22 THE SEA. 



in their eagerness to pass up shell, that they were drowned there. The water had now 

 reached the main gun-deck, and it became evident that the contest was nearly over. Still 

 the men lingered, anxious for one last shot, when their guns were nearly under water. 



" Shall we give them a broadside, my boys, as she goes ? 



Shall we send yet another to tell, 

 In iron-tongued words, to Columbia's foes, 

 How bravely her sons say ' Farewell ? ' " 



The word was passed for each man to save himself. Even then, one man, an active 

 little fellow, named Matthew Tenney, whose courage had ,been conspicuous during the 

 action, determined to fire once more, the next gun to his own being then under water, 

 the vessel going down by the head. He succeeded, but at the cost of his life, for 

 immediately afterwards, attempting to scramble out of the port-hole, the water suddenly 

 rushed in with such force that he was washed back and drowned. Scores of poor fellows 

 were unable to reach the upper deck, and were carried down with the vessel. The Cumberland 

 sank in water up to the cross-trees, and went down with her flag still fly ing from the peak* The 

 whole number lost was not less than 120 souls. Her top-masts, with the pennant flying 

 far above the water, long marked the locality of one of the bravest and most desperate 

 defences ever made 



"By men who knew that all else was wrong 

 But to die when a sailor ought." 



The Cumberland being utterly demolished, the Merrimac turned her attention to the 

 Congress. The Southerners showed their chivalric instincts at this juncture by not firing 

 on the boats, or on a small steamer, which were engaged in picking up the survivors of 

 the Cumber 'land's crew. The officers of the Congress, seeing the fate of the Cumberland, 

 determined that the Merrimac should not, at least, sink their vessel. They therefore 

 got all sail on the ship, and attempted to run ashore. The Merrimac was soon close on them, 

 and delivered a broadside, which was terribly destructive, a shell killing, at one of the guns, 

 every man engaged except one. Backing, and then returning several times, she delivered 

 broadside after broadside at less than 100 yards' distance. The Congress replied manfully 

 and obstinately, but with little effect. One shot is supposed to have entered one of the 

 ironclad's port-holes, and dismounted a gun, as there was no further firing from that port, 

 and a few splinters of iron were struck off her sloping mailed roof, but this was all. 

 The guns of the Merrimac appeared to have been specially trained on the after-magazine 

 of the Congress, and shot after shot entered that part of the ship. Thus, slowly drifting 

 down with the current, and again steaming up, the Merrimac continued for an hour to 

 fire into her opponent. Several times the Congress was on fire, but the flames were kept 

 under. At length the ship was on fire in so many places, and the flames gathering 

 with such force, that it was hopeless and suicidal to keep up the defence any longer. 



* " Finally, after about three-fourths of an hour of the most severe fighting, our vessel sank, the Stars and 

 Stripes still waving. That flag was finally submerged ; but after the hull grounded on the sands, fifty-four feet 

 belo-.v the surface of the water, our pennant was still flying from the top mast above the waves." (The Pilot of the 

 Cumberland' s Narrative.) 



