Barrycdog
Major
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Location
- Buford, Georgia
Expired Image Removed
The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack (or Merrimac) or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the War Between the States from the standpoint of the development of navies. It was fought over two days , March 8–9, 1862, in Hampton Roads, a roadstead in Virginia where the Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers meet the James River just before it enters Chesapeake Bay. The battle was a part of the effort of the Confederacy to break the Union blockade, which had cut off Virginia's largest cities, Norfolk and Richmond, from international trade.
The major significance of the battle is that it was the first meeting in combat of ironclad warships. The Confederate fleet consisted of the ironclad ram CSS Virginia (built from the remnants of the USS Merrimack) and several supporting vessels. On the first day of battle, they were opposed by several conventional, wooden-hulled ships of the Union Navy. On that day, Virginia was able to destroy two ships of the Federal flotilla and was about to attack a third, USS Minnesota, which had run aground. However, the action was halted by darkness and falling tide, so Virginia retired to take care of her few wounded — which included her captain, Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan — and repair her minimal battle damage.
Determined to complete the destruction of the Minnesota, Catesby ap Roger Jones, acting as captain in Buchanan's absence, returned the ship to the fray the next morning, March 9. During the night, however, the ironclad USS Monitor had arrived and had taken a position to defend Minnesota. When Virginia approached, Monitor intercepted her. The two ironclads fought for about three hours, with neither being able to inflict significant damage on the other. The duel ended indecisively, Virginia returning to her home at the Gosport Navy Yard for repairs and strengthening, and Monitor to her station defending Minnesota. The ships did not fight again, and the blockade remained in place.
The men of the 4th Georgia Regiment were witness to the famous naval battle from Camp Jackson near Norfolk, Va. Pvt. Jack Felder wrote to his mother on March 11th describing the battle on the 8th; the “Meramack or Virginia now called made its appearance by two gunboats the Buford and Raleigh they made their way up the roads to New Port News when the Virginia came in gun shot of the two blockading frigates the Cumbolan and Congress they fired two broad side at her but she paid no attention to them she passed between the Congress and the Newport News batteries under tremendous heavy firing from both sides. After she had got beyond the vessels she turned came back and struck the Cumberland with the ram which is in the front and sunk her immediately. After which she turned her attention to the Congress which in the meantime had hoisted sails and beached her self near the battery. The Virginia then ran up in very short distance fired several guns and compelled her to hoist the white flag. Our men the boarded her taking several prisoners under tremendous fire of infantry and where several of our men were wounded in the attempt. The fight lasted from two o’clock in the evening until about eight at night. At ninc the Congress was set on fire by our forces. The fire lasted until two o’clock when the explosion of the Magazine was heard, it seem to throw the fire for miles in the air it made the protest show I ever witnessed. Say to Pa I wished for him at least a thousand times during the engagement. It was the pretest sight I ever beheld.”
The battle received worldwide attention, and it had immediate effects on navies around the world. The preeminent naval powers, Great Britain and France, halted further construction of wooden-hulled ships, and others followed suit. A new type of warship was produced, the monitor, based on the principle of the original. The use of a small number of very heavy guns, mounted so that they could fire in all directions was first demonstrated by Monitor but soon became standard in warships of all types. Shipbuilders also incorporated rams into the designs of warship hulls for the rest of the century.
The Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack (or Merrimac) or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the War Between the States from the standpoint of the development of navies. It was fought over two days , March 8–9, 1862, in Hampton Roads, a roadstead in Virginia where the Elizabeth and Nansemond Rivers meet the James River just before it enters Chesapeake Bay. The battle was a part of the effort of the Confederacy to break the Union blockade, which had cut off Virginia's largest cities, Norfolk and Richmond, from international trade.
The major significance of the battle is that it was the first meeting in combat of ironclad warships. The Confederate fleet consisted of the ironclad ram CSS Virginia (built from the remnants of the USS Merrimack) and several supporting vessels. On the first day of battle, they were opposed by several conventional, wooden-hulled ships of the Union Navy. On that day, Virginia was able to destroy two ships of the Federal flotilla and was about to attack a third, USS Minnesota, which had run aground. However, the action was halted by darkness and falling tide, so Virginia retired to take care of her few wounded — which included her captain, Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan — and repair her minimal battle damage.
Determined to complete the destruction of the Minnesota, Catesby ap Roger Jones, acting as captain in Buchanan's absence, returned the ship to the fray the next morning, March 9. During the night, however, the ironclad USS Monitor had arrived and had taken a position to defend Minnesota. When Virginia approached, Monitor intercepted her. The two ironclads fought for about three hours, with neither being able to inflict significant damage on the other. The duel ended indecisively, Virginia returning to her home at the Gosport Navy Yard for repairs and strengthening, and Monitor to her station defending Minnesota. The ships did not fight again, and the blockade remained in place.
The men of the 4th Georgia Regiment were witness to the famous naval battle from Camp Jackson near Norfolk, Va. Pvt. Jack Felder wrote to his mother on March 11th describing the battle on the 8th; the “Meramack or Virginia now called made its appearance by two gunboats the Buford and Raleigh they made their way up the roads to New Port News when the Virginia came in gun shot of the two blockading frigates the Cumbolan and Congress they fired two broad side at her but she paid no attention to them she passed between the Congress and the Newport News batteries under tremendous heavy firing from both sides. After she had got beyond the vessels she turned came back and struck the Cumberland with the ram which is in the front and sunk her immediately. After which she turned her attention to the Congress which in the meantime had hoisted sails and beached her self near the battery. The Virginia then ran up in very short distance fired several guns and compelled her to hoist the white flag. Our men the boarded her taking several prisoners under tremendous fire of infantry and where several of our men were wounded in the attempt. The fight lasted from two o’clock in the evening until about eight at night. At ninc the Congress was set on fire by our forces. The fire lasted until two o’clock when the explosion of the Magazine was heard, it seem to throw the fire for miles in the air it made the protest show I ever witnessed. Say to Pa I wished for him at least a thousand times during the engagement. It was the pretest sight I ever beheld.”
The battle received worldwide attention, and it had immediate effects on navies around the world. The preeminent naval powers, Great Britain and France, halted further construction of wooden-hulled ships, and others followed suit. A new type of warship was produced, the monitor, based on the principle of the original. The use of a small number of very heavy guns, mounted so that they could fire in all directions was first demonstrated by Monitor but soon became standard in warships of all types. Shipbuilders also incorporated rams into the designs of warship hulls for the rest of the century.