Editor’s Note: Recognizing the unique opportunity we have to examine reports on Civil War events in our own publication, from time to time we are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by reprinting articles that appeared in the Religious Herald a century-and-a-half ago. On March 13, 1862, under the heading “Secular News” the Religious Herald printed the following — admittedly biased — report on the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack (CSS Virginia) in Hampton Roads harbor that had taken place March 8-9.
The Confederate iron-clad steamer, Virginia, had a successful engagement with the blockading fleet of the enemy lying off Newport News on Saturday and Sabbath. She reach their neighborhood at 2 o’clock. P.M. Here she found the two first class sailing frigates Cumberland and Congress. Her operations on the Cumberland were performed in the short space of fifteen minutes’ time, at the end of which the Cumberland sunk just where she had been lying.
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The Virginia, on approaching her and getting point blank range, fired her bow gun several times, and ran into her, striking her fairly with her ram, which made her reel to and fro, and sent her speedily to the bottom. The object in first getting rid of the Cumberland was probably to destroy the very heavy armament which that frigate carried, it being the heaviest in the Yankee Navy.
Focus on the Congress
The Virginia next turned her attention to the Congress, which vessel it is said gallantly resisted her inevitable fate for nearly an hour, but finally finding the ship rapidly sinking, she hauled down her colors and made for the beach, where she was run as high aground as possible. Her officers and crew were taken off by our gunboats; and while she had her flag of truce hoisted, and was being relieved of her killed and wounded by our boats, the Yankees on shore at Newport News, disregarding the flag of truce, with Minnie muskets fired into her and killed several of their own men.
While the Virginia was engaged with the Congress with her bow gun she poured broadside after broadside into the shore batteries of the enemy at Newport News. While the engagement was going on between the two frigates and the Virginia, the enemy’s steam frigate Minnesota put out from Old Point to their assistance. She got aground when within a mile or two of Newport News. There she stuck, unable to get off, while the Confederate steamers Patrick Henry and Jamestown peppered her with their batteries, while the Virginia was attending to the shore batteries at Newport News. The frigate St. Lawrence then came up to the assistance of the Minnesota, and she also got aground. Tugs and steamers were sent to the assistance of the Minnesota and St. Lawrence from Old Point after they grounded, but their efforts to haul them off were unavailing.
All of our steamers and gunboats are said to have been managed with the utmost skill and dexterity, rendering great assistance to the Virginia in this magnificent engagement.
The James River steamers arrived at the scene of action, it is said, about one hour after the engagement commenced. They easily passed the Newport News batteries, and after joining in the fight rendered very efficient aid. By this daring exploit we have raised the James River blockade, without foreign assistance, and are likely, with the assistance of the Virginia, to keep open the communication.
Sunday morning
The engagement was renewed again on Sunday morning, about 8 o’clock, by the Jamestown and several of our gunboats firing into the Minnesota and St. Lawrence. The tide being at an ebb, the Virginia did not take the channel where the Minnesota lay, probably for fear of grounding; but, getting within a good ranger of her, she opened fire with terrible effect, completely riddling her, and rendering constant exertion at the pumps necessary to prevent her from filling.
Early in the morning the Erricsson battery, now called the Monitor, was discovered off Newport News, she having gone up there during the night. A sharp encounter soon took place between her and the Virginia, during which time they were frequently not more than thirty or forty yards apart. Unfortunately, the Virginia ran aground, and the Ericsson, using her advantage, poured shot after shot into her, but without doing any serious damage. In a short while, however, the Virginia succeeded in getting off, and putting on full head of steam ran her bow into the Ericsson, doing, as it is thought, great damage. Several of the enemy’s gunboats being within range, they were favored with a shell or two from the Virginia, with telling effect.
Successful return
Having completely riddled the Minnesota and disabled the St. Lawrence and Monitor, besides destroying several of the enemy’s gunboats — in a word, having accomplished all that they designed and having no more material to work upon — our noble vessels left the scene of their triumphs and returned to the yard, where they await another opportunity of displaying their prowess.
The enemy’s loss, in killed and wounded during the two days’ battle is exceedingly large, and estimated at from six to twelve hundred. Of the crew of the Cumberland but few survived to tell the tale. As she went down her crew went with her, excepting some few who were taken as prisoners by us, and a few others who escaped to the shore. Out of the five hundred aboard of her it is estimated that not over a hundred at most escaped, the remainder either being killed by our shot or drowned as the vessel went down. Of course the greater part of those on board the gunboats were also drowned, as there was not sufficient time for them to have made their escape.
Added to this, very many in the camps of the enemy at Newport News were killed by the shells which the Virginia threw among them. On the Virginia there were two killed and eight wounded. Among the wounded, we regret to mention Captain Buchanan and Lieutenant Minor. These wounds, however, are but slight. On the Raleigh Midshipman Hutter was killed and Captains Tayloe and Alexander wounded, the first quite severely. On the Beaufort gunner W. Robinson and two seamen were wounded. On the Teaser one man was wounded very slightly. On the Patrick Henry four men were killed and three wounded.
While the loss of the enemy is counted by hundreds, ours, as will be seen from the above, amounts only to seven killed and seventeen wounded. This loss on our part, as small as it is, was not the work of the enemy’s shots from their vessels, but the result, for the most part, of the fire of muskets from shore. It is said that all of the batteries on Newport News were silenced except one, and that our shot and shell were thrown with such unerring aim and precision among the enemy that great numbers of them were killed and wounded.