night attack. A great sense of relief was experienced, in this opportune, providential arrival of the Monitor. He who believes that not a sparrow falls without our Father's notice, will recognize in this event the hand of God. The Government had not ordered, or even, as yet, purchased the Monitor. Aprivate individual, and he a foreigner, had devised ship,-the Naval Throughout the Those who had the plan, and private enterprise had constructed the Board merely permitting the experiment to be tried. country generally, but little was known of the Monitor. 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, |