red flag, meaning "no
surrender," flying from her peak. Lieutenant Morris succeeded in saving
himself, but 121 were lost out of the crew of 376.

Having destroyed the _Cumberland_, the _Merrimac_ now made for the
_Congress_, which had been vainly pelting her with her broadsides. The
_Congress_ was aground and so completely at the mercy of the _Merrimac_,
which raked her fore and aft, that every man would have been killed had
not the sign of surrender been displayed. As it was, her commander and
100 of the crew were slain by the irresistible fire of the tremendous
ironclad.

By this time the fearful spring afternoon was drawing to a close and
the _Merrimac_ labored heavily back to Sewall's Point, intending to
return on the morrow and continue her work of destruction.

The news of what the _Merrimac_ had done was telegraphed throughout the
South and North. In the former it caused wild rejoicing and raised hope
that before the resistless might of the new ironclad the North would be
compelled to make terms and save her leading seacoast cities from
annihilation by acknowledging the Southern Confederacy. The national
authorities were thrown into consternation. At a special meeting of the
President's Cabinet Secretary of War Stanton expressed his belief that
the _Merrimac_ would appear in front of Washington and compel the
authorities to choose between surrender and destruction, and that the
principal seaports would be laid under contribution.

But at that very time the hastily completed _Monitor_ was speeding
southward under the command of Lieutenant Worden, who had risen from a
sick bed to assume the duty which no one else was willing to undertake.
Her crew numbered 16 officers and 42 men, with Lieutenant S. Dana Green
as executive officer. Her voyage to Hampton Roads was difficult and of
the most trying nature to the officers and crew, who were nearly
smothered by gas. The boat would have foundered had not the weather been
unusually favorable, but she reached Hampton Roads on the night of March
8 and took a position beside the _Minnesota_, ready and eager for the
terrific fray of the morrow. The _Monitor_ carried two 11-inch Dahlgren
guns and fired solid shot.

[Illustration: THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE "MERRIMAC" AND "MONITOR."]

When the _Merrimac_ steamed back the _Monitor_ moved out from her
position and boldly advanced to meet her. The huge monster and smaller
craft, whose appearance suggested the apt comparison of a