[tplan]

150 years ago this morning, lookouts of the Federal blockading fleet in Hampton Roads spotted smoke in the Elizabeth River. The Rebel monster was finally making her appearance. The James River Fleet, led by the CSS Virginia

had begun their first sortie against the Union fleet. Captain Franklin Buchanan

led his new ironclad, built on the wreck of the USS Merrimack, against the nearest ships, the sloop-of-war USS Cumberland

, and the frigate USS Congress

. Virginia rammed the Cumberland, the latter's shots bouncing ineffectually off the Virginia's armor. Though the Virginia lost her ram in the process, she had fatally wounded the Cumberland

. The gun crews on the Cumberland continued to fire as the ship was sinking, each crew ceasing fire as the water reached their gun.

Virginia next turned her attention to the Congress, which had grounded in shallow water. Virginia was able to rake the immobile frigate from the stern, causing much destruction.

The Congress, unable to fight back, was forced to surrender. As wounded men were being ferried off the stricken ship under the surrender flag, Union shore batteries, not understanding what was going on, fired on the Virginia. As a result, the order was given for the Virginia to resume firing on the Congress, this time with red hot shot. Many more casualties were suffered, and Congress burned into the night, when her magazines blew up.

Virginia then engaged the USS Minnesota, which had also run aground. The falling tide made it difficult for Virginia to maneuver, so she retired for the day. That evening, an odd looking little vessel entered Hampton Roads and moored next to the Minnesota...

 

[ShKAS]

Very cool post! Thanks!

 

[tplan]

On the morning of March 9, CSS Virginia, got up steam and headed toward the USS Minnesota, to resume her work from the previous day. Captain Buchanan had been wounded in the engagement of March 8, so Virginia was now commanded by her executive officer, Lieutenant Catesby ap R. Jones.

Her way was blocked, however, by an unusual object, which was not at first recognized.

This was the USS Monitor, commanded by Lietenant John L. Worden.

The first battle of ironclad ships commenced, and lasted for several hours.

Neither ship could cause major damage to the other. Each was, however, constrained in her offensive power; Virginia carried only shells for her guns, her solid shot had been left ashore at Norfolk in the expectation that she would be fighting only wooden ships, while Monitor's XI-inch Dahlgren guns were limited to using 15-pound charges of powder through regulations that feared the guns would burst. (later the same guns regularly used 30-pound powder charges.) A shot from Virginia struck Monitor's pilothouse, injuring the quartermaster as well as the captain. In the confusion following the shot, Monitor's executive officer ordered her into shallow water, where Virginia could not follow. By the time Monitor moved to re-enter the engagement, Virginia had decided to return to Norfolk. She had suffered damage in both days actions that made her difficult to maneuver, and she believed Monitor had left the fight. Tactically, this day's battle was a draw, though both sides would claim victory.

Monitor would continue to hold her post in Hampton Roads to check the Virginia until the latter was blown up by her crew to prevent capture in May, 1862. The Monitor​ was lost while being towed off Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862.

 

[mustang69]

Thanks for the post...As a Virginian living between Richmond and Petersburg sorrounded by a handful of major battle fields, it is good to remember history as I sometimes take for granted those things.

 

[jjk308 In Memoriam RIP]

Hampton Roads was the first battle between ironclads but ironclads were inevitable and a fair number had been built before the Monitor and Virginia.

The turreted Monitor was probably the most original, most revolutionary warship to ever see action. The Virginia however, a typical coastal and inland waters casemate ironclad, was preceded by some very low speed - 4 ktnot - British ironclad batteries and a few broadside ironclad French and British battleships, similar to the wooden single deck steam frigates and sloops of the day but with iron plating amidships protecting the broadside battery.

The USA and CSA started building ironclads, mostly casemate types similar to the Merrimac/Virginia, on the Mississippi as soon as war broke out. The first were completed in 1861 by James Eads of St. Louis, well before the Virginia or Monitor. He buiilt 7 City Class ironclad gunboats for the Union in 5 months.

The turtleback ram Manassas, converted from a tug, was the first to see action, defending New Orleans at the Head of the Passes against Farraguts fleet on Oct 12, 1861, but was too slow to do any damage.

On January 11, 1862 the Eads' built U.S. Gunboats St. Louis and Essex defeated the Confederate gunboats CSS General Polk, CSS Ivy, and CSS Jackson at Lucas Bend, north of Columbus KY, on the Mississippi River. Subsequently, on February 6, 1862, Eads' gunboats captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. This was over a month before the combat actions of the ironclads CSS Virginia and USS Monitor during the March 8-9, 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads.

 

[eglib]

The Monitor and its successor vessels, were incredibly modern for the time. The crew quarters, engine room, storage, etc. were all under the waterline. The vessels were designed with forced air ventilation. In many ways, it would be like living on a submarine. The monitors of very modern concept served alongside wooden sailing warships that Sir Francis Drake would have rcognized! Several of the river monitors designed to run on the Mississippi had turrets where the guns were on a platform raised and lowered by steam, and dropped below deck to be reloaded. One class of shallow-draft monitors with one-gun turrets failed because of a mistake in the flotatiion calculations, still done by hand, of course. They didn't float. The Galena and Keokuk used a "spaced-armor" system that failed to keep out shot. These things happen when you're in a hurry because there's a war on. Just hope you are not aboard one of the mistakes!

Bruce

 

[WLD Bill]

Excellent post,thanks for the time and work involved.

 

[tplan]

As it's the anniversary of the battle again, I thought I'd check on the progress on the Monitor's artifacts at The Mariner's Museum. I find the webcams have all been shut off, and the progress blog links to this site, which explains that she has become just another victim of sequestration.

http://civilwarnavy150.blogspot.com/2014/01/save-monitor-collection.html

 

[Lyman1903]

As it's the anniversary of the battle again, I thought I'd check on the progress on the Monitor's artifacts at The Mariner's Museum. I find the webcams have all been shut off, and the progress blog links to this site, which explains that she has become just another victim of sequestration.

http://civilwarnavy150.blogspot.com/2014/01/save-monitor-collection.html

yep, that happened a few months ago,
big deal in the local news (I'm just south of Richmond)

reports, IIRC, say the artifacts are in good shape, and still being cared for, just no web cam or open museum,

 

[Gravel]

A striking aspect with the "battle of the ironclads" was the duration of the battle.

In the wooden warship era, the exchange of cannon-fire would be a matter of minutes before one side was victorious.

But with the ironclads in Hampton Roads, the battle endured for a couple of hours. Can one imagine the exhaustion there was among the crews in the confines with manning those ships?

The Monitor was remarkable for it being built and functional in 100 days . . . especially given the advanced technology it possessed.

 

[BlackHills]

Thanks for posting, It reminded me that i got copys of the blue prints for the CSS Arkansas that i got from the smithsonian museum that i need to get framed

 

[Clyde]

We visited the Port of Columbus Civil War Naval Museum at Columbus, GA last fall. Very well worth the visit - remnants of a couple of Confederate iron-clads, plus a reconstruction of part of Hartford (interior). A reconstruction of Water Witch (served both USN and CSN) is outside. A number of historic naval flags are part of the holdings, plus some great models.

 

[J.Stein]

Anyone know why neither party to the battle (especially the Virginia's crew) did not attempt a boarding operation during the fight?

I'm somewhat surprised that the Yankees didn't send out a swarm of long boats since the two days of battle was occurring in such proximity to their flotilla.

 

[co-van]

The Virginia's exploits were well remembered, I assume, by more than one member of Captain Buchanan's family. Found this on line re the Buchanan Family: "Their son, McKean Buchanan . . . entered the United States Navy in 1826, and was an officer on the frigate, Congress, which was destroyed by the Virginia, under the command of his brother, Admiral Franklin Buchanan, of the Confederate Navy." By the way, as a kid in the 1940's, remember a Mrs. Ament in Norfolk, Virginia, an elderly lady my mother knew. The story was that her father was the captain of the Virginia, and the simple pine table in the dining room was from the Virginia - have often wondered what became of that table . . .