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| Artist Unknown -- "Battle of the Ironclads" |
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| Monitor - Photographer Unknown |
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| Virginia - painting By Andy Simmons |
The battle actually started on March 8, shortly after noon, when sailors on the three wooden Union vessels Congress, Cumberland, and Minnesota saw some strange "thing" coming at them. The union sailors were aware that the Confederates were converting the burned out hull of the frigate Merrimack into an ironclad battleship, so they assumed that this "thing" must be the Virginia. However, in their haste and panic to raise their sails and get ready for battle, and with the tide at ebb, the Congress and Minnesota ran aground. The Cumberland started firing cannons at the Virginia, but the Virginia came straight at the Cumberland and then rammed the wooden ship on the starboard side. The blow knocked such a large hole in the Cumberland that the wooden ship immediately started to sink and leaned over on the Virginia, almost taking the Virginia down with her. Most of the Union sailors on the Cumberland died at their guns, or went down with the ship.
After the Virginia broke free of the sinking Cumberland, the Virginia steamed slowly up the James River. The sailors on the stranded Congress and Minneosta started cheering because they thought the Virginia was broken and out of service. However, the cheers were short lived because the Virginia then turned around and started firing on the Congress.
After two hours of Virginia shelling on the Congress, most of the crew of the Congress were dead or severely wounded; so the Congress crew raised a white flag and surrendered. However, the Union troops on shore kept firing at the Virginia, which irritated the Virginia's crew, so the Confederates set the Congress on fire. By this time it was getting dark, so the Virginia retreated to her mooring.
Then, sometime after midnight, the fire on the Congress reached the ship's powder magazine and there was reported to be a large shock wave and a horrific fireworks display.
Little known to everyone at the battle site, the Monitor (the Union's first ironclad ship) had left Brooklyn on March 6 and almost sank in a heavy storm shortly after leaving port; but it was now only about two miles from the Congress. When the Congress exploded, the crew on the Monitor reported that the explosion was so intense that it "seemed almost to lift us out of the water."
Just after dawn on March 9, the Crew of the Virginia were treated to a hearty breakfast and each man received two jiggers of whiskey to celebrate their victory of the previous day. By contrast, the exhausted sailors on the Monitor, who had not had any sleep for 24 hours, received hardtack and coffee.
At 8:00 AM the Virginia approached the stranded Minnesota to finish sinking its prey, when the crew noted something sitting beside the Minnesota that resembled "a shingle floating in the water, with a gigantic cheesebox rising from its center." The Confederates knew that the Union was building an ironclad, so they assumed that this must be the ship.
The crew of the Virginia fired the first shot at 8:30 and then the Monitor moved forward and fired its first shot when it was within yards of the Virginia. The Virginia fired back, hitting the Monitor's turret. Neither ironclad suffered any serious damage in the exchange.
After four hours of shelling each other, Lieutenant Worden of the Monitor was wounded by a piece of shrapnel and ordered the Monitor to "shear off" while he turned command over to his Executive Officer. When the Monitor turned away, the Virginia assumed that the Monitor was running away from the fight, so they abandoned the chase and retreated to their port. When the Monitor turned around and came back to fight, the Virginia was steaming away. Therefore, both sides claimed victory.
Located at The USS Monitor Center at The Mariners' Museum and Park there is a wooden replica of the Monitor sitting beside the building that overlooks Lake Maury.
Inside of the building there are replica parts of the Virginia and Monitor. A full-scale replica of the Monitor's turret is displayed upside down, which is how it was found at the bottom of the ocean.
Because the ironclads were under water for so many years before they were discovered, the actual metal parts have to go through a electrolytic reduction process before they can be exposed to air for an extended period of time. For those that want the technical information on how the electrolytic reduction process works, read the next paragraph - if not interested, skip the next paragraph.
"Electrolytic reduction is a process in which an artifact is placed in an alkaline solution of hydroxide or sodium carbonate in deionized water. Metal electrodes are then suspended around the artifacts and a low-volt, low-amp current is passed through the object. The negative charge applied to the artifact forces negatively charge chloride (salt) ions from the artifact and into the storage solution. The positively charged electrodes help attract the negatively charge ions, increasing the rate at which they diffuse into solution. During this process, oxygen and hydrogen bubbles form at the artifact's surface and help loosen and remove concretion from the artifact. The electrical current also consolidates and stabilizes weakened iron and reduces iron corrosion products to more stable forms. The chlorides are trapped in the electrolyte solution, which is charged when it becomes contaminated with chlorides. The process is complete when no more chlorides can be detected in the solution." This process may take 20 years or longer.
The Lee Hall Mansion was built near Newport News between 1848 and 1859. During the Civil War the mansion was used as a Confederate headquarters and parts of the mansion are now open to the public
Yorktown Battlefield (operated by the National Park Service) is the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. In the fall of 1781, General George Washington's troops and the French forces defeated Lord Cornwallis's British Army at this site, which effectively ended the war.
The Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe (nicknamed "Freedom's Fortress") is probably one of the most overlooked exhibits in the area.
Fort Monroe was built in 1834 to protect the Hampton Roads waterway from an enemy attack. The Casemate Museum chronicles the history of the fort and contains the room where Jefferson Davis was held as a prisoner following the Civil War.
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