Posted on Mar 9, 2016
U.S.S. Monitor battles C.S.S. Virginia - Mar 09, 1862 - HISTORY.com
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On this day in 1862, one of the most famous naval battles in American history occurs as two ironclads,the U.S.S.Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginiafight to a draw off Hampton Roads, Virginia. The ships pounded each other all morning but their armor plates easilydeflected the cannon shots, signaling a new era of steam-powered iron ships.
The C.S.S. Virginia was originally the U.S.S. Merrimack, a 40-gun frigate launched in 1855. The Confederates captured it and covered it in heavy armor plating above the waterline. Outfitted with powerful guns, the Virginia was a formidable vessel when the Confederates launched her in February 1862. On March 8, the Virginia sunk two Union ships and ran one aground off Hampton Roads.
The next day, the U.S.S. Monitor steamed into the Chesapeake Bay. Designed by Swedish engineer John Ericsson, the vessel had an unusually low profile, rising from the water only 18 inches. The flat iron deck had a 20-foot cylindrical turret rising from the middle of the ship; the turret housed two 11-inch Dahlgren guns. TheMonitor had a draft of less than 11 feet so it could operate in the shallow harbors and rivers of the South. It was commissioned on February 25, 1862, and arrived at Chesapeake Bay just in time to engage the Virginia.
The battle between the Virginia and the Monitor began on the morning of March 9 and continued for four hours. The ships circled one another, jockeying for position as they fired their guns. The cannon balls simply deflected off the iron ships. In the early afternoon, the Virginia pulled back to Norfolk. Neither ship was seriously damaged, but the Monitor effectively ended the short reign of terror that the Confederate ironclad had brought to the Union navy.
Both ships met ignominious ends. When the Yankees invaded the James Peninsula two months after the battle at Hampton Roads, the retreating Confederates scuttled their ironclad. The Monitor went down in bad weather off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, at the end of the year. Though they had short lives, the ships ushered in a new era in naval warfare.
On this day in 1862, one of the most famous naval battles in American history occurs as two ironclads,the U.S.S.Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginiafight to a draw off Hampton Roads, Virginia. The ships pounded each other all morning but their armor plates easilydeflected the cannon shots, signaling a new era of steam-powered iron ships.
The C.S.S. Virginia was originally the U.S.S. Merrimack, a 40-gun frigate launched in 1855. The Confederates captured it and covered it in heavy armor plating above the waterline. Outfitted with powerful guns, the Virginia was a formidable vessel when the Confederates launched her in February 1862. On March 8, the Virginia sunk two Union ships and ran one aground off Hampton Roads.
The next day, the U.S.S. Monitor steamed into the Chesapeake Bay. Designed by Swedish engineer John Ericsson, the vessel had an unusually low profile, rising from the water only 18 inches. The flat iron deck had a 20-foot cylindrical turret rising from the middle of the ship; the turret housed two 11-inch Dahlgren guns. TheMonitor had a draft of less than 11 feet so it could operate in the shallow harbors and rivers of the South. It was commissioned on February 25, 1862, and arrived at Chesapeake Bay just in time to engage the Virginia.
The battle between the Virginia and the Monitor began on the morning of March 9 and continued for four hours. The ships circled one another, jockeying for position as they fired their guns. The cannon balls simply deflected off the iron ships. In the early afternoon, the Virginia pulled back to Norfolk. Neither ship was seriously damaged, but the Monitor effectively ended the short reign of terror that the Confederate ironclad had brought to the Union navy.
Both ships met ignominious ends. When the Yankees invaded the James Peninsula two months after the battle at Hampton Roads, the retreating Confederates scuttled their ironclad. The Monitor went down in bad weather off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, at the end of the year. Though they had short lives, the ships ushered in a new era in naval warfare.
U.S.S. Monitor battles C.S.S. Virginia - Mar 09, 1862 - HISTORY.com
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American History
Military History
Civil War
Posted 9 y ago
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Thanks for sharing. You can't move 2 feet without bumping into some kind of history lesson in the Hampton Roads area in reference to the Civil War or the Revolutionary War.
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Ah, a brother SP5. I was promoted to SP5 in 1976 and remained one until I was reclassified to 11B to attend drill sergeant school in the Army Reserves in 1981.
My dad was career Navy, 1937 - 1967 and though we moved all over I and my younger brother were born in the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and I spend most of my early days growing up in Norfolk. I am a huge Revolutionary War / Civil War student and given that the battle of these ironclads happened in my back yard sort of speak, this battle has always had my interests.
For anyone that ever visits Hampton Roads, if you have an interest in these kind of events a visit to the Mariners Museum is mandatory. This museum is one of the premiere maritime museums in the world.
They have a major exhibit dedicated to this battle, It includes THE
Monitor Turret, guns, engine, anchor, rudder and other artifacts lifted from the wreck where she went down in a winter storm off the coast of Hatteras in December of 1862.
Unfortunately the CSS Virginia didn't survive the war having been scuttled just before the fall of Norfolk. Very few artifacts were recovered from her wreck.
General Dynamics, builder of all of our nation's aircraft carriers and most of its submarines built a full size replica of the Monitor for the Museum and you can walk her decks.
http://www.monitorcenter.org
Well worth the trip.
You can then jump across the river and visit the Navy Museum at the Nauticus and walk the decks of the battleship USS Wisconsin, the sister ship of the Missouri, New Jersey and the Iowa.
http://www.nauticus.org/visitor-info/index
My dad was career Navy, 1937 - 1967 and though we moved all over I and my younger brother were born in the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and I spend most of my early days growing up in Norfolk. I am a huge Revolutionary War / Civil War student and given that the battle of these ironclads happened in my back yard sort of speak, this battle has always had my interests.
For anyone that ever visits Hampton Roads, if you have an interest in these kind of events a visit to the Mariners Museum is mandatory. This museum is one of the premiere maritime museums in the world.
They have a major exhibit dedicated to this battle, It includes THE
Monitor Turret, guns, engine, anchor, rudder and other artifacts lifted from the wreck where she went down in a winter storm off the coast of Hatteras in December of 1862.
Unfortunately the CSS Virginia didn't survive the war having been scuttled just before the fall of Norfolk. Very few artifacts were recovered from her wreck.
General Dynamics, builder of all of our nation's aircraft carriers and most of its submarines built a full size replica of the Monitor for the Museum and you can walk her decks.
http://www.monitorcenter.org
Well worth the trip.
You can then jump across the river and visit the Navy Museum at the Nauticus and walk the decks of the battleship USS Wisconsin, the sister ship of the Missouri, New Jersey and the Iowa.
http://www.nauticus.org/visitor-info/index
The USS Monitor Center & Foundation - At The Mariners' Museum & Park
At The Mariners' Museum & Park
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SP5 Mark Kuzinski
Thanks for your background and the update on the Hampton Roads. I had no idea that this was available - Thank you and I will visit next time I'm in that area.
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CSM William Payne
As the original turret undergoes preservation, they have built a full size replica of the upside down turret as it was brought to the service to include the remains of some of her crew that were crushed by the cannons when she flipped over upon sinking. Right next to that is a full size replica of the turret as it was just before that historic battle that you can actually walk through. Then they built a reproduction of part of the lower deck that you can walk thru. It is great to get a perspective as to the size and layout of the monitor. Which is just reinforced when you walk on the deck of the full size reproduction. Great stuff!
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