A USS Monitor Christmas-- Part 4: "Black Eyes, Bloody Noses, & Battered Faces"

However, despite the good Christmas eating, the sound of war resonated across Hampton Roads, Virginia.  Not far from the Monitor, the air was filled with smoke from the reports of cannons from American, British and French ships.  No, they weren't engaged in fighting each other, this was because of salutes to each other and target practice.

Some of the Monitor's crew were fortunate to have leave to go ashore where they encountered men from the British vessels.  At first they enjoyed each others' company, but eventually that came to a close. "The parties got too much whiskey [and] a fight would have to decide who was the best man of the two," wrote Paymaster Keeler.  "There seemed to be a sort of general mass, black eyes, bloody noses, & battered faces  seeming to predominate."

Union soldiers quickly came and took the "drunken fighting sailors" to cells at Fort Monroe.

A Drunken Brawl.  --Old B-Runner