Changes

The commanding officer of ''Congress'', Lieutenant Joseph Smith, Jr., signaled to ''Zouave'' to tow the frigate into the shallow water near the shore; he knew the deep draft of ''Virginia'' would prevent her from reaching the frigate there.  However, Buchanan saw this and went after both, firing round after round into the ship's stern.  Then ''Congress'' ran aground at an angle preventing all but two of her 50 guns to be useful; Buchanan would soon put these out of action.  Then a shot killed Smith, and seeing how helpless the ship was, the executive officer ran up a white flag.  As Buchanan sent out boats to accept the surrender, the shore batteries continued to fire, and a sharpshooter put a bullet in his thigh.  Badly wounded, Buchanan ordered ''Congress'' set on fire by hot shot, cannonballs heated red-hot prior to loading in the guns.  As Buchanan was carried below, his executive officer, Lieutenant Catesby Jones, took over command (TL 3, pg. 56).

The commanding officer of ''Congress'', Lieutenant Joseph Smith, Jr., signaled to ''Zouave'' to tow the frigate into the shallow water near the shore; he knew the deep draft of ''Virginia'' would prevent her from reaching the frigate there.  However, Buchanan saw this and went after both, firing round after round into the ship's stern.  Then ''Congress'' ran aground at an angle preventing all but two of her 50 guns to be useful; Buchanan would soon put these out of action.  Then a shot killed Smith, and seeing how helpless the ship was, the executive officer ran up a white flag.  As Buchanan sent out boats to accept the surrender, the shore batteries continued to fire, and a sharpshooter put a bullet in his thigh.  Badly wounded, Buchanan ordered ''Congress'' set on fire by hot shot, cannonballs heated red-hot prior to loading in the guns.  As Buchanan was carried below, his executive officer, Lieutenant Catesby Jones, took over command (TL 3, pg. 56).

Jones then made a heading for ''Minnesota'', which struggled to get herself off a shoal she had run aground on.  By now, the pilots on ''Virginia'' had made a case to Jones they they themselves would run aground as a result of an ebb tide, and the sun was going down.  Reluctantly, Jones abandoned the attack and headed back to Norfolk, intending to finish the battle in the morning (TL 3, pg. 57).

Jones then made a heading for ''Minnesota'', which struggled to get herself off a shoal she had run aground on.  By now, the pilots on ''Virginia'' had made a case to Jones they themselves would run aground as a result of an ebb tide, and the sun was going down.  Reluctantly, Jones abandoned the attack and headed back to Norfolk, intending to finish the battle in the morning (TL 3, pg. 57).

====Effect on Washington====

====Effect on Washington====

The following morning, as news of the disaster was telegraphed north, President Lincoln called an emergency meeting of his cabinet.  Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton was worried.  "The ''Merrimac'' will change the whole course of the war," he declared.  "She will destroy, seriatum, every naval vessel; she will lay all the cities on the seaboard under contribution."  Afterwards, he would fire off telegrams to the governors of all the states which shared the seacoast: "MAN YOUR GUNS. BLOCK YOUR HARBORS. THE MERRIMAC IS COMING!" (TL 3, pg. 57)

The following morning, as news of the disaster was telegraphed north, President Lincoln called an emergency meeting of his cabinet.  Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton was worried.  "The ''Merrimac'' will change the whole course of the war," he declared.  "She will destroy, seriatum, every naval vessel; she will lay all the cities on the seaboard under contribution."  Afterwards, he would fire off telegrams to the governors of all the states which shared the seacoast: "MAN YOUR GUNS. BLOCK YOUR HARBORS. THE MERRIMAC IS COMING!" (TL 3, pg. 57)