Hampton RoadsHampton Roads
Early in the Civil War, President Lincoln ordered a blockade of the south to prevent any trade vessels, particularly those carrying cotton, to leave southern ports for market abroad. The Confederacy knew it needed warships to break the blockade, but had very few resources at hand. They decided to turn their attention to a new technology, that of ironclad ships.
When Virginia had seceded, the Union army had destroyed and sank many ships at the Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth. The Confederate Navy was able to raise a vessel, the USS Merrimack, from the Elizabeth River and refitted her for service as an ironclad. The ship was rechristened the Virginia.
Upon hearing of the Confederate Navy’s endeavor, the US Navy quickly built their own ironclad, the USS Monitor, which departed New York on March 6, 1862 for Fort Monroe, Virgina. On March 8th, the CSS Virginia rammed into the USS Cumberland, breaking a hole in her hull and sinking the vessel with 121 sailors on board. The Virginia then turned on the USS Congress, which, wishing to avoid the fate of the Cumberland, ran aground. The Virginia then ran into the Congress and blasted the Union ships with its powerful guns, which set fire to The Congress. As the sun began to set, the Virginia returned to the Elizabeth River for the night.
The next day the Virginia headed towards the USS Minnesota, but then saw a strange vessel approaching its side. The USS Monitor had arrived and came within close quarters of the Virginia. Both ships fired their guns at the other, but the shells simply bounced off the armored hulls of the two ironclads. After this exchange of fire, both of the vessels were forced to retreat to the safety of their respective harbors.
The outcome of this battle is considered inconclusive, with neither side able to claim a victory. However, it did demonstrate important new realities. One was that the use of ironclad ships was very effective against traditional wooden vessels and also that the Confederacy was not be able to break through the blockade as they had hoped. The threat of the Virginia was neutralized and Union boats were once again able to stop any Confederate ships from leaving the eastern coast.
This also marked the first time ironclad, steam-powered ships had faced off against each other and forever changed the face of naval warfare. Eventually, all ships would be of metal construction and armed with heavy turret guns. The Monitor in particular was spectacularly forward thinking in its design. Remarkably, the USS Monitor contained 40 patentable inventions. It rode only 18 inches above the water line and had a large turret in the center which could spin 360 degrees.
Works Cited
Battle of Hampton Roads - HISTORY, 13 December 2019, https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-hampton-roads. Accessed 24 November 2022.
Blake, Closson. “The Battle of Hampton Roads.” Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/the-american-civil-war--1861-1865/css-virginia-destroys-uss-cumberland-and-uss-congress--8-march-1.html. Accessed 24 November 2022.
“Hampton Roads Battle Facts and Summary.” American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/hampton-roads. Accessed 24 November 2022.
