The morning wore away in peace, but at noon exactly, the crew of the Cumberland saw the long trail of smoke from steamers that were boldly coming up the channel from Norfolk. A careful lookout kept watch of that smoke until it was seen that the steamers were three in number, of which one, although it made more smoke than both the others, did not look at all like a ship, but like a low black box instead. There was no mistaking her character, however. She looked as the escaped colored people had said the new ironclad looked, and the drums beat the long call to quarters.

Over on the Congress, lying east of Newport News Point, there was a similar stir while signal flags fluttered aloft to warn the big steam frigates lying up to the northeast toward Fortress Monroe.

[(with highlighted numbers)]

Fortress Monroe and its Vicinity.

1. Old Point Comfort, 2. Fortress Monroe. 3. Water battery. 4. Hampton Roads. 5. Rip Raps. 6. Chesapeake Bay. 7. Sewell’s Point. 8. Craney Island. 9. Elizabeth River. 10. Norfolk. 11. Portsmouth. 12. Dismal Swamp. 13. Atlantic Ocean. 14. Cape Hatteras, N. C. 15. Nansemond River. 16 James River. 17. Newport News. 18. Hampton. 19. Mill Creek. 20. Land approach to Fortress.

Capt. John Marston, who was senior officer and commanded the Roanoke, reports that he had already seen the enemy coming. At 12.45 o’clock they passed Sewell’s Point, over on the south shore, and on getting out into deep water they headed away to the west toward Newport News.

The Merrimac had left Norfolk for a trial trip, but the crew had slushed her walls to make the Yankee shells slip off, and their enthusiasm made them determine to give her such a trial as no new-idea ship ever had either before or since. Running across to Newport News, the Merrimac headed for the Cumberland, that lay beyond the point. The government crews were at their quarters, and while yet the Merrimac was three-quarters of a mile away, the Cumberland’s ten-inch pivot began to talk. Then the frigate Congress opened fire. The Merrimac passed her broadside to broadside, for the Congress swung head to the east with the young flood-tide. It was an experienced crew on the Congress, and her shot rattled and burst against the Merrimac’s side—rattled and burst “like peas from a pea-shooter.” They made the slush there sizzle and smoke, but they did no damage whatever. As the Merrimac passed the Congress, however, and opened fire with her broadside, the shot struck home, carrying death on every side.

One broadside only, and then she was gone. She was going to begin on the Cumberland. Lieut. George U. Morris was in command of the Cumberland, for Capt. William Radford was away on other duty. But Morris was equal to the emergency. As the Merrimac drew near, the Cumberland’s guns were loaded with solid shot and the heaviest service charge of powder. The broadside guns were carefully aimed, and almost every shot struck the moving target—struck it and bounded clear or burst into harmless fragments. There was nothing they could do to impede the coming monster. And then, when the Merrimac was within a few yards, her long bow rifle blazed forth. It was aimed by Lieut. Charles Simms, and it killed and wounded “most of the crew of the after pivot gun of the Cumberland.”

The Cumberland returned the shot with a broadside, but the Merrimac was now upon her; the long bow, that was just awash, slid through the water and into the side of the old sloop just under the fore rigging. The crash of the timbers was heard above the roar of the guns. The Cumberland shivered and heeled slightly to the blow, while the Merrimac hung for a moment in the wound she had made, and then backed off, firing every gun that would bear, while the water went roaring into the Cumberland through the hole where the ram had struck.