March 9.
A day of great excitement, for beside the news of the evacuation of Leesburg and the capture of Cockpit Point battery, we have the great naval fight at Fortress Monroe. The great demon ship, the Merrimac, came down from Norfolk toward Newport News and attacked our ships Congress and Cumberland, destroying both. She split the latter in two and sank her, and burned the Congress to the water’s edge. The Minnesota meantime was aground and perfectly useless, as well as several others of our vessels.
This ended the first day’s fight—a victory for the rebels and a terrible disaster for us; but early this Sunday morning, when the Merrimac came out again, expecting to finish her little affair by defeating the Minnesota and then running out to sea, she found the new Ericsson iron-plated steamer, the “Monitor,” all ready to receive her. From 8 A. M. till noon the two fought hand to hand, their sides touching, and then the Merrimac was towed off towards Norfolk, supposed to be in a sinking condition, while the “Monitor” was unhurt. The submarine cable from Fortress Monroe was laid just in time to bring the news. The cable was finished at 4 P. M. and the news flashed over it at 7.
