Great Naval Engagement Near Fortress Monroe

Fortress Mouroe, March 8. Tho long expooted Coufcdcrate steainor Merninac mado her appcaraucc, and ycstcrday P. M., with tho assistance of. two gnnboats which camo out with her ' fïoin Norfolk, made an attack upon Newport News, and tho naval vessels stationcd at that place. The Merrimac was first seen from the ramparts of Fortress Monroe, ou lier j way to Newport News, at about a quar ter before ono o'clock. Two rebel gunboats followed her. They all carried a rebel ilag at tLe stern, aud had a French flag at tho uiaslhcad. The Mcnimac had a fl;g a[ 'ncr bows, whieh was daacribecl by son; as a Gom modoro's blue flag, aud by others as a b!aek flag. The sidos, bow and stern of the Merrimacweroüoveredwitli sloping iron platea extending about two i'eet bclow the water line, and meeting above liko the rcof of a house. Ou her bows ou the water line are two sharp points, resembling plows, about six or Beven feet apart. Ttio dui ber of guns is stated at twelve, but she naight ut have had so many. At her bows were scen two guus protruding from elliptical port-holes. The design of the enemy did not beoomc apparent till betwecu one and two, and by that time the Minnesota had got under way to the scène of action. Tl-.o lloanoke, the flag-thip, Leing disabled by the breaking ot her shaf't some time siuce, was taken iu tow by two gunboats. About the sanie time t!ie alarm ! gun was fired at Fortress Monroe, ai;d the whole garrison promptly turned out. The rebel boats speedily pursued their way to Newport News, and the Merritnao soon turned the poiut aud was lost to view from the Fortress. The first shot was lired froin the frigate Cuml.erland, at a little past two o'clock. The Sewall's Poiut battery then opened ou the Minnesota, which was passiug, aud tho Sawyer gun, from the Hip Itaps, replied with a few shots at tíewall's Point. A tbiok smoke was seen to rise above Newport News, indicating that the battery thcre, as well as the Gumberland and Cougrtss, was engaged. The details of the action could not be seen from the Fort, but a telegraph dispatch was received announcing that the Cutnberland and Merrimac were in close quar tors, A fier iiriug two guns at the Cumbcrland, tho Merrimac struek her sharp bows, making a hole iu her at the water line, seven feet in extent. 'l'ho Cumberland cominenced siuking, when the Merrimac, backing a short distance, ran into her a second time, making another terrible hole in her, causing the water to run in at a furious rate. The Cumberland continued firing till the water entercd her port-holes, when she careened over slowly, aud fiually suuk at a-bout three o'clock. The Newport News battery aud the Cumberland üred continuously upon the Merrimac, but uo appareut eflect was produced upon her. Tho Minnesota got agrouud on the way up, and could aiford but little assistauce. Shortly before three o'elook the Yorktown and Jamestown arrived from up the James River. The former was disabled early iu the afternoon, and put in shoie for repairs. After sinking tho Cumberland, tl. e Merrimac turned her attention to the Congress, and in less thau an hour afterwards a white flag was hoisted on the Congress. A rebel gunboat immediately went alongside aud tuok the officers aud marines prisoners. Tho seamen were allowed to escape to shore. The frigate íát, Lawreuce arrived hero during tho aftcruoon, and without dropping her anchor, proceeded up the river, aud followed the example of the Minnesota aud lloanuke, iu firing ou the battery at Sewall's Point, but, like the rest, her shot feil short. The gunboat Mystic was also towed up in the afteruoon, but at sundowu tho Roanoke, St. Lawrence, aud Mystic, all returned. After four o'clock the Merrimac continued to throw shells into tho camp at Nowport News, while the Jamestown aud other rebel gunboats commenced uring on the Minnesota. The latter replied as vigorously as possible, and the conflict was coutinued without any apparent eflect until dark. DuriDg the evcning the Congress wag set ou üro, and at midnight she was blown up, makiug a terrible explosión. During the evcning the Monitor arrived, and at once proeeeded to take part in the action. Duriug the night only an oceasional gun was tircd. lteiuforcoments of men and ammunition were seut to Newport News early in the afternoon. But little serious damage was done, and no one was killed. This morning the couflict was renewed until the presence of the Monitor was known to tho Merrimac. The latter was engaged with the Miunesota, and but for the fortúnate arrival of the Monitor, the Minnesota might have been lost. The Monitor and Merrimao engaged cach other for two or three hours at lcDgth, and shot savagely without perceptible effect upon either. They went alongsidc of each other once or twice, and seemed ahuost to ruu cach other down, but they soon appeared again to reuew tho action. The Ericsson battery finally succeeded in forcing a long hole in the port sidc of the Mernraac, and she retired with the whole rebol fleet to Norfolk. At about or.o o'olook the U. S. gunboat Oregon was struek by tho Merrimac in her boiler and blown up. The U. S. gunboat Zouavc was also seriously daiuaged and was oliliged to return. The principal loss of life was on board tbc Cumberland, whero it was thougfat as many as or.ehundred nnd fiftj men must have boen killed or drowned. ' lint six livcs were lost on board tho Minnesota, according to tlio report of one of lier officers. A rebel gunbo:it was cut in two yesterday by tlic Cumbcrhmd. Tlie Merriraao is understood to Lave boen under tho command of Coiu. JBuchanan, late of the N;vy Yard. Furthcr of th& O'reat I'itjhl, Washington, March 10. Lieutenant Wise, commanding the Potomau flotilla, in his official report to the .Yivy Department, confirms the rumor of tho abnndonment oí' the rebel batterics at Cockpit Poïnt, Shipping Point, and other points along the Potomac, and also the burning of the &tcamer Page and other rebel crafts. Lieutenant Wisc arrived this afternoon, bringing dispatclies trom Fortreaa Monroe; but few par tieul ars have yet transpired, as bis interview is not closed. Tho following items are reliable : Capta iu Iladford was engaged on a coui t martial and wag not on board the Curaberlaud. Lieutenant J. IJ. Smith, sou of Gom. Sinith, vaa on board the Congro;a and is killed. Lieuteoant Worden, wbo handled the Monitor so skillfully, is here in the hands of a surgeoD. He was iu the pilot-house of the Monitor when the Merrimao directed a whole broadside at it, aud re ceived his injuries from the minute fragmenta of shells and the powder which were driveu tlirough the lookout-holes. - Lieutenant Worden was stunued by tho coticussiou and was carried away. On recoveriug, hu asked, " Have I suved the Minnesota?" The reply was, " Yes, and whipped the Merrimac," to wbioh ho answered, " Theu I don"t care what becomes of me." His injuries are not supposcd to be dangerous. The Minnesota was eveutually got off and towed undci1 the guns of Fort Monrou. The naval authofities and experts here are confident that the Mérrimas is disabled, ai:d that tlie Monitor is adequate to her in every respect. Still Further. Fortrkss Monrok, Mareh 10. The Minnesota yeslerday returned to her usual station at the entrance of the lloads. She is again rcady for action. The Monitor carne down early tliis morning, and was greeted with enthusiastic eheers by the various vessels iu tho harbor. Gun. Wool and Staft" and Assis taut Seoretary of the Navy Fox went on board tliis morning. Shc was found not to be damag d u the slightest degroe, aud is as well prepired as ever she could be for another conflict. Her perfonr.auec was perfectly satisfactory to her oflieers I and men, and they all speak of her in the higliest terms of praise. 'The gunboat WbitehaH took fire at 2 o'clock this moruing, and was totally deïtroyed. The latest estimate of the number killed on the Gongress is fifty, including throe officers, Lieut. Jo. Bmith. comïnanding, Acting Master Thomas Mooi"'", and Coast Pilot Wm. Rhodes. Captain I Wm. Smith comiuanded tho Congress until reoentlv transferred. Twenty-sevcn are reported wounded, and forty were takeu prisoaers - none of them officers. On board the Gumberland, the Rev. Mr. Las hardt, the Ghaplain, was drowued, and Mastcr's Matu ííarringtou was killej. But few of the wounded escaped to the shoro. The number of killed and wounded is about one huudred and fifty. On the Whitehall, 3d Assistant Eogineer, Andrcw Nesbit, and Kobert Waight and Charles O'Connor, seamen, were killed, aud two or three were wounded. On ihe Dragon, which reeeived a shot in i her boiler, three men were wuunded- not officers. The Williaui Whoeler reeeived a shot iu her boiler, and the liescue was damaged in her machincry. The former was towed to Baltimore by the Adelaide. The Minnesota lost six men killed and seventeen wouuded, not including anv officers so far as known. She is said to have reeeived quite a number of shots. The Roanoke reeeived but two shots, and little damage was occasioncd by them. $o casualty occurred on board except the falling of a man from aloft. It ia generally believed now that the Merrimac must havo reeeived serious damage. It is tho testimony of some that she was coüsiderably listed on one side as she went behind Sewall's Point. Tho followiug is copied from an official report of Geu. Wool, dated to-day : "Nothing of importance bas occurred to-day. The Chief Engineer of the Monitor says that three balls from that vcssel passed through the Merrimac. - The Monitor suffered very little, although she was struck twenty-three times. '