The prodigious broadsides were launched again and again, but produced no more effect than so many paper wads from a popgun.  The iron prow of the Merrimac crashed through the wooden walls of the Cumberland as if they were cardboard, and, while her crew were still heroically working their guns, the Cumberland went down, with the red flag, meaning “no surrender,” flying from her peak.  Lieutenant Morris succeeded in saving himself, but 121 were lost out of the crew of 376.

Having destroyed the Cumberland, the Merrimac now made for the Congress, which had been vainly pelting her with her broadsides.  The Congress was aground and so completely at the mercy of the Merrimac, which raked her fore and aft, that every man would have been killed had not the sign of surrender been displayed.  As it was, her commander and 100 of the crew were slain by the irresistible fire of the tremendous ironclad.

By this time the fearful spring afternoon was drawing to a close and the Merrimac labored heavily back to Sewall’s Point, intending to return on the morrow and continue her work of destruction.

The news of what the Merrimac had done was telegraphed throughout the South and North.  In the former it caused wild rejoicing and raised hope that before the resistless might of the new ironclad the North would be compelled to make terms and save her leading seacoast cities from annihilation by acknowledging the Southern Confederacy.  The national authorities were thrown into consternation.  At a special meeting of the President’s Cabinet Secretary of War Stanton expressed his belief that the Merrimac would appear in front of Washington and compel the authorities to choose between surrender and destruction, and that the principal seaports would be laid under contribution.

But at that very time the hastily completed Monitor was speeding southward under the command of Lieutenant Worden, who had risen from a sick bed to assume the duty which no one else was willing to undertake.  Her crew numbered 16 officers and 42 men, with Lieutenant S. Dana Green as executive officer.  Her voyage to Hampton Roads was difficult and of the most trying nature to the officers and crew, who were nearly smothered by gas.  The boat would have foundered had not the weather been unusually favorable, but she reached Hampton Roads on the night of March 8 and took a position beside the Minnesota, ready and eager for the terrific fray of the morrow.  The Monitor carried two 11-inch Dahlgren guns and fired solid shot.

[Illustration:  THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE “MERRIMAC” AND “MONITOR.”]