iple, and he was pressed to make all possible haste in finishing
it; for, though the government did not suspect the terrible
effectiveness of the _Merrimac_, they meant to take all reasonable
precautions against it.

AWFUL WORK OF THE MERRIMAC.

There were lying at Hampton Roads at that time five Union vessels,
which, being so close to the dangerous craft, were on the alert day and
night for her appearance. About noon on March 8th a column of dark smoke
in the direction of the Norfolk navy yard, followed by the forging into
sight of the huge hulk, left no doubt that the long-expected _Merrimac_
was coming forth upon her errand of death and destruction. In her
company were three gunboats ready to aid her in any way possible. The
steam frigate _Minnesota_ and _Roanoke_ and the sailing frigates
_Congress_, _Cumberland_, and _St. Lawrence_ immediately cleared their
decks for action.

The _Minnesota_ and _Roanoke_ moved out to meet the _Merrimac_, but both
got aground. In the case of the _Minnesota_ this was due to the
treachery of the pilot, who was in the employ of the Confederates. The
_Cumberland_ swerved so as to bring her broadsides to bear, and opened
with her pivot guns, at the distance of a mile. The aim was accurate,
but the iron balls which struck the massive hide of the _Merrimac_
bounded off like pebbles skipping over the water. Then the _Congress_
added her broadsides to those of the _Cumberland_, but the leviathan
shed them all as if they were tiny hailstones, and, slowly advancing in
grim silence, finally opened with her guns, quickly killing four marines
and five sailors on the _Cumberland_. Then followed her resistless
broadsides, which played awful havoc with officers and men. Swinging
slowly around, the _Merrimac_ next steamed a mile up the James, and,
turning again, came back under full speed. Striking the _Cumberland_
under the starboard bow, she smashed a hole into her through which a
horse might have entered. The ship keeled over until her yardarms were
close to the water. The terrific force broke off the prow of the
_Merrimac_, but her frightful shots riddled the _Cumberland_ and set
her on fire. The flames were extinguished, and the _Cumberland_
delivered broadside after broadside, only to see the enormous missiles
fly off and spin harmlessly hundreds of feet away.

Lieutenant George U. Morris, of the _Cumberland_, ran up the red flag
meaning "no surrender," and with a heroism never surpassed