Wars and Battles
Hampton Roads
The Monitor v. The Merrimac

Early in 1861 Union forces at the Norfolk Naval Yard scuttled a federal frigate, the Merrimac, in order to keep it out of enemy hands. The ship was later raised by Confederate forces and rechristened the CSS Virginia. The vessel underwent major renovations, including removal of the superstructure above the waterline and the construction of a slanted top (prompting some observers to compare the ship to a floating barn roof). Eight inches of iron sheeting was applied to the exterior. Ten 12-pound cannons were installed as well as a massive battering ram on the bow. The craft was extremely long and cumbersome to maneuver, requiring almost a mile to turn around.

On March 8 the Virginia ventured into the waters off Newport News, Virginia, and attacked a number of federal wooden vessels, destroying two and running another aground. Following its triumph, the ironclad returned to port. If not halted, the Virginia would destroy the Union blockade in a matter of a few weeks.

On the following day an ironclad Union ship, the Monitor, made its appearance. It was a strange-looking vessel, presenting only a flat deck topped by a 9- by 20-foot revolving turret which housed two guns. The majority of the crew was stationed below the waterline.

The ships engaged one another off Hampton Roads in a four-hour battle. The Virginia’s gunners managed to hit the Monitor’s turret, largely disabling the vessel and wounding the captain. The Confederate ship was prepared to move in for the kill, but was forced to withdraw for lack of ammunition and a leak. The battle ended in a draw.

Several months later, Confederate forces preparing to evacuate Norfolk destroyed the Virginia. The Monitor was lost off Cape Hatteras in December 1861, with 16 crew members aboard.

The engagement between these two ironclad ships was a watershed in naval warfare; the days of the wooden navies were numbered.

Both sides claimed victory. The North cited the withdrawal of the Virginia as evidence of their claim, while the South pointed to the disabling of the Monitor as evidence of victory. Many in the South believed that they had discovered a means of breaking the Northern blockade.

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