The quotations above are from John Taylor Wood’s story of the action, as printed in the _Century Magazine_, and Wood was a lieutenant on the _Merrimac_. There is no dispute as to the facts which he there relates. The points especially worth observing in this account are these: The government batteries on shore continued their fire at the Confederates after the _Congress_ showed the white flag, and this fire killed friend and foe alike. The commanding officer of the _Congress_ “was _directed_ by Lieutenant Parker to return to his ship and have the wounded transferred,” and the Confederate “gunboats were obliged to haul off with only thirty prisoners, leaving Lieutenant Pendergrast” on the _Congress_. Captain Buchanan’s report of the fight says that the firing on the Confederate gunboats was “vile treachery”; and Scharf’s history says that “very great indignation was felt and expressed by the Confederates,” because the officers of the _Congress_ who had surrendered did not hasten on board the last Confederate gunboat leaving the side of the surrendered ship. It says their remaining on the _Congress_ was “to the discredit of the honor of American sailors.” Admiral Porter says, regarding Buchanan’s firing red-hot shot at the _Congress_ when the white flag was flying and many wounded as well as the unhurt were on board, “this was certainly most inhuman, since the crew of the _Congress_ were not responsible for the act of the troops on shore.” It was a right fierce battle, and the things done were inevitable under the circumstances--inevitable because of the passions excited by actual conflict. If another battle of the kind be conceivable, then just such doings must follow in its wake. In after years Secretary of the Navy Welles wrote an account of the effect this first raid of the _Merrimac_ had upon a Cabinet meeting at Washington. Because it showed a lamentable ignorance of the real power of the ship, and because the losses of the day were wholly due to needless delays in preparing to meet the new style of warship, it is worth while quoting one paragraph from his article: “‘The _Merrimac_,’ said Stanton, ‘will change the whole character of the war; she will destroy, _seriatim_, every naval vessel; she will lay all the cities on the seaboard under contribution. I shall immediately recall Burnside; Port Royal must be abandoned. I will notify the governors and municipal authorities in the North to take instant measures to protect their harbors.’ He had no doubt, he said, that the monster was at this moment on her way to Washington; and, looking out of the window, which commanded a view of the Potomac for many miles, ‘Not unlikely, we shall have a shell or cannon-ball from one of her guns in the White House before we leave this room.’ Mr. Seward, usually buoyant and self-reliant, overwhelmed with the intelligence, listened in responsive sympathy to Stanton, and was greatly depressed, as, indeed, were all the members.”