University of Virginia Library

THE SERVICE OF THE VIRGINIA.

At noon on Saturday, March 8, 1862, the Virginia, accompanied by
the tugs Beaufort and Raleigh, steamed down the Elizabeth river,
cheered by the men at the Confederate batteries along the shores.
Without a preliminary trial to test her speed and manageableness, she
was about to offer battle to the formidable Federal fleet in Hampton
Roads. Her defects were at once manifested. Not more than five miles

an hour could be got out of her. Her boilers and engines, not improved
by sinking, could not be depended on. Her draft was twenty-two feet,
and she could not be maneuvered in shoal waters. She was so unwieldy
it took from thirty to forty minutes to turn her.

In the open water she was joined by the rest of the James River boats,
the full fleet as follows: The Virginia, flag-ship, Captain Franklin Buchanan,
ten guns; the Patrick Henry, twelve guns, Commander John R.
Tucker; the Jamestown, two guns, Lieutenant-Commanding J. N. Barney;
the Teaser, one gun, Lieutenant-Commanding W. A. Webb; the
Beaufort, one gun, Lieutenant-Commanding W. H. Parker; the Raleigh,
one gun, Lieutenant-Commanding J. W. Alexander. Total armament,
twenty-seven guns.

The Federal fleet off Fortress Monroe was: The Minnesota, forty
guns; the Roanoke, forty guns; the St. Lawrence, fifty guns; the gunboats
Dragon, Mystic, Whitehall, Oregon, Zouave and Cambridge.
Behind these frowned the heavy guns of the fort. Off Newport News,
seven miles above, the point itself strongly fortified and held by a large
Federal garrison, were two steam frigates: The Congress, fifty guns;
the Cumberland, forty guns. At the Rip Raps was Fort Wool, with its
heavy gun.

Off Sewell Point the Virginia and her escorts turned toward Newport
News. The hurried preparations on board the Congress and Cumberland
seemed to indicate that the attack was unlooked for. When the
Virginia came within three-quarter mile range, the guns of the Cumberland
and Congress and the shore batteries opened on her. Answering
fire was reserved until the range was shortened, then the forward pivot
gun on the Virginia was fired by Lieutenant C. C. Simms. The effect
showed what terrible work the ironclad could be counted on to do with
her guns. Nearly every one of the crew of the Cumberland's after pivot
gun were killed or wounded. The next test was of her ability to disable
an antagonist by a blow. The Virginia steered straight for the Cumberland,
giving the Congress a broadside fire in passing, which was
returned. The Cumberland was struck under the forerigging, nearly at
right angles, and her side went in like an egg shell. The blow was
hardly felt on the Virginia, though her ram was left in the Cumberland
as she backed off, and the side of the Cumberland, Lieutenant Wood
says, "was opened wide enough to drive in a horse and cart."

As the Virginia backed clear of her, the Cumberland began to list to
port, and fill rapidly. Her guns were manfully served as long as
they were above water, and when her crew were driven to the spar
deck they continued to fire her pivot guns until she went down with
colors flying. She sunk in three-quarters of an hour from the time
she was struck, and when her hull rested on the sands fifty-four

feet below the water, her pennant was still above water, flying from
her topmast.

The Virginia was headed so as to give her space to turn in. As she
swung round, the Congress came in range again, and Lieutenant Wood
raked her with three shots from the Virginia's after pivot guns. In
trying to get out of range she grounded, but in water where the unfortunate
draft of the Virginia would not permit her to follow. The Virginia
headed for her, and took position two hundred yards off, where
every shot told. For an hour the guns of the Congress answered
bravely, but her loss was terrible and her position hopeless. At about
half past three she ran up the white flag and lowered her colors. Most
of her guns were then disabled, more than half her crew killed or
wounded, and her hull had been several times on fire.

Among the killed on the Congress was her commanding officer, Lieutenant
Joseph B. Smith, and the surrender was made by Lieutenant
Pendergrast to Lieutenant Parker, of the Beaufort, that boat and the
Raleigh having been ordered alongside by Captain Buchanan. The
orders were to take off the crew and men on the Congress and then set
her on fire. But firing from the shore batteries did not cease, although
the white flag on the Congress could be seen as plainly on the shore as
on the Virginia. This cruel and continuous fire wounded friend and
foe alike. Lieutenant Tayloe and Midshipman Hutter, of the Raleigh,
with many of the crew, were killed while taking Federal wounded from
the Congress. The Raleigh and Beaufort then hauled off, with about
thirty prisoners. Of those left on the Congress such as were able escaped
to the shore by swimming or in small boats. That those unable
thus to escape perished with the ship is to be laid to the charge
of their own troops, who, safe on the shore, disregarded the white
flag that otherwise would have protected these unfortunate ones.
Among those who escaped to the shore was Lieutenant Pendergrast.
After surrendering the colors and his side arms on board the Beaufort,
he was permitted to return to the Congress to assist in removing
the wounded. Violating his parole, he escaped by swimming to the
shore.

Captain Buchanan ordered hot shot to be fired into the Congress
which was done until she was on fire, fore and aft. While directing this he
was severely wounded, as was also his flag-lieutenant, Robert D. Minor
Command of the Virginia then devolved upon Lieutenant Catesby
apR. Jones. Several shore batteries had been silenced by the firing
from the Virginia, and from her little consorts of the James River
squadron. These smaller boats had been active and serviceable all day.
The Patrick Henry was temporarily disabled by a shot through her
boiler, which scalded four to death, wounding others.

THE VIRGINIA RAMMING THE CUMBERLAND

When the engagement opened, the St. Lawrence, Roanoke and Minnesota
left their anchorage off Fortress Monroe to come to the assistance
of the Cumberland and Congress. The two first grounded a short
distance from Fortress Monroe. The Minnesota grounded half way
between Old Point and Newport News, but in position to be actively
engaged. Lieutenant Jones would have moved on her after the Congress
was disposed of, but the pilots of the Virginia would not undertake
the necessary management of her with approaching night and ebb
tide upon them. The Virginia anchored off Sewell Point for the night.
As the night wore away, the booming of the exploding guns of the
Congress was heard. Then followed the explosion of her powder magazine,
scattering her last fragments, and by her expiring light could be
seen all that was left of the Cumberland, the pennant on her sunken
mast. It had been a good day's work for the Confederacy.

The Virginia had gone to anchor apparently uninjured, for though,
under the concentrated fire of more than a hundred guns, everything
above deck that could be shot away was gone, her iron armor appeared
uninjured. The damage done by the wrenching off of her ram (causing
her to leak in next action) was not then apparent. Her entire loss
in killed and wounded was only twenty-one. Few that witnessed that
day's battle, Confederates or Federals, doubted that the morrow would
see the destruction, not only of the Minnesota, but of every Federal
boat riding in Hampton Roads. Lieutenant Jones, however, watching
on the Virginia, knew that no such victory was assured. In his very
interesting contribution to the history of these engagements, published
in the Southern Magazine, of Baltimore, prepared at the request of the
Southern Historical Society, he says: "One of the pilots chanced, about
11 p. m., to be looking in the direction of the Congress, when there
passed a strange looking craft, brought out in bold relief by the burning
ship, which he at once proclaimed to be The Ericsson. We were
therefore not surprised in the morning to see the Monitor at anchor
near the Minnesota. The latter ship was still aground." That the
commanding officer of the Virginia knew the Monitor was in the field
at 11 p. m. on the 8th, should, it would seem, forever dispose of the
oft-repeated assertion that it created "the utmost consternation" on
the Virginia to see the Monitor on the morning of the 9th.