sixty. The loss on board the Patrick Henry being five killed and nine wounded.

The part taken by the Patrick Henry in this battle—it was a battle and not a combat—seems to have been lost sight of in consequence of the great power, as a new force in naval warfare, displayed by the Virginia, but the Federal commanders bear witness to the efficient service done by the Confederate wooden vessels. Lieutenant Commanding Pendergrast, of the Congress, reported that "the Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson (Jamestown), rebel steamers, approached us from up the James river, firing with precision and doing us great damage," and Captain Van Brunt, of the Minnesota, reported that the Patrick Henry and Jamestown "took their positions on my port bow and stern and their fire did most damage in killing and wounding men, insomuch as they fired with rifled guns."

The closing in of night having put an end to hostilities until morning, the Confederate squadrons anchored under Sewell's Point, at the mouth of the harbor of Norfolk. The crews were kept busy until a late hour of the night, making such repairs and preparations as were necessary for resuming operations in the morning. Soon after midnight a column of fire ascended in the darkness, followed by a terrific explosion—the Federal frigate Congress, which had been on fire all the evening, had blown up, the fire having reached her magazine.

Flag Officer Buchanan, having been wounded in the action, was sent to the Naval Hospital at Norfolk on the morning of the 9th, just prior to the getting under way of the squadron. The command ought, in conformity with military and naval usage, to have been formally transferred to the next senior officer of the squadron, who was Commander J.R. Tucker, of the Patrick Henry; but this obviously proper course was not followed, and Flag Officer Buchanan's flag was kept flying on board the Virginia, though he himself, in point of fact, was not and could not be in command of that vessel, or the Confederate squadron, since he was not within signal distance of either, being laid up in bed at the Norfolk Naval Hospital. Tucker did not assume command of the squadron, but simply continued to command the Patrick Henry.

At the first peep of dawn, on the morning of the 9th of March, the Confederate squadron was under way, having in view for its first object the destruction of the Minnesota, that frigate being still aground near Newport News. As the daylight increased, the Minnesota was discovered in her old position, but no longer alone and unsupported. Close alongside of her there lay such a craft as the eyes of a seaman does not delight to look upon; no masts, no smokestack, no guns—at least nothing of the sort could be seen about her. And yet the thing had a grim, pugnacious look, as if there was tremendous power of some sort inherent in her, and ready to be manifested whenever the occasion required it. The Monitor (for it was that famous vessel) promptly steamed out to meet the Virginia, as the latter vessel bore down on the Minnesota, and the celebrated combat between these iron-clads was joined immediately. It was the first action that had ever been fought between armored vessels, and as such will ever be remembered and commented upon. The combat resulted in a drawn fight as far as the Virginia and Monitor was concerned, but it established the power of iron-clad steamers as engines of war, and completely revolutionized the construction of the navies of the world.

That the combat between the Virginia and the Monitor was an indecisive action is clear. The Monitor received the most damage in the fight, and was the first to retire from it into shoal water, though the fight was afterwards renewed. On the other hand, the Virginia did not accomplish her object, which was the destruction of the Minnesota, and she did not accomplish it in consequence of the resistance offered by the Monitor. The two vessels held each other in check, the Virginia protecting Norfolk, and the Monitor doing the same for the Federal wooden fleet in Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake waters. The injuries received by the Virginia in ramming the Cumberland, on the previous day, were probably greater than those inflicted on her by the Monitor; in neither case were they severe enough to disable or force her to withdraw from action.

On her return to Norfolk harbor, the Virginia was accompanied by the Patrick Henry and the other vessels of the Confederate squadron. The Confederate wooden steamers had taken no part in the action between the Virginia and the Monitor, except to fire an occasional shot at the Monitor, as she passed, at very long range; no wooden vessel could have floated a quarter of an hour in an engagement at close quarters with either of the two iron-clads.

Flag Officer Tatnall having relieved Flag Officer Buchanan, who was incapacitated from command on account of severe wounds received in the first day's fight in Hampton Roads, and all the vessels of the squadron having been refitted, on the 13th of April the squadron again sallied out to attack the enemy. It was expected that the Monitor would be eager to renew the combat with the Virginia, and it was agreed upon that, in case the Virginia failed to capture or destroy the Federal iron-clad, an attempt should be made to carry the latter by boarding. This duty was assigned to the gunboats Beaufort and Raleigh and two other small steamers. One of these small steamers was the tender of the Norfolk Navy Yard; she was manned for the occasion by officers and men from the Patrick Henry, under the command of the executive-officer of that vessel, and was christened by the men Patrick Henry, Junior.

The Confederate squadron steamed about in Hampton Roads for two days, but the Monitor did not leave her anchorage at Fortress Monroe, her passiveness being due, it seems, to orders from Washington not to engage the Virginia unless she attempted to pass Old Point Comfort.

General J. Bankhead Magruder, commanding the Confederate Army of the Peninsula, was urgent in demanding the return of the James river squadron, and consequently the Patrick Henry and Jamestown were ordered to run by the Newport News batteries at night, and resume their old duty in James river. The Jamestown ran up the river on the 19th and the Patrick Henry on the 20th of April; the Beaufort, Raleigh and Teaser were also sent up the river; the headquarters of this detached squadron, of which Tucker was the senior officer, was at Mulberry Island, on which point rested the right flank of the Confederate Army of the Peninsula.

Up to this time the Patrick Henry was brigantine rigged, but to fit her better for running by batteries without being discovered, both of her masts were now taken out and short signal poles substituted for them.

When the Confederate authorities determined upon the evacuation of Norfolk, the James river squadron was employed to remove what public property could be saved from the Navy Yard to Richmond. The hulls of several uncompleted vessels were towed past the Federal batteries at Newport News. The running past the batteries was always done at night, moonless nights being chosen whenever it was practicable to select the time of making the trip. So far as known, the vessels employed on this service were never detected by the enemy; at least they were never fired upon.

Soon after the evacuation of Norfolk, whilst the Confederate forces