Books: With Lee in Virginia; A Story Of The American Civil War

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"I will tell you a little more than I told the others, Wingfield. I
believe the Merrimac will go out the day after to-morrow. I wish I
could get away myself to see the affair; but, unfortunately, I cannot
do so. 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 early to-morrow, and can get down by train to Norfolk in the
evening. I should advise you to take your horse with you, and then
you can ride in the morning 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 day Vincent went down to Norfolk. Arriving there, he
found that although there was a general expectation that the
Merrimac would shortly go out to try her strength with the enemy,
nothing was known of the fact that the next morning had been
fixed for the encounter, the secret being kept to the last lest some
spy or adherent of the North might take the news to the fleet.
After putting up his horse Vincent went down to the navy yard, off
which the Merrimac was lying.

This ship had been sunk by the Federals when at the
commencement of hostilities they had evacuated Norfolk. Having
been raised by the Confederates, the ship was cut down, and a sort
of roof covered with iron was built over it, so that the vessel
presented the appearance of a huge sunken house. A ram was
fixed to her bow, and she was armed with ten guns. Her
steam-power was very insufficient for her size, and she could 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
gazed at the ship.

"Frightfully ugly," Vincent agreed. "She may be a formidable
machine in the 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 the
ugliest 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
of her ought to be enough to frighten the Federals, even if she did
nothing else."

"I expect it will not be long before she gives them a taste of her
quality," 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 wants to."

"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 turns out a success, I suppose all the navies in
the world will be taking to cover themselves up with iron."

The next morning, which was the 8th of March-a date forever
memorable in naval annals-smoke was seen pouring out from the
funnels of the Merrimac, and there were signs of activity on board
the Patrick Henry, of six guns, and the Jamestown, Raleigh,
Beaufort, and Teazer, little craft carrying one gun each, and at
eleven o'clock they all 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 the whole population of Norfolk
turned out and hastened down toward the month of tbe inlet on
horseback, in vehicles, or on foot, while Vincent rode to the
batteries on Sewell's Point, nearly facing Fort 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 that the batteries would take a share in the affair. At one
o'clock some of the small Federal lookout launches were seen to
be at work signaling, a bustle could be observed prevailing among
the large ships over by the fortress, and it was evident that the
Merrimac was visible to them as she came down the inlet. The
Cumberland and Congress men-of-war moved out in that direction,
and the Minnesota and the St. Lawrence, which were at anchor, got
under weigh, assisted by steam-tugs.

The Merrimac and the fleet of little gunboats were now visible
from the battery, advancing against the Cumberland and Congress.
The former opened fire upon her at a distance of a mile with her
heavy pivot guns, but the Merrimac, without replying, continued
her slow and steady course toward them. She first approached the
Congress, and as she did so a puff of smoke burst from the forward
end of her pent-house, and the water round the Congress was
churned up by a hail of grape-shot. As they passed each other both
vessels fired a broadside. The officers in the fort, provided with
glasses, could see the effect of the Merrimac's fire in the light
patches that showed on the side of the Congress, but the Merrimac
appeared entirely uninjured. She now approached 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, near the 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 through the breach. The shells of the Merrimac crushed
through her side, and at one time set her on fire; but the crew
worked their guns until the vessel sank beneath their feet. Some
men succeeded in swimming to land, which was not far distant,
others were saved by small boats from the shore, but nearly half of
the crew of 400 men were either killed in action or drowned.

The Merrimac now turned her attention to the Congress, which
was left to fight the battle alone, us the Minnesota had got
aground, and the Roanoake and St. Lawrence could not approach
near enough to render them assistance from their draught of water.
The Merrimac poured broadside after broadside into her, until the
officer in command and many of the crew were killed. The
lieutenant who succeeded to the command, seeing there was no
prospect of help, and that resistance was hopeless, hauled down
the flag. A gunboat was sent alongside, with orders that the crew
should leave the Congress and come on board, as the ship was to
be burned. But the troops and artillery lining the shore now
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
men who composed the crew of the Congress were conveyed to
shore in small boats. The vessel was set on fire either by her own
crew or the shells of the Merrimac, and by midnight blew up.

Owing to the shallowness of the water the Merriruac could not get
near enough to the Minnesota to use her own small guns to
advantage, and the gunboat was driven off by the heavy ten-inch
gun of the Federal frigate, and therefore at seven o'clock the
Merrimac and her consorts returned to Norfolk. The greatest
delight was felt on shore at the success of the engagement, and on
riding back to Norfolk Vincent learned that the ram would go out
again next morning to engage the rest of the Federal fleet.

She herself had suffered somewhat in the fight. Her loss in men
was only two killed and eight wounded; but two of her guns had
the muzzles shot off, the armor was damaged in some places, and
most serious of all she had badly twisted her ram in running into
the Cumberland. Still it appeared that she was more than a match
for the rest of the Federal fleet, and that these must either fly or be
destroyed.

As the general had given him three days' leave, Vincent was able
to stay to see the close of the affair, and early next morning again
rode down to Sewell's Point, as the Merrimac was to start at
daybreak. At six o'clock the ironclad came out from the river and
made for the Minnesota, which was still aground. The latter was
seen to run up a signal, and the spectators saw an object which
they had not before perceived coming out as if to meet the ram.
The glasses were directed toward 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 had been launched six weeks before. It was
indeed the Monitor, which had arrived during the night, just in
time to save the rest of the Federal fleet. She was the first regular
ironclad ever built. She was a turret ship, carrying two very heavy
guns, and showing only between two and three feet above the
water.

The excitement upon both shores as these adversaries approached
each other was intense. They moved slowly, and not until they
were within a hundred yards distance did the Monitor open fire,
the Merrimac replying at once. The fire for a time was heavy and
rapid, the distance between the combatants varying from fifty to
two hundred yards. The Monitor had by far the greatest speed, and
was much more easily turned than the Confederate ram, and her
guns were very much heavier, and the Merrimac while still
keeping up the fight made toward the mouth of the river.

Suddenly she turned and steamed directly at the Monitor, and
before the latter could get out of her way struck her on the side;
but the ram was bent and her weak engines were insufficient to
propel her with the necessary force. Consequently she inflicted no
damage on the Monitor, and the action continued, the turret-ship
directing her fire at the iron roof of the ram, while the latter
pointed her guns especially at the turret and pilot-house of the
Monitor. At length, after a battle which had lasted six hours, the
Monitor withdrew, one of the plates of her pilot-house being
seriously damaged and her commander injured in the eyes.

When her foe drew off the Merrimac steamed back to Norfolk.
There were no men killed in either battle, and each side claimed a
victory; the Federals upon the ground that they had driven off the
Merrimac, the Confederates because the Monitor had retreated
from the fight. Each vessel however held the strength of the other
in respect, the Monitor remaining as sentinel over the ships and
transports at Fortress Monroe, while the Merrimac at Norfolk
continued to guard the entrance into the James River.

As soon as the fight was over Vincent Wingfield, greatly pleased
that he had witnessed so strange and interesting a combat, rode
back to Norfolk, and the same evening reached Richmond, where
his description of the fight was received with the greatest interest
and excitement.

OHAPTER VIIL M'CLELLAN'S ADVANCE.

IT WAS not until three weeks after the fight between the ironclads
that the great army under General McClellan arrived off Fortress
Monroe, the greater portion of the troops coming down the
Potomac in steam transports. Vast quantities of stores had been
accumulated in and around the fortress. Guns of a size never
before used in war were lying on the wharfs in readiness -to be
placed in batteries, while Hampton Roads were crowded with
transports and store vessels watched over by the Monitor and the
other war ships. McClellan's army was a large one, but not so
strong a force as he had intended to have taken with him, and as
soon as he arrived at Fortress Monroe he learned that he would not
be able to expect much assistance from the fleet. The Merrimac
completly closed the James River; and were the more powerful
vessels of the fleet to move up the York River, she would be able
to sally out and destroy the rest of the fleet and the transports.

As it was most important to clear the peninsula between the two
rivers before Magruder should receive strong reinforcements, a
portion of the troops were at once landed, and on the 4th of April
56,000 men and 100 guns disembarked and started on their march
against Yorktown. As soon as the news of the arrival of the
Northern army at Fortress Monroe reached Richmond fresh steps
were taken for the defense of the city. Magruder soon found that it
would be impossible with the force at his command to hold the
line he had proposed, and a large body of negroes and troops were
set to work to throw up defenses between Yorktown and a point on
the Warwick River thirteen and a half miles away.

A portion of this line was covered by the Warwick Creek, which
he dammed up to make it unfordable, and erected batteries to
guard the dams. Across the intervening ground a weak earthwork
with trenches was constructed, there being no time to raise
stronger works; but Magruder relied chiefly upon the swampy and
difficult nature of the country, and the concealment afforded by
the forest, which rendered it difficult for the enemy to discover the
weakness of the defenders.

He posted 6,000 men at Yorktown and Gloucester Point, and the
remaining 5,000 troops under his command were scattered along
the line of works to the Warwick River. He knew that if McClellan
pushed forward with all his force he must be successful; but he
knew also that if the enemy could but be held in check for a few
days assistance would reach him from General Johnston's army.

Fortunately for the Confederates, the weather, which had been fine
and clear during the previous week, changed on the very day that
McClellan started. The rain came down in torrents, and the roads
became almost impassable. The columns struggled on along the
deep and muddy tracks all day, and bivouacked for the night in the
forests. The next morning they resumed their march, and on
reaching the first line of intrenchments formed by the
Confederates found them deserted, and it was not until they
approached the Warwick Creek that they encountered serious
opposition. Had they pushed forward at once they would have
unquestionably captured Richmond. But McClellan's fault was
over-caution, and he believed himself opposed by a very much
larger force than that under the command of Magruder;
consequently, instead of making an attack at once he began regular
siege operations against the works on Warwick Creek and those at
Yorktown.

The delay saved Richmond. Every day reinforcements arrived,
and by the time that McClellan's army, over 100,000 strong, had
erected their batteries and got their heavy guns into position,
Magruder had been reinforced by some 10,000 men under General
Johnston, who now assumed the command, while other divisions
were hurrying up from Northern and Western Virginia. Upon the
very night before the batteries were ready to open, the
Confederates evacuated their positions and fell back, carrying with
them all their guns and stores to the Chickahominy River, which
ran almost across the peninsula at a distance of six miles only from
Richmond.

The Confederates crossed and broke down the bridges, and
prepared to make another stand. The disappointment of the
Federals was great. After ten days of incessant labor and hardship
they had only gained possession of the village of Yorktown and a
tract of low swampy country. The divisions in front pressed
forward rapidly after the Confederates; but these had managed
their plan so well that all were safely across the stream before they
were overtaken.

The dismay in Richmond had for a few days been great. Many
people left the town for the interior, taking their valuables with
them, and all was prepared for the removal of the state papers and
documents. But as the Federals went on with their fortifications,
and the reinforcements began to arrive, confidence was restored,
and all went on as before.

The great Federal army was so scattered through the forests, and
the discipline of some of the divisions was so lax that it was some
days before McClellan had them ranged in order on the
Chickahominy. Another week elapsed before he was in a position
to undertake fresh operations; but General Johnston had now four
divisions on the spot, and he was too enterprising a general to
await the attack. Consequently he crossed the Chickahominy, fell
upon one of the Federal divisions and almost destroyed it, and
drove back the whole of their left wing. The next morning the
battle was renewed, and lasted for five hours.

It was fortunate indeed for the Confederates that the right wing of
the Northern army did not, while the action was going on, cross the
river and march straight upon Richmond; but communication was
difficult from one part of the army to another, owing to the thick
forests and the swampy state of the ground, and being without
orders they remained inactive all day. The loss on their side had
been 7,000 men, while the Confederates had lost 4,500; and
General Johnston being seriously wounded, the chief command
was given to General Lee, by far the ablest soldier the war
produced. Satisfied with the success they had gained, the
Confederates fell back across the river again.

On the 4th of June, General Stuart-for he had now been promoted-
started with 1,200 cavalry and two guns, and in forty-eight hours
made one of the most adventurous reconnaissances ever
undertaken. First the force rode out to Hanover Courthouse, where
they encountered and defeated, first, a small body of cavalry, and
afterward a whole regiment. Then, after destroying the stores
there they rode round to the Pamunky, burned two vessels and a
large quantity of stores, captured a train of forty wagons, and
burned a railway bridge.

Then they passed right round the Federal rear, crossed the river,
and re-entered the city with 165 prisoners and 200 horses, having
effected the destruction of vast quantities of stores, besides
breaking up the railways and burning bridges.

Toward the end of June McClellan learned that Stonewall Jackson,
having struck heavy blows at the two greatly superior armies
which were operating against him in the valley of the Shenandoah,
had succeeded in evading them, and was marching toward
Richmond.

He had just completed several bridges across the river, and was
ahout to move forward to fight a great battle when the news
reached him. Believing that he should he opposed by an army of
200,000 men, although, in fact, the Confederate army, after
Jackson and all the available reinforcements came up, was still
somewhat inferior in strength to his own, he determined to
abandon for the present the attempt upon Richmond, and to fall
back upon the James River.

Here his ships had already landed stores for his supply, for the
river was now open as far as the Confederate defenses at Fort
Darling. Norfolk Navy Yard had been captured by the 10,000 men
who formed the garrison of Fortress Monroe. No resistance had
been offered, as all the Confederate troops had been concentrated
for the defense of Richmond. When Norfolk was captured the
Merrimac steamed out to make her way out of the river; but the
water was low, and the pilot declared that she could not be taken
up. Consequently she was set on fire and burned to the water's
edge, and thus the main obstacle to the advance of the Federal fleet
was removed.

They had advanced as far as Fort Darling and the ironclad
gunboats had engaged the batteries there. Their shot, however, did
little damage to the defenders upon the lofty bluffs, while the shot
from the batteries so injured the gunboats that the attempt to force
the passage was abandoned. While falling back to a place called
Harrison's Landing on the James River, the Federals were attacked
by the Confederates, but after desperate fighting on both sides,
lasting for five days, they succeeded in drawing off from the
Chickahominy with a loss of fifty guns, thousands of small arms,
and the loss of the greater part of their stores.

All idea of a further advance against Richmond was for the present
abandoned. President Lincoln had always been opposed to the
plan, and a considerable portion of the army was moved round to
join the force under General Pope, which was now to march upon
Richmond from the north.

From the commencement of the Federal advance to the time when,
beaten and dispirited, they regained the James River, Vincent
Wingfield had seen little of his family. The Federal lines had at
one time been withina mile of the Orangery. The slaves had some
days before been all sent into the interior, and Mrs. Wingfield and
her daughters had moved into Richmond, where they joined in the
work, to which the whole of the ladies of the town and
neighborhood devoted themselves, of attending to the wounded, of
whom, while the fighting was going on, long trains arrived every
day at the city.

Vincent himself had taken no active part in the fighting.
Magruder's division had not been engaged in the first attack upon
McClellan's force; and although it had taken a share in the
subsequent severe fighting, Vincent had been occupied in carrying
messages from the general to the leaders of the other divisions, and
had only once or twice come under the storm of fire to which the
Confederates were exposed as they plunged through the morasses
to attack the enemy. As soon as it was certain that the attack was
finally abandoned, and that McClellan's troops were being
withdrawn to strengthen Pope's army, Vincent resigned his
appointment as aide-de-camp, and was appointed to the 7th
Virginian Cavalry, stationed at Orange, where it was facing the
Federal cavalry. Major Ashley had fallen while protecting the
passage of Jackson's division when hard pressed by one of the
Federal armies in Western Virginia.

No action in the war had been more brilliant than the manner in
which Stonewall Jackson had baffled the two armies-each greatly
superior in force to his own-that had been specially appointed to
destroy him if possible, or at any rate to prevent his withdrawing
from the Shenandoah Valley and marching to aid in the defense of
the Confederate capital. His troops had marched almost day and
night, without food, and depending entirely upon such supplies as
they could obtain from the scattered farmhouses they passed.

Although Richmond was for the present safe, the prospect of the
Confederates was by no means bright. New Orleans had been
captured; the blockade of the other ports was now so strict that it
was difficult in the extreme for a vessel to make her way in or out;
and the Northerners had placed flotillas of gunboats on the rivers,
and by the aid of these were gradually making their way into the
heart of several of the States.

"Are you thinking of going out to the Orangery again soon,
mother?" Vincent asked on the evening before setting out on the
march north.

"I think not, Vincent. There is so much to do in the hospitals here
that I cannot leave. I should be ashamed to be living in luxury at
the Orangery with the girls while other women are giving up their
whole time nursing the wounded. Besides, although I do not
anticipate that after the way they have been hurled back the
Northerners will try again for some time, now they are in
possession of Harrison's Landing they can at any moment advance.
Besides, it is not pleasant being obliged to turn out of one's house
and leave everything to their mercy. I wrote yesterday to Pearson
to bring the slaves back at once and take up the work, and I shall
go over occasionally to see that everything is in order; but at any
rate for a time we will stop here."

"I think that is best, mother. Certainly I should feel more
comfortable knowing that you are all at Richmond than alone out
there."

"We should be no worse off than thousands of ladies all over the
State, Vincent There are whole districts where every white
capable of using a gun has gone to the war, leaving nothing but
women and slaves behind, and we have not heard of a single case
in which there has been trouble."

"Certainly there is no chance of trouble with your slaves, mother;
but in some of the other plantations it may not be so. At any rate
the quiet conduct of the slaves everywhere is the very best answer
that could be given to the accusations that have been made as to
their cruel treatment. At present the whole of the property of the
slaveowners throughout the Southern States is at their mercy, and
they might burn, kill, and destroy; and yet in no single instance
have they risen against what are called their oppressors, even when
the Federals have been close at hand.

Please keep your eye on Dinah, mother. I distrust; that fellow
Jackson so thoroughly that I believe him capable of having her
carried off and smuggled away somewhere down south, and sold
there if he saw a chance. I wish, instead of sending her to the
Orangery, you would keep her as one of your servants here."

"I will if you wish it, Vincent; but I cannot believe for a moment
that this Jackson or any one else would venture to meddle with any
of my slaves."

"Perhaps not, mother; but it is best to he on the safe side. Anyhow,
I shall be glad to know that she is with you. Young Jackson will
be away, for I know he is in one of Stuart's troops of horse, though
I have never happened to run against him since the war began."

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