Monitor and Merrimac

two famous ships of the Civil War. The Merrimac was a United States wooden frigate which had been sunk by the Federal authorities when the Norfolk Navy Yard was abandoned. The Confederates subsequently raised the ship and proceeded to cover its sides with iron plates, renaming it the Virginia. The United States Navy Department was aware of what was going on and dreaded the appearance of this new type of ship. In the meanwhile an association was building the Monitor at Greenpoint, Long Island. Plans for a new type of ship had been furnished by John Ericsson. The main feature was a revolving iron-plated turret placed in the center of a long, cigar-shaped hull that rose but a little above the water, "a cheese hoop on a raft." The turret carried two eleven-inch Dahlgren guns. The turret was nine feet high and was covered with iron plates eight inches thick. The hull was also plated with iron. The extreme length was 172 feet. The greatest breadth was forty-one feet. The Monitor cost $275,000. But 100 days were occupied in building it.

March 8, 1862, the Merrimac entered Hampton Roads and destroyed the Congress and the Cumberland, driving the Minnesota aground. The heaviest cannon of these ships were unable to damage the iron-plated hull of the Merrimac. It was evident that this ship could compete with any number of other vessels. The greatest excitement prevailed throughout the North. The Southern leaders were exultant. It seemed for a few hours as though the Merrimac might be able to clear the entire Southern coast of Federal ships. About two o'clock the next morning, however, the Monitor appeared on the scene and anchored by the Minnesota. When the Merrimac sailed up the channel to renew the conflict the insignificant looking Monitor steamed out to do battle. The shot of the Merrimac glanced harmlessly from the deck and turret of the Monitor; the latter's heavy guns told severely on the Merrimac. The prow of the Monitor was used also with effect. The Merrimac aimed to ram the Monitor, but was unable to accomplish anything. The battle was a draw. The Confederate ship finally steamed away to Norfolk, leaving the Monitor master of the situation. The engagement is remarkable in the annals of naval warfare, not only as a critical turn in the affairs of the war in which it occurred, but as marking the end of wooden warships. The nations of Europe set about building armored ships without delay. The plans of the Monitor and Merrimac were combined.

While off Cape Hatteras on the way to Beaufort, South Carolina, the Monitor sank December 29, 1862. Sixty vessels were built on much the same plan before the end of the war.

See Ericsson; Battleship; Navy