He found his path blocked by what looked to him like a new boiler being towed to the grounded vessel by a tug. It was, in fact, the Monitor. The ship had departed New York, pulled by a seagoing tug, on March 6th and arrived after dark on the 8th, long after the days fighting had ended. Jones realized what he was facing before Worden could strike, so the Virginia got off the first volley of the day.
It missed the Monitor and struck the Minnesota which, despite being grounded, still had use of her guns and returned fire. The Monitor soon opened up on the Virginia as well. The two ironclads blasted away at each other from extremely close range for hours, doing considerable damage to each other but unable to defeat their opponent. The Virginia had only expected to fight wooden ships and, therefore, did not carry any armor piercing shells.
And the Monitor guns were using only the standard amount of gunpowder on each shot which could not produce enough force to crack her opponents armor. The battle ended in an odd sort of stalemate that both sides claimed as a victory.
When the brief period of confusion passed and Greene realized the Monitor was still fairly up for a fight, he returned to the area of battle. But by that point, seeing the Union ship move away and being low on ammunition themselves, the Virginia had turned back toward Norfolk. Greene decided not to pursue, believing it more important to avoid unnecessarily risking his vessel. Both ships were battered but still functional and the only men killed during their gun duel were three sailors aboard the Minnesota.
The ironclads crews were lauded as heroes by their respective sides. However you interpret the outcome of the first duel between iron ships, the long truth of the matter is that the Virginia did not break the Union blockade at Norfolk.
The blockade as a whole continued to grow in size and strength. And, as cities like New Orleans and Mobile Bay fell to Union forces, the economic situation of the Confederacy grew more and more dire. So while the first fight between ironclads was a game changer for nautical combat on the whole, it did little to alter the course of the war. Neither of the historic ships that fought at Hampton Roads survived long after.
With her low, sideless deck she began taking on water. The pumps and engine flooded before long and the crew abandoned the ship. 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 foot cylindrical turret rising from the middle of the ship; the turret housed two inch Dahlgren guns. The Monitor 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, , 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. However, 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 fleet. Both ships met ignominious ends. In , the wreck of the Monitor was discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Though they had short lives, the naval battle between the two ironclads ushered in a new era in naval warfare. By the end of the Civil War, the Confederacy and Union launched over 70 ironclads, signaling the end of wooden warships. Turret Machinery; 7. Ready for Action; 8. Wheel House; 9. Harper's Weekly, March 22, , page New York Illustrated News, March 29, , page []. The first naval battle in Hampton Roads, between the Rebel iron-plated steamers Merrimac , Yorktown and Jamestown , and the United States wooden sailing frigates Cumberland and Congress.
Leslie's Illustrated News , March 22, , pages The second naval battle in Hampton Roads — Fight between the national floating battery Monitor , of two guns, and the Rebel iron-plated steamers Merrimac , Yorktown and Jamestown , carrying twenty-four guns. The Ericsson battery Monitor driving off the Merrimac. Harper's Weekly , March 22, , pages Federal Troops at Hampton, Virginia. Previously, warships were constructed of wood. Who were the leaders of the Battle of Hampton Roads?
Franklin Buchanan Catesby ap Roger Jones. What started the battle of Hampton Roads? March 8: Virginia wreaks havoc on wooden Union warships. Captain Buchanan intended to attack as soon as possible. Who were the leaders of the battle of Monitor and Merrimack? Who won the first battle of the Civil War? The Confederates had won the first major battle of the Civil War.
The Confederates won the battle, but both sides suffered casualties. The Union suffered 2, casualties including killed. Where was the battle of Hampton Roads fought?
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