JACKSON'S OPERATIONS IN THE SHENANDOAH. was made on a Confederate force at Bloomery Gap, when several officers and 75 men were captured. On February 24 Colonel John W. Geary, of Banks' command, crossed the Potomac and took possession of Harper's Ferry. The heights being secure, a strong force occupied Charlestown on the 28th on the advance to Winchester. On March 3 Martinsburg, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was occupied, and Smithfield on the 6th. The enemy in the direction of Winchester were evidently falling back, and it was expected that a stand would be made at that place by Jackson. On the 11th Jackson evacuated Winchester, which was immediately occupied by Union troops under Generals Charles S. Hamilton and Williams. General James Shields now quartered his brigade at Winchester, which place was made the headquarters of General N. P. Banks. The left flank of the Confederates being threatened, they hastened their retirement along the entire line from Aquia Creek to the Shenandoah. Aware that he stood in jeopardy, the Confederate general prepared to move his forces out of Manassas to a more secure position. Beginning his preparations on February 22, he commenced the retreat on March 7, and four days later had his army safely on the south bank of the Rappahannock River. Constantly expecting an attack, he deemed it impossible to remove all the property accumulated at Manassas Junction, and therefore a large amount of 149 clothes, blankets, baggage, stores and provisions was burned. On Sunday evening, March 9, McClellan heard of Johnston's movement and immediately gave orders for the occupation of Centerville and Manassas. When the Union army occupied these places they found that they had been confronting phantom ordnance and soldiers. Being deficient in artillery, Johnston had made rough wooden imitations of guns (Quaker guns) which were exhibited to give the idea of immense strength in the artillery branch. The whole business took on a tinge of the ludicrous. For months McClellan had been moving cautiously against a supposedly large army well supplied with artillery, but when Manassas was occupied he found that he had been hoodwinked. On Sunday, March 9, the day that the news of the evacuation of Manassas reached Washington, the President received word of the havoc wrought by the Confederate ironclad Merrimac in Hampton Roads. It will be remembered that, when the Confederates attacked the Norfolk navy yard, the steamer Merrimac was scuttled and abandoned by McCauley. Subsequently the Confederates raised and converted her into an ironclad, cutting down her hull and placing a bomb-proof covering of raw iron over her main deck. Her bow and stern were sharpened and clad in steel, and a ram was added. Almost at the same 150 DESTRUCTION OF THE CUMBERLAND AND CONGRESS. drove her iron prow through the side of the Union frigate near the water line, crushing it, and poured in a terrific fire of shells. Backing clear she continued her fire, and then steered for the Congress. The Cumberland soon sank. Seeing the fate of the Cumberland the commander of the Congress ran his ship ashore to escape destruction, but from a point 150 yards astern the Merrimac raked her decks with shells until at last a hot shot set her on fire and completed her destruction. As the Cumberland sank the Confederate steamers Patrick Henry, 12, and Jamestown, 2, came out of the James River and joined the Merrimac. The Minnesota had grounded where the Merrimac could not approach within a mile, since she drew 22 feet. The firing of the latter was so bad that only one shot struck the frigate, and the other Confederate vessels were driven off after inflicting much damage with their rifled guns. The Merrimac then returned to Norfolk. More than half the crew of the Cumberland were lost and the crew of the Congress were made prisoners, but with the exception of the officers were released. The total loss was about 250, whereas the Confederate loss was nominal. This battle ended the day of wooden navies. Telegraphic news of these events reached Washington the next day and created tremendous consternation, since the wooden frigates were impotent against this new engine of destruction. But long before the news THE MERRIMAC AND MONITOR. arrived in Washington a strange craft quietly slipped into the waters of Hampton Roads and at 2 o'clock on the morning of the 9th anchored alongside the Minnesota. This was the Monitor, which, after barely escaping shipwreck twice on her voyage from New York, had arrived to save the day for the North.* The Monitor was of 1,255 tons displacement whereas the Merrimac was of 3,200 tons. The Merrimac was armed with two 7-inch and two 6-inch rifles, and six 9-inch smooth bores, while the Monitor had only two 11-inch Dahlgren guns in a revolving turret in the centre of her deck. At 6 o'clock on the morning of the 9th the Merrimac approached to complete the work begun on the previous day. Steering directly for the Minnesota, the Merrimac began to fire but the Monitor, commanded by Lieutenant John L. Worden, swept in between the two vessels, steered directly for the Merrimac, and began firing. At close quarters the Merrimac brought her bow guns to bear, but missed. There was little to fire at except a low turret about 20 feet in diameter. first reply of the Monitor was a solid 11-inch shot which shook the Merrimac from stem to stern. The answer was a broadside, followed by others in rapid succession without producing the slightest effect on this "cheese box on a raft.' On the other hand, The Into the controversy as to whether the revolving turret was originally suggested by Theodore R. Timby or John Ericsson we cannot enter, leaving the dispute to the partisans of these men. 151 at every opportunity the Monitor struck with her 11-inch solid shot, pounding the heavy armor and straining the timbers of her adversary. Finally the Merrimac left the Monitor and crowded on steam for the Minnesota. On reaching point-blank range she received a full broadside and a shot from a 10-inch pivot gun without suffering the slightest damage. In reply she raked the Minnesota with shell, set her afire, and, but for the Monitor, which had followed under full steam and now swept between the two, the Minnesota would have shared the fate of the Congress and Cumberland. In changing position to meet the Monitor, the Merrimac grounded and the Monitor continued her hammering with 11-inch shot. As the Merrimac was floated she attempted to ram the Monitor, but her prow glanced off. She then started for the Minnesota for the purpose of ramming her, but when within easy range the Merrimac, with all the Confederate ships, changed course and headed for Norfolk. Her officers subsequently stated that, in attempting to ram the Monitor, the iron prow of the Merrimac was injured and the vessel was leaking. The armor was reported damaged, the stem twisted, the muzzles of two guns shot away, and the steam pipe and smokestack riddled. Others state that the withdrawal of the Merrimac was due to the retirement of the Monitor from the action, owing to an injury to Captain Worden. A shell from the Merrimac 152 THE BATTLE OF KERNSTOWN. struck the forward side of the pilot house directly in the sight hole and exploded, cracking the second iron log and partly lifting the top, leaving an opening. Immediately behind this spot Worden was standing and received the full force of the blow in the face. He was partly stunned and utterly blinded by the powder. This caused the Monitor to withdraw temporarily from the action. Before she returned the Merrimac had gone down the river. The Merrimac did not again engage the Monitor, and after the evacuation of Norfolk, which occurred on May 9, she was destroyed by the Confederates. The Monitor was lost in a violent gale off the coast of North Carolina December 31, 1862.* The relief of the Union government and people was great. The welcome news reached Washington the same night, changing deep anxiety to lively exultation. Lincoln at once saw clearly the immense advantage of the Monitor's victory and ordered that the vessel should not be placed in jeopardy, fearing that if she were unduly exposed some accident might *See Moore, Rebellion Record, vol. iv., Docs., p. 266 et seq.; Battles and Leaders, vol. i., pp. 692-750; Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. v., chap. xiii.; Rhodes, United States, vol. iii., pp. 608-613; Soley, The Blockade and the Cruisers; Swinton, Decisive Battles of the War; E. V. White, The First Ironclad Naval Engagement in the World (1906); Boynton, History of the Navy During the Rebellion; Duyckinck, The Late Civil War, vol. ii., p. 308 et seq.; William C. Church, Life of John Ericsson (1891); Dwight Goddard, Short Story of John Ericsson (1904); Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 282-324; Confederate Military History, vol. xii., pp. 28-54. happen. He therefore ordered that on no account should she attempt to go to Norfolk alone and should not be separated from the other vessels, but if the Merrimac came out into favorable waters they should all attack her.* On March 19 General Shields with his division at Winchester had learned that Jackson was strongly posted near Mount Jackson and resolved to draw him into a position where he could attack him to greater advantage. Shields sent his troops off toward Centreville as though beginning a retreat, but leaving Ashby's cavalry to watch the movements of the enemy. On March 22 a skirmish took place near Winchester during which Shields was badly wounded. During the night a strong force was placed in advance on the Strasburg Road in a masked position near Kernstown. The next day Jackson attacked this position and endeavored to turn Shields' left flank, but after a severe struggle was repulsed. The Union right was then attacked with but little success. E. B. Tyler's brigade attempted to carry the Confederate batteries and hurl Jackson's left flank back upon the centre. With his Stonewall brigade and other troops Jackson was finally compelled to fall back upon the reserve. He made an attack to retrieve the losses of the day but, being unsuccessful, fled in some disorder, leaving Shields in possession of the field with 232. Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. v., p. |