When was the merrimack built

The Monitor served nine monthsof intermittent patrol duty and then sank in a storm on the final day of In the last three years, Navy divers have begun to raise it piece by piece.

The Merrimack , unfortunately, will never be raised; it was blown up to keep it from falling into enemy hands when Union forces recaptured Norfolk Navy Yard in May Please support this year tradition of trusted historical writing and the volunteers that sustain it with a donation to American Heritage.

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. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Stephens , to discuss the possibility of negotiating an end to the American Civil War, The fall of Mobile Bay was a major In early , the Union and the Confederacy were locked in one of the most influential arms races of the Civil War.

It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Commanded by Vice Admiral Nelson, the onslaught broke the allied line and exposed its center and rear to The Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, , involved nearly , combatants, the largest concentration of troops in any Civil War battle. Ambrose Burnside, the newly appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac, had ordered his more than , troops to cross the Grant and Commodore Andrew Foote Porter, and William P.

Williamson, Mallory began pushing the ironclad program forward but found that the South lacked the industrial capacity to build the needed steam engines in a timely manner. Upon learning this, Williamson suggested using the engines and remains of the former Merrimack.

Porter soon submitted revised plans to Mallory that based the new ship around Merrimack 's power plant. Moving from preliminary sketches to advanced plans, both men envisioned the new ship as a casemate ironclad. Workers soon cut down the burned timbers of Merrimack to below the waterline and commenced construction of a new deck and the armored casemate.

For protection, Virginia 's casemate was built of layers of oak and pine to a two-foot thickness before being covered by four inches of iron plate. Brooke and Porter designed the ship's casemate to have angled sides to aid in deflecting enemy shot. The ship possessed a mixed armament consisting of two 7-in. Brooke rifles, two 6. Brooke rifles, six 9-in. Dahlgren smoothbores, as well as two pdr howitzers. While the bulk of the guns were mounted in the ship's broadside, the two 7-in.

Brooke rifles were mounted on pivots at the bow and stern and could traverse to fire from multiple gun ports. In creating the ship, the designers concluded that its guns would be unable to penetrate the armor of another ironclad.

As a result, they had Virginia fitted with a large ram on the bow. Though construction was ongoing, Virginia was commissioned on February 17 with Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan in command. Eager to test the new ironclad, Buchanan sailed on March 8 to attack Union warships in Hampton Roads despite the fact that workmen were still on board. Though a formidable vessel, Virginia 's size and balky engines made it difficult to maneuver and complete circle required a mile of space and forty-five minutes.

Though initially unsure what to make of the strange new ship, Union sailors aboard the frigate USS Congress 44 opened fire as Virginia passed. Returning fire, Buchanan's guns inflicted significant damage on Congress. Engaging Cumberland , Virginia pounded the wooden ship as the Union shells bounced off its armor. After crossing Cumberland 's bow and raking it with fire, Buchanan rammed it in an effort to save gunpowder. Piercing the Union ship's side, part of Virginia 's ram detached as it was withdrawn.

With Cumberland sinking, Virginia turned its attention to Congress which had grounded in an attempt to close with the Confederate ironclad. Captain's Cabin; 3. Engine-room; 4. Berth Deck; 5. Interior of the Tower; 6. 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