to open fire; and, as her volleys flew, the men on the
Cumberland were astounded to see the cannon-shot bound off the sloping
sides of the ram as hailstones bound from a windowpane. The ram
answered, and her rifle-shells tore the sides of the Congress; but for
her first victim she aimed at the Cumberland, and, firing her bow
guns, came straight as an arrow at the little sloop-of-war, which lay
broadside to her.

It was an absolutely hopeless struggle. The Cumberland was a
sailing-ship, at anchor, with wooden sides, and a battery of light guns.
Against the formidable steam ironclad, with her heavy rifles and steel
ram, she was as powerless as if she had been a rowboat; and from the
moment the men saw the cannon-shot bound from the ram's sides they knew
they were doomed. But none of them flinched. Once and again they fired
their guns full against the approaching ram, and in response received a
few shells from the great bow-rifles of the latter. Then, forging
ahead, the Merrimac struck her antagonist with her steel prow, and the
sloop-of-war reeled and shuddered, and through the great rent in her
side the black water rushed. She foundered in a few minutes; but her
crew fought her to the last, cheering as they ran out the guns, and
sending shot after shot against the ram as the latter backed off after
delivering her blow. The rush of the water soon swamped the lower decks,
but the men above continued to serve their guns until the upper deck
also was awash, and the vessel had not ten seconds of life left. Then,
with her flags flying, her men cheering, and her guns firing, the
Cumberland sank. It was shallow where she settled down, so that her
masts remained above the water. The glorious flag for which the brave
men aboard her had died flew proudly in the wind all that day, while the
fight went on, and throughout the night; and next morning it was still
streaming over the beautiful bay, to mark the resting-place of as
gallant a vessel as ever sailed or fought on the high seas.

After the Cumberland sank, the ram turned her attention to the Congress.
Finding it difficult to get to her in the shoal water, she began to
knock her to pieces with her great rifle-guns. The unequal fight between
the ironclad and the wooden ship lasted for perhaps half an hour. By
that time the commander of the Congress had been killed, and her
decks looked like a slaughterhouse. She was utterly unable to make
any impression on her foe, and finally