THE "MONITOR" THE "MERRIMAC"
THE ENCOUNTER AT SHORT RANGE, MARCH 9, 1862.
THE MONITOR
AND
THE MERRIMAC
BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY
TOLD BY
LIEUT. J.L. WORDEN, U.S.N.
LIEUT. GREENE, U.S.N.
OF THE MONITOR
AND
H. ASHTON RAMSAY, C.S.N.
CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE MERRIMAC
ILLUSTRATED
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
MCMXII
COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY HARPER & BROTHERS
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
PUBLISHED MARCH, 1912
CONTENTS
Introduction
- The Monitor and the Merrimac
Told by Lieutenant Worden and Lieutenant S.D.Greene of the Monitor - The Merrimac and the Monitor
Told by H. Ashton Ramsay, Major C.S.A.,
Chief Engineer of the Merrimac - The Last of the Monitor
By an eye-witness, Rear-Admiral E.W. Watson,U.S.N.
INTRODUCTION
This is the first-hand story of what was done and seen and felt on eachside in the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac. The actualexperiences on both vessels are pictured, in one case by the commanderof the Monitor, then a lieutenant, and the next in rank, LieutenantGreene, and in the other by Chief-Engineer Ramsay of the Merrimac.Clearly such a record of personal experiences has a place by itself inthe literature of the subject.
It is quite unnecessary to dwell upon the various controversies whichthis battle has involved. As to the first use of armor, we know thatFrance experimented with floating armored batteries in the Crimean War,and England had armored ships before 1862. As to the invention of themovable turret, which has been a bone of contention, the pages ofColonel Church's Life of John Ericsson and other books are open to thecurious. The struggle of Ericsson to obtain official recognition, theraising of money, the hasty equipment of the Monitor, and therestraining orders under which she fought form a story supplementary tothe battle, but of peculiar interest. The Monitor was ordered to acton the defensive. It was her mission first to protect the wooden ships.That explains certain misconceptions of her cautious attitude. And thefact that the powder charges for her Dahlgren guns were officiallylimited to fifteen pounds, although thirty and even fifty pounds wereused with safety afterward, invites speculation upon the results if shehad fought with a free hand.
But the main result was reached. The Union fleet was saved. The careerof the Merrimac was checked. No Union vessel was destroyed after theMonitor appeared. It seems proper to note these facts here, in view ofthe fact that Mr. Ramsay's fresh and striking story of the Merrimac,which is presented for the first time, enters upon the details of thebattle more fully than the narrative of Lieutenant Worden