by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER VII.
THE "MERRIMAC" AND THE "MONITOR."
It was some weeks before Vincent was able to walk unaided. Hisconvalescence was somewhat slow, for the shock to the system had been asevere one. The long railway journey had been injurious to him, for thebandage had become somewhat loose and the broken pieces of bone hadgrated upon each other, and were much longer in knitting together thanthey would have been had he been treated on the spot.
As soon as he could walk he became anxious to rejoin his troop, but thedoctor said that many weeks must elapse before he would be able toundergo the hardships of a campaign. He was reconciled to some extent tothe delay by letters from his friends with the troop and by the perusalof the papers. There was nothing whatever doing in Virginia. The twoarmies still faced each other, the Northerners protected by the strongfortifications they had thrown up round Washington--fortifications muchtoo formidable to be attacked by the Confederates, held as they were bya force immensely superior to their own, both in numbers and arms.
The Northerners were indeed hard at work, collecting and organizing anarmy which was to crush out the rebellion. General Scott had beensucceeded by McClellan in the supreme command, and the new general wasindefatigable in organizing the vast masses of men raised in the North.So great were the efforts that, in a few months after the defeat of BullRun, the North had 650,000 men in arms.
But while no move had at present been made against Virginia there wassharp fighting in some of the border States, especially in Missouri andKentucky, in both of which public opinion was much divided, andregiments were raised on both sides.
Various operations were now undertaken by the Federal fleet at pointsalong the coast, and several important positions were taken andoccupied, it being impossible for the Confederates to defend so long aline of seacoast. The South had lost rather than gained ground inconsequence of their victory at Bull Run. For a time they had beenunduly elated, and were altogether disposed to underrate their enemiesand to believe that the struggle was as good as over. Thus, then, theymade no effort at all corresponding to the North; but as time went on,and they saw the vastness of the preparations made for their conquest,the people of the Southern States again bestirred themselves.
Owing to the North having the command of the sea, and shutting up allthe principal ports, they had to rely upon themselves for everything,while the North could draw arms and ammunition and all the requisites ofwar from the markets of Europe. Foundries were accordingly establishedfor the manufacture of artillery, and factories for muskets, ammunition,and percussion caps. The South had, in fact, to manufacture everythingdown to the cloth for her soldiers' uniforms and the leather for theirshoes; and, as in the past she had relied wholly upon the North for suchgoods, it was for a time impossible to supply the troops with even themost necessary articles.
The women throughout the States were set to work spinning and weavingrough cloth and making uniforms from it. Leather, however, cannot beproduced all at once, and indeed, with all their efforts, theConfederate authorities were never, throughout the war, able to providea sufficient supply of boots for the troops, and many a battle was wonby soldiers who fought almost barefooted, and who reshod themselves forthe most part by stripping the boots from their dead foes. Many otherarticles could not be produced in the Southern States, and theConfederates suffered much from the want of proper medicines andsurgical appliances.
For these and many other necessaries they had to depend solely upon theships which succeeded in making their way through the enemy's cruisersand running the blockade of the ports. Wine, tea, coffee, and otherimported articles soon became luxuries beyond the means of all, even thevery wealthy. All sorts of substitutes were used; grain, roasted andground, being chiefly used as a substitute for coffee. Hitherto theSouth had been principally occupied in raising cotton and tobacco,depending chiefly upon the North for food; and it was necessary now toabandon the cultivation of products for which they had no sale, and todevote the land to the growth of maize and other crops for food.
By the time that the long period of inaction came to a close, Vincenthad completely recovered his strength, and was ready to rejoin the ranksas soon as the order came from Colonel Stuart, who had promised to sendfor him directly there was a prospect of active service.
One of Vincent's first questions, as soon as he became convalescent, waswhether a letter had been received from Tony. It had come, he was told,among the last batch of letters that crossed the frontier before theoutbreak of hostilities, and Mrs. Wingfield had, as he had requested,opened it. As had been arranged, it had merely contained Tony's addressat a village near Montreal; for Vincent had warned him to say nothing inthe letter, for there was no saying, in the troubled times which wereapproaching when Tony left, into whose hands it might fall.
Vincent had, before starting, told his mother of the share he had takenin getting the negro safely away, and Mrs. Wingfield, brought up, as shehad been, to regard those who assisted runaway slaves to escape in thesame light as those who assisted to steal any other kind of property,was at first greatly shocked when she heard that her son had taken partin such an enterprise, however worthy of compassion the slave might be,and however brutal the master from whose hands he had fled. However, asVincent was on the point of starting for the war to meet danger, andpossibly death, in the defense of Virginia, she had said little, andthat little was in reference rather to the imprudence of the course hehad taken than to what she regarded in her own mind as its folly, andindeed its criminality.
She had, however, promised that as soon as Tony's letter arrived shewould, if still possible, forward Dinah and the child to him, supplyingher with money for the journey, and giving her the papers freeing herfrom slavery which Vincent had duly signed in the presence of a justice.When the letter came, however, it was already too late. Fighting was onthe point of commencing, all intercourse across the border was stopped,the trains were all taken up for the conveyance of troops, and even aman would have had great difficulty in passing northward, while for anunprotected negress with a baby such a journey would have beenimpossible.
Mrs. Wingfield had therefore written four times at fortnightly intervalsto Tony, saying that it was impossible to send Dinah off at present, butthat she should be dispatched as soon as the troubles were over, uponreceipt of another letter from him saying that his address wasunchanged, or giving a new one. These letters were duly posted, and itwas probable that one or other of them would in time reach Tony, asmails were sent off to Europe, whenever an opportunity offered for themto be taken by a steamer running the blockade from a Southern port.Dinah, therefore, still remained at the Orangery. She was well andhappy, for her life there was a delightful one indeed after her toil andhardship at the Jacksons'; and although she was anxious to join herhusband, the knowledge that he was well and safe from all pursuit, andthat sooner or later she would join him with her child, was sufficientto make her perfectly contented.
During Vincent's illness she had been his most constant attendant; forher child now no longer required her care, and passed much of its timedown at the nursery, where the young children of the slaves were lookedafter by two or three aged negresses past active work. She had thereforebegged Mrs. Wingfield to be allowed to take her place by the bedside ofher young master, and, after giving her a trial, Mrs. Wingfield found herso quiet, gentle, and patient that she installed her there, and was ableto obtain the rest she needed, with a feeling of confidence that Vincentwould be well attended to in her absence.
When Vincent was well enough to be about again, his sisters weresurprised at the change that had taken place in him since he had starteda few months before for the war. It was not so much that he had grown,though he had done so considerably, but that he was much older in mannerand appearance. He had been doing man's work,--work requiring vigilance,activity, and courage,--and they could no longer treat him as a boy. Ashe became stronger he took to riding about the plantation; but not uponWildfire, for his horse was still with the troop,
Colonel Stuart havingpromised to see that the animal was well cared for, and that no oneshould ride upon it but himself.
"I hope you like Jonas Pearson better than you used to do, Vincent,"Mrs. Wingfield said a day or two before he started to rejoin his troop.
"I can't say I do, mother," he replied shortly. "The man is very civilto me now--too civil, in fact; but I don't like him, and I don't believehe is honest. I don't mean that he would cheat you, though he may do sofor anything I know; but he pretends to be a violent Secessionist,which, as he comes from Vermont, is not natural, and I imagine he wouldsing a different tune if the bluecoats ever get to Richmond. Still Ihave nothing particular to say against him, except that I don't likehim, and I don't trust him. So long as everything goes on well for theConfederacy I don't suppose it matters, but if we should ever get theworst of it you will see that fellow will be mischievous.
Map--THE COUNTRY BETWEEN RICHMOND AND FORT MONROE.]
"However, I hear that he has obeyed your orders, and that there has beenno flogging on the estate since I went away. In fact, as far as I cansee, he does not keep anything like such a sharp hand over the slaves ashe used to do; and in some of the fields the work seems to be done in avery slovenly way. What his game is I don't know; but I have no doubtwhatever that he has some game in his mind."
"You are a most prejudiced boy," Mrs. Wingfield said, laughing. "Firstof all the man is too strict, and you were furious about it; now youthink he is too lenient, and at once you suspect he has what you call agame of some sort or other on. You are hard to please, indeed."
Vincent smiled. "Well, as I told you once before, we shall see. I hope Iam wrong, and that Pearson is all that you believe him to be. I own thatI may be prejudiced against him, but nothing will persuade me that itwas not from him that Jackson learned that Dinah was here, and it was tothat we owe the visit of the sheriff and the searching the plantationfor Tony. However, whatever the man is at heart, he can, as far as Isee, do you no injury as long as things go on as they are, and Isincerely trust he will never have an opportunity of doing so."
During the winter Vincent had made the acquaintance of many of theSouthern leaders. The town was the center of the movement, the heart ofthe Confederacy. It was against it, as the capital of the SouthernStates, that the efforts of the Northerners were principally directed,and to it flocked the leading men from all parts of the country.Although every Virginian family had some of its members at the front,and a feeling of anxiety reigned everywhere, a semblance of gayety waskept up. The theater was opened, and parties and balls given in order tokeep up the spirits of the people by the example of those of higherrank.
These balls differed widely in appearance from those of eighteen monthsbefore. The gentlemen were almost all in uniform, and already calicoesand other cheap fabrics were worn by many of the ladies, as foreigndress materials could no longer be purchased. Mrs. Wingfield made apoint of always attending these entertainments with her daughters, whichto the young people afforded a cheerful break in the dullness andmonotony of their usual life; for owing to the absence of almost all theyoung men with the army, there had been a long cessation of the pleasantinterchange of visits, impromptu parties, and social gatherings that hadformed a feature in the life of Virginia.
The balls would have been but dull affairs had only the residents ofRichmond been present; but leave was granted as much as possible toofficers stationed with regiments within a railway run of the town, andas these eagerly availed themselves of the change from the monotony ofcamp life, the girls had no reason to complain of want of partners.Here, and at the receptions given by President Davis, Vincent met allthe leaders of the Confederacy, civil and military. Many of them hadbeen personal friends of the Wingfields before the Secession movementbegan, and among them was General Magruder, who commanded the troopsround Richmond.
Early in the winter the general had called at the Orangery. "We aregoing to make a call upon the patriotism of the planters of thisneighborhood, Mrs. Wingfield," he said, during lunch time. "You see ourarmies are facing those of the Federals opposite Washington, and canoffer a firm front to any foe marching down from the North; butunfortunately they have command of the sea, and there is nothing toprevent their embarking an army on board ship and landing it in eitherthe James or the York rivers, and in that case they might make a rushupon Richmond before there would be time to bring down troops to ouraid. I am therefore proposing to erect a chain of works between the tworivers, so as to be able to keep even a large army at bay untilre-enforcements arrive; but to do this a large number of hands will berequired, and we are going to ask the proprietors of plantations toplace as many negroes as they can spare at our disposal."
"There can be no doubt as to the response your quest will meet with,general. At present we have scarcely enough work for our slaves to do. Iintend to grow no tobacco next year, for it will only rot in thewarehouse, and a comparatively small number of hands are required toraise corn crops. I have about a hundred and seventy working hands onthe Orangery, and shall be happy to place a hundred at your disposal foras long a time as you may require them. If you want fifty more, you canof course have them. Everything else must at present give way to thegood of the cause."
"I thank you much, Mrs. Wingfield, for your offers, and will put yourname down the first on the list of contributors."
"You seem quite to have recovered now," he said to Vincent a few minutesafterward.
"Yes; I am ashamed of staying here so long, general. But I feel somepain at times; and as there is nothing doing at the front, and my doctorsays that it is of importance I should have rest as long as possible, Ihave stayed on. Major Ashley has promised to recall me as soon as thereis a prospect of active work."
"I think it is quite likely that there will be active work here as soonas anywhere else," the general said. "We know pretty well what is doingat Washington, and though nothing has been decided upon, there is aparty in favor of a landing in force here; and if so, we shall have hotwork. What do you say? If you like, I will get you a commission andappoint you one of my aids-de-camp. Your knowledge of the country willmake you useful, and as Ashley has specially mentioned your name in oneof his dispatches, you can have the commission by asking for it.
"If there is to be fighting round here, it will be of more interest toyou defending your own home than in taking part in general engagementsfor the safety of the State. It will, too, enable you to be a good dealat home; and although, so far, the slaves have behaved extremely well,there is no saying exactly what may happen if the Northerners come amongus. You can rejoin your own corps afterward, you know, if nothing comesof this."
Vincent was at first inclined to decline the offer, but his mother andsisters were so pleased at having him near them that he finally acceptedwith thanks, being principally influenced by the general's lastargument, that possibly there might be trouble with the slaves in theevent of a landing in the James Peninsula by the Northerners. A few dayslater there came an official intimation that he had received acommission in the cavalry, and had at General Magruder's request beenappointed to his staff, and he at once entered upon his new duties.
Fortress Monroe, at the entrance of Hampton Roads, was still in thehands of the Federals, and a large Federal fleet was assembled here, andwas only prevented from sailing up the James River by the _Merrimac_, asteamer which the Confederates had plated with railway iron. They hadalso constructed batteries upon some high bluffs on each side of theriver. In a short time 5000 negroes were set to work erecting batteriesupon the York River at Yorktown and Gloucester Point, and upon a line ofworks extending from Warwick upon the James River to Ship Point on theYork, through a line of wooded and swampy country intersected by streamsemptying themselves into one or other of the rivers.
This line was some thirty miles in length, and would require 25,000 mento guard it; but Magruder hoped that there would be sufficient warningof an attack to enable re-enforcements to arrive in time to raise hisown command of about 10,000 men to that strengt
h. The negroes workedcheerfully, for they received a certain amount of pay from the State;but the work was heavy and difficult, and different altogether to thatwhich they were accustomed to perform. The batteries by the sides of therivers made fair progress, but the advance of the long line of worksacross the peninsula was but slow. Vincent had, upon receiving hisappointment, written at once to Major Ashley, sending his letter by Dan,who was ordered to bring back Wildfire. Vincent stated that, had heconsulted his personal feeling, he should have preferred remaining inthe ranks of his old corps; but that, as the fighting might be close tohis home, and there was no saying what might be the behavior of theslave population in the event of a Northern invasion, he had, for thesake of his mother and sisters, accepted the appointment, but as soon asthe danger was over he hoped to rejoin the corps and serve under hisformer commander.
Dan, on his return with Wildfire, brought a letter from the major sayingthat, although he should have been glad to have had him with him, hequite agreed with the decision at which he had, under the circumstances,arrived. Vincent now took up his quarters at the camp formed a shortdistance from the city, and much of his time was spent in riding to andfrom the peninsula, seeing that the works were being carried outaccording to the plan of the general, and reporting upon the manner inwhich the contractors for the supply off food to the negroes at workthere performed their duties. Sometimes he was away for two or threedays upon this work; but he generally managed once or twice a week toget home for a few hours.
The inhabitants of Richmond and its neighborhood were naturally greatlyinterested in the progress of the works for their defense, and partieswere often organized to ride or drive to Yorktown, or to the batterieson the James River, to watch the progress made. Upon one occasionVincent accompanied his mother and sisters, and a party of ladies andgentlemen from the neighboring plantations, to Drury's Bluff, where anintrenched position named Fort Darling had been erected, andpreparations made to sink vessels across the river, and close it againstthe advance of the enemy's fleet, should any misfortune happen to the_Merrimac_.
Several other parties had been made up, and each brought provisions withthem, General Magruder and some of his officers received them upon theirarrival, and conducted them over the works. After this the whole partysat down to a picnic meal on the ground, and no stranger could haveguessed that the merry party formed part of a population threatened withinvasion by a powerful foe. There were speeches and toasts, all of apatriotic character, and General Magruder raised the enthusiasm to thehighest point by informing them that in a few days--the exact day was asecret, but it would be very shortly--the _Merrimac_, or, as she hadbeen rechristened, the _Virginia_, would put out of Norfolk Harbor, andsee what she could do to clear Hampton Roads of the fleet that nowthreatened them. As they were riding back to Richmond the general saidto Vincent:
"I will tell you a little more than I told the others, Wingfield. Ibelieve the _Merrimac_ will go out the day after to-morrow. I wish Icould get away myself to see the affair; but, unfortunately, I cannot doso. However, if you like to be present, I will give you three days'leave, as you have been working very hard lately. You can start earlyto-morrow, and can get down by train to Norfolk in the evening. I shouldadvise you to take your horse with you, and then you can ride in themorning to some spot from which you will get a fair view of the Roads,and be able to see what is going on."
"Thank you very much, sir," Vincent said. "I should like it immensely."
The next morning Vincent went down to Norfolk. Arriving there, he foundthat, although there was a general expectation that the _Merrimac_would shortly go out to try her strength with the enemy, nothing wasknown of the fact that the next morning had been fixed for theencounter; the secret being kept to the last, lest some spy or adherentof the North might take the news to the fleet. After putting up hishorse Vincent went down to the navy yard, off which the _Merrimac_ waslying.
This ship had been sunk by the Federals when, at the commencement ofhostilities, they had evacuated Norfolk. Having been raised by theConfederates, the ship was cut down, and a sort of roof covered withiron was built over it, so that the vessel presented the appearance of ahuge sunken house. A ram was fixed to her bow, and she was armed withten guns. Her steam-power was very insufficient for her size, and shecould only move through the water at the rate of five knots an hour.
"She is an ugly-looking thing," a man observed to Vincent, as he gazedat the ship.
"Frightfully ugly," Vincent agreed. "She may be a formidable machine inthe way of fighting, but one can scarcely call her a ship."
"She is a floating battery, and if they tried their best to turn out theugliest thing that ever floated they could not have succeeded better.She is just like a Noah's ark sunk down to the eaves of her roof."
"Yes, she is a good deal like that," Vincent agreed. "The very look ofher ought to be enough to frighten the Federals, even if she did nothingelse."
"I expect it will not be long before she gives them a taste of herquality," the man said. "She has got her coal and ammunition on board,and there's nothing to prevent her going out this evening if she wantsto."
"It will be worth seeing when she does go out to fight the Northerners,"Vincent said. "It will be a new experiment in warfare, and, if she turnsout a success, I suppose all the navies in the world will be taking tocover themselves up with iron."
The next morning, which was the 8th of March,--a date forever memorablein naval annals,--smoke was seen pouring out from the funnels of the_Merrimac_, and there were signs of activity on board the _PatrickHenry_, of six guns, and the _Jamestown_, _Raleigh_, _Beaufort_, and_Teazer_, little craft carrying one gun each, and at eleven o'clock theyall moved down the inlet on which Norfolk is situated. The news that the_Merrimac_ was going out to attack the enemy had now spread, and thewhole population of Norfolk turned out and hastened down toward themouth of the inlet on horseback, in vehicles, or on foot, while Vincentrode to the batteries on Sewell's Point, nearly facing Fortress Monroe.
He left his horse at a farmhouse a quarter of a mile from the battery;for Wildfire was always restless under fire, and it was probable thatthe batteries would take a share in the affair. At one o'clock some ofthe small Federal lookout launches were seen to be at work signaling, abustle could be observed prevailing among the large ships over by thefortress, and it was evident that the _Merrimac_ was now visible to themas she came down the inlet. The _Cumberland_ and _Congress_ men-of-warmoved out in that direction, and the _Minnesota_ and the _St. Lawrence_,which were at anchor, got under way, assisted by steam tugs.
The _Merrimac_ and the fleet of little gunboats were now visible fromthe battery, advancing against the _Cumberland_ and _Congress_. Theformer opened fire upon her at a distance of a mile with the heavy pivotguns, but the _Merrimac_, without replying, continued her slow andsteady course toward them. She first approached the _Congress_, and asshe did so a puff of smoke burst, from the forward end of herpent-house, and the water round the _Congress_ was churned up by a hailof grape-shot. As they passed each other both vessels fired a broadside.The officers in the fort, provided with glasses, could see the effect ofthe _Merrimac's_ fire in the light patches that showed on the side ofthe _Congress_, but the _Merrimac_ appeared entirely uninjured. She nowapproached the _Cumberland_, which poured several broadsides into her,but altogether without effect.
The _Merrimac_, without replying, steamed straight on and struck the_Cumberland_ with great force, knocking a large hole in her side, nearthe water line. Then backing off, she opened fire upon her.
For half an hour the crew of the _Cumberland_ fought with great bravery.The ships lay about three hundred yards apart, and every shot from the_Merrimac_ told on the wooden vessel. The water was pouring in throughthe breach. The shells of the _Merrimac_ crushed in through her side,and at one time set her on fire; but the crew worked their guns untilthe vessel sank beneath their feet. Some men succeeded in swimming toland, which was not far distant, others were saved by small boats fromthe s
hore, but nearly half of the crew of 400 men were either killed inaction or drowned.
The _Merrimac_ now turned her attention to the _Congress_, which wasleft to fight the battle alone, as the _Minnesota_ had got aground, andthe _Roanoke_ and _St. Lawrence_ could not approach near enough torender them assistance from their draught of water. The _Merrimac_poured broadside after broadside into her, until the officer in commandand many of the crew were killed. The lieutenant who succeeded to thecommand, seeing there was no prospect of help, and that resistance washopeless, hauled down the flag. A gunboat was sent alongside, withorders that the crew should leave the _Congress_ and come on board, asthe ship was to be burned. But the troops and artillery lining the shorenow opened fire on the little gunboat, which consequently hauled off.The _Merrimac_, after firing several more shells into the _Congress_,moved away to attack the _Minnesota_, and the survivors of the 200 menwho composed the crew of the _Congress_ were conveyed to shore in smallboats. The vessel was set on fire either by her own crew or the shellsof the _Merrimac_, and by midnight blew up.
Owing to the shallowness of the water the _Merrimac_ could not get nearenough to the _Minnesota_ to use her own small guns to advantage, andthe gunboat was driven off by the heavy ten-inch gun of the Federalfrigate, and, therefore, at seven o'clock the _Merrimac_ and herconsorts returned to Norfolk. The greatest delight was felt on shore atthe success of the engagement, and on riding back to Norfolk Vincentlearned that the ram would go out again next morning to engage the restof the Federal fleet.
She herself had suffered somewhat in the fight. Her loss in men was onlytwo killed and eight wounded; but two of her guns had the muzzles shotoff, the armor was damaged in some places, and, most serious of all, shehad badly twisted her ram in running into the _Cumberland_. Still itappeared that she was more than a match for the rest of the Federalfleet, and that these must either fly or be destroyed.
As the general had given him three days' leave, Vincent was able to stayto see the close of the affair, and early next morning again rode downto Sewell's Point, as the _Merrimac_ was to start at daybreak. At sixo'clock the ironclad came out from the river and made for the_Minnesota_, which was still aground. The latter was seen to run up asignal, and the spectators saw an object which they had not beforeperceived coming out as if to meet the ram. The glasses were directedtoward it, and a general exclamation of surprise was heard.
"What is the thing? It looks like a raft with two round turrets upon it,and a funnel." A moment's consideration, and the truth burst upon them.It was the ship they had heard of as building at New York, and which hadbeen launched six weeks before. It was indeed the _Monitor_, which hadarrived during the night, just in time to save the rest of the Federalfleet. She was the first regular ironclad ever built. She was a turretship, carrying two very heavy guns, and showing only between two andthree feet above the water.
The excitement upon both shores as these adversaries approached eachother was intense. They moved slowly, and not until they were within ahundred yards distance did the _Monitor_ open fire, the _Merrimac_replying at once. The fire for a short time was heavy and rapid, thedistance between the combatants varying from fifty to two hundred yards.The _Monitor_ had by far the greatest speed, and was much more easilyturned than the Confederate ram, and her guns were very much heavier,and the _Merrimac_, while still keeping up the fight, made toward themouth of the river.
Suddenly she turned and steamed directly at the _Monitor_, and beforethe latter could get out of her way struck her on the side; but the ramwas bent, and her weak engines were insufficient to propel her with thenecessary force. Consequently she inflicted no damage on the _Monitor_,and the action continued, the turret ship directing her fire at the ironroof of the ram, while the latter pointed her guns especially at theturret and pilot-house of the _Monitor_. At length, after a battle whichhad lasted six hours, the _Monitor_ withdrew, one of the plates of herpilot house being seriously damaged and her commander injured in theeyes.
When her foe drew off the _Merrimac_ steamed back to Norfolk. There wereno men killed in either battle, and each side claimed a victory; theFederals upon the ground that they had driven off the _Merrimac_, theConfederates because the _Monitor_ had retreated from the fight. Eachvessel, however, held the strength of the other in respect; the_Monitor_ remaining as sentinel over the ships and transports atFortress Monroe, while the _Merrimac_ at Norfolk continued to guard theentrance into the James River.
As soon as the fight was over Vincent Wingfield, greatly pleased that hehad witnessed so strange and interesting a combat, rode back to Norfolk,and the same evening reached Richmond, where his description of thefight was received with the greatest interest and excitement.
