(7 THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. 33 the first, the two titters felt that they must fight .at, close quarters ; but, even at a few yards distance, they seemed to be equally invulnerable. The balls rieochetted and struck without appearing to leave any trace but the very slightest bruises. Hound shot of 120 pounds, conical 100-pounders, Armstrong balls, nothing went through. Then the Merrimac, trying to take advantage of her huge mass, undertook to sink her enemy by taking her violently in flank. But she could not get sufficient way. The Monitor, short, agile, easily handled, ran up to her, ran around her, escaped her blows with a speed which the Merrimac, from her excessive length, could not attain. Nothing could be more curious than to see the two adversaries turning one about the other, the little Monitor describing the inner circle, both equally watchful for the weak point of the enemy against which to discharge at point blank one of their enormous projectiles. “It was for all the world,” said an eye-witness, “like the fight of Heenan with Sayers.” So the conflict -went on with no visible results for several hours. Once, only, the Merrimac succeeded in striking the side of the Monitor with her bows; but the Monitor whirled around under the shock like a floating shell, and a very slight indenture left upon her plating was the only damage caused by this tremendous concussion. The exhaustion of the combatants put an end to this struggle. The confederates returned to Norfolk, leaving the Monitor in possession of the field of battle. The Minnesota and the whole flotilla in Hampton Roads were saved, the pigmy had held his own against the giant. It, remained to be seen if the latter would make another effort when the stakes should be more tempting, when, instead of seeking to destroy one or two ships of war, there should be a chance of preventing the disembarkation of a whole army of invasion. These were the c rcumstances in which I arrived at Fortress Monroe. Soon the Roads were filled with vessels coming 3
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