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128-672: George Schutt (c. 1833 – unknown) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor , for his actions at the Battle of Natural Bridge . Born in about 1833 in Ireland, Schutt joined the U.S. Navy from the state of New York. By March 5, 1865, he was serving as a coxswain on the USS ; Hendrick Hudson . On that day and

256-543: A better-paying alternative to being drafted into the Army; this incentive was especially meant to attract professional sailors who could be drafted the same as any other civilian and would rather see combat in an environment they were more familiar with. Union sailors differed from their counterparts on land, soldiers. The sailors were typically unemployed, working-class men from urban areas, including recent immigrants. Unlike soldiers, few were farmers. They seldom enlisted to preserve

384-504: A board to inquire into the various designs proposed for armored ships. The Union Navy advertised for proposals for "iron-clad steam vessels of war" on 7 August and Welles appointed three senior officers as the Ironclad Board the following day. Their task was to "examine plans for the completion of iron-clad vessels" and consider its costs. Ericsson originally made no submission to the board, but became involved when Cornelius Bushnell ,

512-408: A circular pattern. Because of Virginia ' s weak engines, great size and weight, and a draft of 22 ft (6.7 m), she was slow and difficult to maneuver, taking her half an hour to complete a 180-degree turn. During the engagement, the controls of the machinery driving Monitor ' s turret spindle began to malfunction, making it extremely difficult to turn and stop the turret itself at

640-495: A commander, an executive officer, four engineers, one medical officer, two masters and a paymaster. Before Worden was allowed to select, assemble, and commit a crew to Monitor , the vessel had to be completed. Four of the officers were line officers and responsible for the handling of the vessel and operation of guns during battle, while the engineering officers were considered a class unto themselves. In Monitor 's turret, Greene and Stodder supervised loading and firing of

768-448: A draw, though it could be argued Virginia did slightly more damage. Monitor did successfully defend Minnesota and the rest of the Union blockading force, while Virginia was unable to complete the destruction she started the previous day. The battle between the two ironclads marked a turning point in the way naval warfare would be fought in the future. Strategically, nothing had changed:

896-513: A few shots ineffectively at very long range while Monitor returned fire, remaining near Fort Monroe, ready to fight if Virginia came to attack the Federal force congregated there. Furthermore, Vanderbilt was in position to ram Virginia if she approached the fort, but Virginia did not take the bait. In a further attempt to entice Monitor closer to the Confederate side so she could be boarded,

1024-409: A given position, so the crew simply let the turret continuously turn and fired their guns "on the fly" as they bore on Virginia . Monitor received several direct hits on the turret, causing some bolts to violently shear off and ricochet around inside. The deafening sound of the impact stunned some of the crew, causing nose and ear bleeding. However, neither vessel was able to sink or seriously damage

1152-506: A greater distance, while the other gunboats were unable to overcome the fortifications on their own. After Monitor received only a few hits, without incurring any damage, the Confederates, many of whom were former crew members of Virginia well aware of her ability to withstand cannon shot even at close range, concentrated their guns on the other ships, especially Galena , which sustained considerable damage and moderate casualties. After

1280-422: A large ship (the sidewheeler USS  Vanderbilt ) and reinforced her bow with steel specifically to be used as a naval ram , provided Virginia steamed far enough out into Hampton Roads. On 11 April, Virginia , accompanied by a number of gunboats, steamed into Hampton Roads to Sewell's Point at the southeast edge, almost over to Newport News , in a challenge to lure Monitor into battle. Virginia fired

1408-462: A maximum pressure of 40  psi (276  kPa ; 3  kgf/cm ). The 320- indicated-horsepower (240  kW ) engine was designed to give the ship a top speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph), but Monitor was 1–2 knots (1.9–3.7 km/h; 1.2–2.3 mph) slower in service. The engine had a bore of 36 inches (914 mm) and a stroke of 22 inches (559 mm). The ship carried 100 long tons (100 t) of coal. Ventilation for

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1536-427: A model of his own design, the future Monitor , derived from his 1854 design. Bushnell got Ericsson's permission to show the model to Welles, who told Bushnell to show it to the board. Upon review of Ericsson's unusual design, the board was skeptical, concerned that such a vessel would not float, especially in rough seas, and rejected the proposal of a completely iron laden ship. President Lincoln , who had also examined

1664-565: A near four-hour artillery duel and sustaining numerous hits overall, the flotilla was unable to neutralize the fortification and had to turn back. Not a single Union ship reached Richmond until near the end of the war, when the city was finally evacuated by the Confederates. After the battle at Drewry's Bluff Monitor remained on the James River providing support, along with the Galena and other gunboats, to McClellan's troops at various points along

1792-476: A plan by which the James River Squadron would swarm Monitor with a party of men to board and capture the vessel, and disable her by using heavy hammers to drive iron wedges under and disable the turret, and by covering the pilothouse with a wet sail effectively blinding the pilot. Others would throw combustibles down the ventilation openings and smoke holes. At one point Jones made such an attempt to board

1920-562: A sailor's experience on the naval front during the Civil War. The letters of Acting Paymaster William F. Keeler to his wife Anna also corroborate many of the accounts of affairs that took place aboard Monitor . The letters of Geer and Keeler are available for viewing and are housed at the Mariners' Museum in Virginia. Other crew members were interviewed later in life, like Louis N. Stodder , one of

2048-501: A set of gears; a full rotation was made in 22.5 seconds during testing on 9 February 1862. Fine control of the turret proved to be difficult; as there was no brake the steam engines would have to be placed in reverse if the turret overshot its mark, or another full rotation would have to be made. The only way to see out of the turret was through the gun ports ; when the guns were not in use, or withdrawn for reloading during battle, heavy iron port stoppers would swing down into place to close

2176-483: A shell. In response, the United States began construction in 1854 of a steam-powered ironclad warship, Stevens Battery , but work was delayed and the designer, Robert Stevens , died in 1856, stalling further work. Since there was no pressing need for such a ship at the time, there was little demand to continue work on the unfinished vessel. It was France that introduced the first operational armored ships as well as

2304-512: A sign of contempt, anchored off Sewell's Point. Later, when Confederate forces abandoned Norfolk on 11 May 1862, they were forced to destroy Virginia . After the destruction of Virginia , Monitor was free to assist the Union Army and General McClellan's campaign against Richmond. As the Navy always gave command to officers based on seniority, Greene was replaced with Lieutenant Thomas O. Selfridge

2432-624: A steam-powered fleet, so it was crucial for the emergence of the Navy as equal to the Army in national defense. It also demonstrated the possibility of attacking the Confederacy along the line of the Mississippi River. It thus was an important, even vital, predecessor of the campaign that ultimately split the Confederacy. Finally, it cast doubt on the ability of the Confederacy to defend itself, thus giving European nations reason not to grant diplomatic recognition. The final important naval action of

2560-475: A storm off Cape Hatteras on the last day of the year. Monitor ' s wreck was discovered in 1973 and has been partially salvaged. Her guns, gun turret , engine, and other relics are on display at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia , a few miles from the site of her most important military action. While the concept of ships protected by armor existed before the advent of the ironclad Monitor ,

2688-478: A tactic never arose. There are conflicting accounts as to whether such an anti-personnel provision was installed. Commodore Joseph Smith , Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks , sent Ericsson formal notice of the acceptance of his proposal on 21 September 1861. Six days later, Ericsson signed a contract with Bushnell, John F. Winslow and John A. Griswold which stated that the four partners would equally share in

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2816-407: A tonnage of 776 tons burthen and displaced 987 long tons (1,003 t). Her crew consisted of 49 officers and enlisted men. The ship was powered by a single-cylinder horizontal vibrating-lever steam engine , also designed by Ericsson, which drove a 9-foot (2.7 m) propeller, whose shaft was nine inches in diameter. The engine used steam generated by two horizontal fire-tube boilers at

2944-494: A variety of new inventions and innovations in ship building that caught the attention of the world. The impetus to build Monitor was prompted by the news that the Confederates had raised the scuttled Merrimack and were building an iron-plated armored vessel named the Virginia on her hull in the old Federal naval shipyard at Gosport , near Norfolk , that could effectively engage the Union ships blockading Hampton Roads harbor and

3072-539: A victory, as crowds of spectators gathered along the banks of the Elizabeth River , cheering and waving flags, handkerchiefs and hats as Virginia , displaying the captured ensign of Congress , passed along up the river. The Confederate government was ecstatic and immediately promoted Buchanan to Admiral. Both the Union and Confederacy soon came up with plans for defeating the other's ironclad. Oddly, these did not depend on their own ironclads. The Union Navy chartered

3200-686: The James River leading northwest to Richmond (capital of the Confederacy). They could ultimately advance unchallenged on Washington, D.C. , up the Potomac River and other seacoast cities. Before Monitor could reach Hampton Roads, the Confederate ironclad had already destroyed the sail frigates USS  Cumberland and USS  Congress and had run the steam frigate USS  Minnesota aground. That night, Monitor arrived and, just as Virginia set to finish off Minnesota and St. Lawrence on

3328-414: The 11-inch guns. Instead of tightening them to reduce the recoil upon firing, he loosened them so that both guns struck the back of the turret, fortunately without hurting anybody or damaging the guns. Monitor employed over forty patented inventions and marked a significant departure from the dominant naval vessels of the time. Ericsson's innovative turret design, although not without flaws, facilitated

3456-579: The Confederacy's isolation and hastened its currency's devaluation. For administration of the blockade, the Navy was divided into four squadrons: the North Atlantic , South Atlantic , East Gulf , and West Gulf Blockading Squadrons . (A fifth squadron, the Mississippi River Squadron , was created in late 1862 to operate in the Vicksburg campaign and its consequences; it was not involved with

3584-452: The Confederate ironclad and for "saving the day". No sooner than Monitor had weighed anchor, numerous small boats and spectators on shore flocked around the ship to congratulate the crew for what they regarded as their victory over Virginia . Assistant Secretary Fox, who observed the entire battle from aboard Minnesota , came aboard Monitor and jokingly told her officers, "Well gentlemen, you don't look as though you just went through one of

3712-645: The Confederates were building an ironclad warship. Concealed in her dress was a message from a Union sympathizer who worked in the Navy Yard warning that the former Merrimack , renamed Virginia by the Confederates, was nearing completion. Upon her arrival in Washington Louvestre managed to meet with Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles and informed him that the Confederates were nearing the completion of their ironclad, which surprised Welles. Convinced by

3840-491: The Confederates were converting the captured USS  Merrimack to an ironclad at the naval shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia. Subsequently, the urgency of Monitor ' s completion and deployment to Hampton Roads was driven by fears of what the Confederate ironclad, now renamed Virginia , would be capable of doing, not only to Union ships but to cities along the coast and riverfronts. Northern newspapers published daily accounts of

3968-609: The Confederates' progress in converting the Merrimack to an ironclad; this prompted the Union Navy to complete and deploy Monitor as soon as possible. Word of Merrimack ' s reconstruction and conversion was confirmed in the North in late February 1862 when Mary Louvestre of Norfolk, a freed slave who worked as a housekeeper for one of the Confederate engineers working on Merrimack , made her way through Confederate lines with news that

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4096-573: The James River Squadron moved in and captured three merchant ships, the brigs Marcus and Sabout , and the schooner Catherine T. Dix . These had been grounded and abandoned when they sighted Virginia entering the Roads. Their flags were then hoisted " Union-side down " to taunt Monitor into a fight as they were towed back to Norfolk. In the end, both sides had failed to provoke a fight on their terms. The Confederate Navy originally had devised

4224-634: The James River to support the Union Army during the Peninsula Campaign under General-in-Chief George B. McClellan . The ship participated in the Battle of Drewry's Bluff later that month, and remained in the area giving support to General McClellan's forces on land until she was ordered to join the Union Navy blockaders off North Carolina in December. On her way there, she foundered while under tow during

4352-500: The Navy chose not to penalize the consortium. The name "Monitor", meaning "one who admonishes and corrects wrongdoers", was proposed by Ericsson on 20 January 1862 and approved by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus Fox . While Ericsson stood on its deck in defiance of all his critics who thought she would never float, Monitor was launched on 30 January 1862 to the cheers of the watching crowd, even those who had bet that

4480-516: The Navy rejected his attempt to amend the contract. The contract was finally signed on 4 October for a price of $ 275,000 to be paid in installments as work progressed. Preliminary work had begun well before that date, however, and Ericsson's consortium contracted with Thomas F. Rowland of the Continental Iron Works at Bushwick Inlet (in modern-day Greenpoint, Brooklyn ) on 25 October for construction of Monitor ' s hull. Her keel

4608-460: The U.S.S. Hendrick Hudson , St. Marks, Fla., 5 and 6 March 1865. Serving with the army in charge of Navy howitzers during the attack on St. Marks and throughout the fierce engagement, Schutt made remarkable efforts in assisting transport of the gun, and his coolness and determination in courageously remaining by his gun while under the heavy fire of the enemy were a credit to the service to which he belonged. Union Navy The primary missions of

4736-541: The Union flotilla blockading Hampton Roads. During the "boom time" of the Civil War, Ericsson could have made a fortune with his inventions used in Monitor , but instead gave the U.S. government all his Monitor patent rights saying it was his "contribution to the glorious Union cause". The original officers at the time of Monitor ' s commissioning were: Monitor 's crew were all volunteers and totaled 49 officers and enlisted men. The ship required ten officers:

4864-568: The Union Navy were: The system of naval bureaus was revised in the summer of 1862. Some of the older bureaus were rearranged or had their names altered. The most radical change was the creation of the Bureau of Steam Engineering. To accomplish its wartime missions, the Union Navy had to undergo a profound technical and institutional transformation. During the war, sailing vessels were completely supplanted by ships propelled by steam for combat purposes. Vessels of widely differing character were built from

4992-467: The Union still controlled Hampton Roads and the Confederates still held several rivers and Norfolk, making it a strategic victory for the North. The battle of the ironclads led to what was referred to as "Monitor fever" in the North. During the course of the war improved designs based on Monitor emerged; 60 ironclads were built. Immediately following the battle Stimers telegraphed Ericsson, congratulating and thanking him for making it possible to confront

5120-545: The Union, end slavery, or display their courage; instead, many were coerced into joining. According to Michael Bennett: Nevertheless, Union navy sailors and marines were awarded 325 Medals of Honor for Civil War valor, with immigrants receiving 39 percent of the awards: Ireland (50), England (25), and Scotland (13). Before the Civil War, the U.S. Navy had never prohibited African Americans from serving. However, regulations in place since 1840 had required them to be limited to no more than 5% of all enlisted personnel. Thus unlike

5248-506: The United States pre-war merchant marine joined the navy, and they were often given higher ratings due to their background and experience. A key part of the Union Navy's recruiting efforts was the offer of higher pay than a volunteer for the Union Army would receive and the promise of greater freedom or the opportunity to see more of the country and world. When the Draft was introduced, the Navy tried to recruit volunteers by offering service at sea as

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5376-509: The archives of the French Ministry of the Navy ( Ministre de la Marine ) when they were searched by naval historian James Phinney Baxter III . The French followed those ships with the first ocean-going ironclad, the armored frigate Gloire in 1859, and the British responded with HMS  Warrior . The Union Navy 's attitude towards ironclads changed quickly when it was learned that

5504-447: The army, the Union navy did not prohibit African Americans from serving at the start of the war and was racially integrated. Approximately 10,000, or around 17%, of Union Navy sailors were black; seven of them were awarded the Medal of Honor. The tension between white and "contraband" (black) sailors was high and remained serious during the war. Bennett argues: The blockade of all ports in

5632-554: The barges should only be sunk if and when Virginia was able to make her way up the Potomac. About 9:00 pm, Monitor finally arrived on the scene only to discover the destruction that Virginia had already wrought on the Union fleet. Worden was ordered upon reaching Hampton Roads to anchor alongside USS  Roanoke and report to Captain John Marston where Worden was briefed of the situation and received further orders to protect

5760-410: The battle between the two ironclads which harmlessly deflected off the Confederate ironclad. During the battle Monitor fired solid shot, about once every eight minutes, while Virginia fired shell exclusively. The ironclads fought, generally at close range, for about four hours, ending at 12:15 pm, ranging from a few yards to more than a hundred. Both ships were constantly in motion, maintaining

5888-470: The battle, the steam frigate USS  Minnesota ran aground while attempting to engage Virginia , and remained stranded throughout the battle. Virginia , however, was unable to attack Minnesota before daylight faded. That day Buchanan was severely wounded in the leg and was relieved of command by Catesby ap Roger Jones . Days before the battle a telegraph cable was laid between Fortress Monroe, which overlooked Hampton Roads, and Washington. Washington

6016-465: The battle. The highest rank available to a U.S. naval officer when the war began was that of Commodore. This created problems when many ships had to operate together with no clearly established chain of command . Even worse, when the Navy worked with the Army in joint operations, the customary rank equivalency between the two services meant that the naval captain, equivalent to an army colonel, would always be inferior to every Army general present. After

6144-460: The beachhead there. Charleston did not fall until the last days of the war. The later capture of Fernandina, Florida , was intended from the start to provide a southern anchor for the Atlantic blockade. It led to the capture of Jacksonville and the southern sounds of Georgia, but this was not part of a larger scheme of conquest. It reflected mostly a decision by the Confederate government to retire from

6272-562: The blockade.) Two early invasions of the South were meant primarily to improve the blockade, leading to further actions. Following the capture of Cape Hatteras, much of eastern North Carolina was soon occupied by the Union Army. The easy success in North Carolina was not repeated after the seizure of Port Royal in South Carolina, as determined resistance prevented the significant expansion of

6400-477: The blowers to work, but they too succumbed to the noxious fumes and were taken above. One fireman was able to punch a hole in the fan box, drain the water, and restart the fan. Later that night, the wheel ropes controlling the ship's rudder jammed, making it nearly impossible to control the ship's heading in the rough seas. Monitor was now in danger of foundering , so Worden signaled Seth Low for help and had Monitor towed to calmer waters closer to shore so she

6528-409: The city into surrender if possible. Without any assistance, the task force got within 8 mi (13 km) of the Confederate capital but could not proceed further because of sunken vessels and debris placed in the river that blocked further passage. There were also artillery batteries at Fort Darling overlooking and guarding the approach, along with other heavy guns and sharpshooters positioned along

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6656-454: The coast, except for a few major ports. Late in the war, Mobile Bay was taken by fleet action, but there was no immediate attempt to take Mobile itself. The capture of New Orleans was only marginally connected with the blockade, as New Orleans was already well sealed off. However, it was important for several other reasons. The passage of the forts below the city by Farragut 's fleet showed that fixed fortifications could not defend against

6784-506: The coast, meant that vessels designed for use on the open seas were less useful than more specialized ships. To confront the forms of combat that came about, the federal government developed a new type of warship, the monitor, based on the original, USS Monitor . The U.S. Navy took over a class of armored river gunboats created for the U.S. Army but designed by naval personnel, the Eads gunboats . So-called double-enders were produced to maneuver in

6912-515: The coasts between ocean-going Union vessels and blockade runners, often in the Caribbean but also in the Atlantic, the Battle of Cherbourg being the most famous example. Not included in this list are several incidents in which the Navy took part more or less incidentally. These include Shiloh and Malvern Hill . They are not on the list because naval personnel were not involved in planning or preparing for

7040-501: The confined waters of the rivers and harbors. The Union Navy experimented with submarines before the Confederacy produced its famed CSS Hunley ; the result, USS Alligator , failed primarily because of lack of suitable targets. Building on Confederate designs, the Union Navy produced and used torpedo boats, small vessels that mounted spar torpedoes and were forerunners of both the modern torpedo and destroyer type of warship. Because of haste in their design and construction, most of

7168-481: The day after the battle. Two days later, Selfridge was in turn relieved by Lieutenant William Nicholson Jeffers on 15 May 1862. Monitor was now part of a flotilla under the command of Admiral John Rodgers aboard Galena , and, along with three other gunboats, steamed up the James River and engaged the Confederate batteries at Drewry's Bluff . The force had instructions to coordinate their efforts with McClellan's forces on land and push on towards Richmond to bombard

7296-524: The deck that was intended to form a watertight seal. In service, however, this proved to leak heavily, despite caulking by the crew. The gap between the turret and the deck proved to be a problem as debris and shell fragments entered the gap and jammed the turrets of several Passaic -class monitors , which used the same turret design, during the First Battle of Charleston Harbor in April 1863. Direct hits on

7424-492: The design, overruled them. Ericsson assured the board his ship would float exclaiming, "The sea shall ride over her and she shall live in it like a duck". On 15 September, after further deliberations, the board accepted Ericsson's proposal. The Ironclad Board evaluated 17 different designs, but recommended only three for procurement on 16 September, including Ericsson's Monitor design. The three ironclad ships selected differed substantially in design and degree of risk. Monitor

7552-437: The end of the engagement, Worden directed Williams to steer Monitor around the stern of the Confederate ironclad; Lieutenant Wood fired Virginia ' s 7-inch Brooke gun at Monitor ' s pilothouse , striking the forward side directly beneath the sight hold, cracking the structural "iron log" along the base of the narrow opening just as Worden was peering out. Worden was heard to cry out, My eyes—I am blind! Others in

7680-462: The enlisted men in the crew. Living quarters for the senior officers consisted of eight separate well-furnished cabins, each provided with a small oak table and chair, an oil lamp, shelves and drawers and a canvas floor covering covered with a rug. The entire crew were given goat-skin mats to sleep on. Lighting for each living area was provided by small skylights in the deck above, which were covered by an iron hatch during battle. The officer's wardroom

7808-677: The existing arrangement had been used for the first year of the war, the case was made that the nation's interests would be better served by organizing the Navy along lines more like that of the British Royal Navy . A set of officer ranks was established in the summer of 1862 that precisely matched the Army ranks. The most visible change was that some individuals would be designated commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral, and finally admiral, all new formal ranks, and equivalent to, respectively, brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, and general. Chief Petty Officer Master-at-Arms of

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7936-405: The fire of Monitor and other ships. Neither ship had sustained any significant damage. In the opinion of Virginia ' s commander Jones and her other officers, Monitor could have sunk their ship had she hit the vessel at the waterline. Strategically, the battle between these two ships was considered the most definitive naval battle of the Civil War. The battle itself was largely considered

8064-433: The fires in the boilers were nearly extinguished over the course of the next day; this created a toxic atmosphere in the engine room that knocked out most of the engine-room crew. First Assistant Engineer Isaac Newton ordered the engine room abandoned and had the able-bodied crew drag the afflicted engine room hands to the top of the turret where the fresh air could revive them. Both Newton and Stimers worked desperately to get

8192-659: The first shell guns and rifled cannons. Experience during the Crimean War of 1854–1855 showed that armored ships could withstand repeated hits without significant damage when French ironclad floating batteries defeated Russian coastal fortifications during the Battle of Kinburn . Ericsson claimed to have sent the French Emperor Napoléon III a proposal for a monitor-type design, with a gun turret, in September 1854, but no record of any such submission could be found in

8320-453: The first such ship commissioned by the Navy. Monitor played a central role in the Battle of Hampton Roads on 9 March under the command of Lieutenant John L. Worden , where she fought the casemate ironclad CSS  Virginia (built on the hull of the scuttled steam frigate USS  Merrimack ) to a stalemate. The design of the ship was distinguished by its revolving turret , which was designed by American inventor Theodore Timby ; it

8448-579: The greatest naval conflicts on record". A small tug soon came alongside and the blinded Worden was brought up from his cabin while crew members and spectators cheered. He was taken to Fort Monroe for preliminary treatment, then to a hospital in Washington. Stimers and Newton soon began repairing the damage to the pilot house, and reconfigured the sides from an upright position to a slope of thirty degrees to deflect shot. During this time, Mrs. Worden personally brought news of her husband's progress and recovery and

8576-524: The grounded Minnesota . By midnight, under the cover of darkness, Monitor quietly pulled up alongside and behind the Minnesota and waited. The next morning at about 6:00 am Virginia , accompanied by Jamestown , Patrick Henry and Teaser , got underway from Sewell's Point to finish off Minnesota and the rest of the blockaders, but were delayed sailing out into Hampton Roads because of heavy fog until about 8:00 am. In Monitor Worden

8704-510: The gun's designer Dahlgren himself. They could fire a 136-pound (61.7 kg) round shot or shell up to a range of 3,650 yards (3,340 m) at an elevation of +15°. The top of the armored deck was only about 18 inches (460 mm) above the waterline . It was protected by two layers of 1 ⁄ 2 -inch (13 mm) wrought iron armor. The sides of the "raft" consisted of three to five layers of 1-inch (25 mm) iron plates, backed by about 30 inches (762 mm) of pine and oak. Three of

8832-445: The gun's designer, who lacked the "preliminary information" needed to determine what amount of charge was needed to "pierce, dislocate or dislodge iron plates" of various thicknesses and configurations. During the battle Stodder was stationed at the wheel that controlled the turning of the turret, but at one point when he was leaning against its side the turret received a direct hit directly opposite to him which knocked him clear across

8960-408: The gunports. Including the guns, the turret weighed approximately 160 long tons (163 t); the entire weight rested on an iron spindle that had to be jacked up using a wedge before the turret could rotate. The spindle was 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter which gave it ten times the strength needed in preventing the turret from sliding sideways. When not in use, the turret rested on a brass ring on

9088-440: The inside, rendering him unconscious. He was taken below to recover and relieved by Stimers. The two vessels were pounding each other at such close range that they collided five times. By 11:00 am Monitor ' s supply of shot in the turret had been exhausted. With one of the gun port covers jammed shut, she hauled off to shallow waters to resupply the turret and repair the damaged hatch, which could not be fixed. During

9216-422: The interior confirmed the importance of large fleets in modern naval operations. At the start of the war, the Union Navy had 42 ships in commission. Another 48 were laid up and listed as available for service as soon as crews could be assembled and trained, but few were appropriate. Most were sailing vessels, some were hopelessly outdated, and one ( USS  Michigan ) served on Lake Erie and could not be moved to

9344-455: The keel up in response to peculiar problems they would encounter. Wooden hulls were first protected by armor plating and soon replaced by iron or steel throughout. Guns were reduced in number but increased in size and range; the reduction was partially compensated by mounting the guns in rotating turrets or pivoting the gun on a curved deck track so they could be turned to fire in any direction. The institutional changes that were introduced during

9472-401: The last crew members to abandon Monitor minutes before she sank in a storm at sea, who was the last surviving crew member of Monitor and lived well into the 20th century. On 6 March 1862, the ship departed New York bound for Fort Monroe , Virginia, towed by the ocean-going tug Seth Low and accompanied by the gunboats Currituck and Sachem . Worden, not trusting the seal between

9600-419: The lull in the battle, Worden climbed through the gun port out onto the deck to get a better view of the overall situation. Virginia , seeing Monitor turn away, turned her attention to the Minnesota and fired shots that set the wooden vessel ablaze, also destroying the nearby tugboat Dragon . When the turret was resupplied with ammunition, Worden returned to battle with only one gun able to fire. Towards

9728-405: The need for iron plating on ship arose only after the explosive shell -firing Paixhans gun was introduced to naval warfare in the 1820s. The use of heavy iron plating on the sides of warships was not practical until steam propulsion matured enough to carry its great weight. Developments in gun technology had progressed by the 1840s so that no practical thickness of wood could withstand the power of

9856-615: The next, he accompanied a Union Army force during the Battle of Natural Bridge near St. Marks, Florida . He helped transport and fire a naval howitzer throughout the engagement despite heavy Confederate fire. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor three months later, on June 22, 1865. He was one of six sailors to receive the medal for manning artillery pieces during the battle, the others being Landsman John S. Lann , Seaman John Mack , Seaman George Pyne , Ordinary Seaman Charles Read , and Seaman Thomas Smith . Schutt's official Medal of Honor citation reads: As coxswain on board

9984-399: The ocean. During the war, the number in commission was increased by more than a factor 15, so that at the end the U.S. Navy had 671 vessels. The variety of ship types represented was even more significant than the increase in raw numbers, some of the forms not previously seen in naval war. The nature of the conflict, much of which occurred in the continent's interior or shallow harbors along

10112-407: The other. At one point, Virginia attempted to ram, but only struck Monitor a glancing blow and did no damage. The collision did, however, aggravate the damage to Virginia ' s bow from when she had previously rammed Cumberland . Monitor was also unable to do significant damage to Virginia , possibly because her guns were firing with reduced charges, on advice from Commander John Dahlgren ,

10240-404: The outer plates were bolted to the inner ones. A ninth plate, only 3 ⁄ 4 inch (19 mm) thick and 15 inches (381 mm) wide, was bolted over the butt joints of the innermost layer of armor. Glass portholes in the deck provided natural light for the interior of the ship; in action these were covered by iron plates. After the duel between the two ironclads at Hampton Roads there

10368-402: The papers Louvestre was carrying, he had production of Monitor sped up. Welles later recorded in his memoirs that "Mrs. Louvestre encountered no small risk in bringing this information ...". After the United States received word of the construction of Virginia , Congress appropriated $ 1.5 million on 3 August 1861 to build one or more armored steamships. It also ordered the creation of

10496-448: The pilothouse and the turret had broken early in the action so Keeler and Toffey had to relay commands from Worden to Greene. As Virginia approached, she began firing at Minnesota from more than a mile away, a few of her shells hitting the vessel. When the firing was heard in the distance, Greene sent Keeler to the pilot house for permission to open fire as soon as possible where Worden ordered, "Tell Mr. Greene not to fire till I give

10624-401: The pilothouse had also been hit with fragments and were also bleeding. Temporarily blinded by shell fragments and gunpowder residue from the explosion, and believing the pilothouse to be severely damaged, Worden ordered Williams to sheer off into shallow water, where Virginia with her deep draft could not follow. There Monitor drifted idly for about twenty minutes. At the time the pilothouse

10752-407: The plates extended the full 60-inch (1,524 mm) height of the side, but the two innermost plates did not extend all the way down. Ericsson originally intended to use either six 1-inch plates or a single outer 4-inch (100 mm) plate backed by three 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (19 mm) plates, but the thicker plate required too much time to roll. The two innermost plates were riveted together while

10880-407: The profits or the losses incurred by the construction of the ironclad. There was one major delay, however, over the signing of the actual contract with the government. Welles insisted that if Monitor did not prove to be a "complete success", the builders would have to refund every cent to the government. Winslow balked at this draconian provision and had to be persuaded by his partners to sign after

11008-425: The river banks. The fort was strategically situated on the west bank of the James River atop of a bluff some 200 ft (61 m) above and overlooking the bend in the river. Monitor was of little help in the assault because the confinement and small gun ports of her turret would not allow her to elevate her guns sufficiently to engage the Confederate batteries at close range, so she had to fall back and fire at

11136-508: The river including Harrison's Landing which ended in August. However most of the time spent on the river was marked with inactivity and hot weather which had a negative effect on the morale of Monitor ' s crew. During the long, hot, summer, several crew members became sick and were transferred to Hampton Roads while various officers were replaced including Newton, while Jeffers was replaced by Commander Thomas H. Stevens, Jr. on 15 August. By

11264-443: The roof plates in place. The turret was intended to mount a pair of 15-inch (380 mm) smoothbore Dahlgren guns , but they were not ready in time and 11-inch (280 mm) guns were substituted, weighing approximately 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg) each. Monitor ' s guns used the standard propellant charge of 15 pounds (6.8 kg) specified by the 1860 ordnance for targets "distant", "near", and "ordinary", established by

11392-449: The rudder, which he estimated to take only a day. Ericsson, however, preferred to revise the steering gear by adding an extra set of pulleys as he believed it would take less time. His modification proved to be successful during trials on 4 March. Gunnery trials were successfully performed the previous day, although Stimers twice nearly caused disasters as he did not understand how the recoil mechanism worked on Ericsson's carriage for

11520-499: The same time. Before the war, the United States Navy emphasized single-ship operations, but the nature of the conflict soon made whole fleets necessary. Already at the Battle of Port Royal (November 7, 1861), 77 vessels, including 19 warships, were employed. This was the largest naval expedition ever sailed under the U.S. flag, but the record did not last long. Subsequent operations at New Orleans, Mobile, and several positions in

11648-502: The seceded states was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln on April 19, 1861, one of the first acts of his administration following the bombardment of Fort Sumter . It existed mostly on paper in the early days of the conflict but became increasingly tighter as it continued. Although the blockade was never perfect, Southern exports of cotton fell 95 percent. As a result, the South had to restructure itself to emphasize food and munition production for internal use. This also contributed to

11776-566: The second day, the new Union ironclad confronted the Confederate ship, preventing her from wreaking further destruction on the wooden Union ships. A four-hour battle ensued, each ship pounding the other with close-range cannon fire, although neither ship could destroy or seriously damage the other. This was the first battle fought between armored warships and marked a turning point in naval warfare. The Confederates were forced to scuttle and destroy Virginia as they withdrew in early May 1862 from Norfolk and its naval shipyard, while Monitor sailed up

11904-659: The ship he serves in. Petty Officers of the Line Rank and succession to command: Petty Officers of the Staff Rank next after Master-at-Arms: Rank next after Gunner's Mate: Rank next after Captain of the Afterguard: Rank next after Quarter-Gunner: USS Monitor USS Monitor was an ironclad warship built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862,

12032-417: The ship if the pumps could not get enough steam to work. Monitor ' s turret measured 20 ft (6.1 m) in diameter and 9 ft (2.7 m) high, constructed with 8 inches (20 cm) of armor (11 inches in front at the gun ports) rendering the overall vessel somewhat top heavy. Its rounded shape helped to deflect cannon shot. A pair of steam-powered donkey engines rotated the turret through

12160-466: The ship would sink straight to the bottom, and commissioned on 25 February. Even before Monitor was commissioned, she ran an unsuccessful set of sea trials on 19 February. Valve problems with the main engine and one of the fan engines prevented her from reaching the Brooklyn Navy Yard from Bushwick Inlet and she had to be towed there the next day. These issues were easily fixed and Monitor

12288-506: The spar deck to find the gun crews not returning fire. Jones demanded to know why and was briefed by Lieutenant Eggleston that powder was low and precious, and given Monitor ' s resistance to shot after two hours of battle, maintained that continued firing at that point would be a waste of ammunition. Virginia soon managed to break away and headed back towards Norfolk for needed repairs, believing that Monitor had withdrawn from battle. Greene did not pursue Virginia and, like Worden,

12416-531: The sponsor of the proposal that became the armored sloop USS  Galena , needed to have his design reviewed by a naval constructor . The board required a guarantee from Bushnell that his ship would float despite the weight of its armor and Cornelius H. DeLamater of New York City recommended that Bushnell consult with his friend Ericsson. The two first met on 9 September and again on the following day, after Ericsson had time to evaluate Galena 's design. During this second meeting, Ericsson showed Bushnell

12544-429: The temperamental Stanton learned that Monitor had only two guns he expressed contempt and rage as he paced back and forth, further increasing the anxiety and despair among members of the meeting. Assurances from Admiral Dahlgren and other officers that Virginia was too massive to effectively approach Washington and that Monitor was capable of the challenge offered him no consolation. After further deliberations Lincoln

12672-402: The turret and the hull, and ignoring Ericsson's advice, wedged the former in the up position and stuffed oakum and sail cloth in the gap. Rising seas that night washed the oakum away and water poured underneath the turret, as well as through the hawsepipe , various hatches, ventilation pipes, and the two funnels , so that the belts for the ventilation and boiler fans loosened and fell off and

12800-465: The turret with heavy shot could bend the spindle, which could also jam the turret. To gain access to the turret from below, or to hoist up powder and shot during battle, the turret had to rotate to face starboard , which would line up the entry hatch in the floor of the turret with an opening in the deck below. The roof of the turret was lightly built to facilitate any needed exchange of the ship's guns and to improve ventilation, with only gravity holding

12928-467: The two eleven-inch (280 mm) Dahlgrens. Each gun was crewed by eight men. In Worden's report of 27 January 1862 to Welles, he stated he believed 17 men and 2 officers would be the maximum number in the turret that allowed the crew to work without getting in each other's way. Monitor also required petty officers: among them was Daniel Toffey, Worden's nephew. Worden had selected Toffey to serve as his captain's clerk. Two black Americans were also among

13056-408: The various crew members to family and friends while serving aboard the ironclad. In particular the correspondence of George S. Geer , who sent more than 80 letters, often referred to as The Monitor Chronicles , to his wife Martha during the entire time of Monitor ' s service provide many details and insights into every chapter of the ironclad's short-lived history, offering a rare perspective of

13184-464: The vessel was supplied by two centrifugal blowers near the stern, each of which was powered by a 6-horsepower (4.5 kW) steam engine. One fan circulated air throughout the ship, but the other one forced air through the boilers, which depended on this forced draught. Leather belts connected the blowers to their engines and they would stretch when wet, often disabling the fans and boilers. The ship's pumps were steam operated and water would accumulate in

13312-405: The vessel, but she managed to slip away around the stern of Virginia in time. There was a second confrontation on 8 May, when Virginia came out while Monitor and four other Federal ships bombarded Confederate batteries at Sewell's Point. The Federal ships retired slowly to Fort Monroe, hoping to lure Virginia into the Roads. She did not follow, however, and after firing a gun to windward as

13440-677: The vessels taken into the U.S. Navy in this period of rapid expansion incorporated flaws that would make them unsuitable for use in a permanent defense system. Accordingly, at the war's end, most of them were soon stricken from the service rather than mothballed. The number of ships at sea fell back to its prewar level. During the war, the Union Navy had a total of 84,415 personnel. The Union Navy suffered 6,233 casualties, with 4,523 deaths from all causes. 2,112 Union sailors were killed by enemy action, and 2,411 died by disease or injury. The Union Navy suffered at least 1,710 personnel wounded in action, injured, or disabled by disease. The Union Navy started

13568-488: The war was the second assault on Fort Fisher at the mouth of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. It was one of the few actions of the war on the coast in which the Army and Navy cooperated fully. The capture of the fort sealed off Wilmington , the last Confederate port to remain open. The death of the Confederacy followed in a little more than three months. There were numerous small or one-to-one battles far away from

13696-536: The war were equally significant. The Bureau of Steam Engineering was added to the bureau system, testimony to the U.S. Navy's conversion from sail to steam. Most important, from the standpoint of Army-Navy cooperation in joint operations, the set of officer ranks was redefined so that each rank in the U.S. Army had its equivalent in the U.S. Navy. Establishing the ranks of admirals also implied a change of naval doctrine, from one favoring single-ship operations to that of employing whole fleets. A doctrinal shift took place at

13824-511: The war with 8,000 men, 7,600 enlisted men of all ratings and some 1,200 commissioned officers. The number of hands in the Union Navy grew five times its original strength at the war's outbreak. As with many pre-war sailors, most of these new hands were volunteers who desired to serve in the navy temporarily rather than make the navy a career. Most of these volunteers were rated as "Land's Men" by recruiters meaning they had little or no experience at sea in their civilian lives. However, many sailors from

13952-413: The widespread adoption of rotating guns on warships in navies worldwide. Because Monitor was an experimental craft, urgently needed, hurriedly constructed, and almost immediately put to sea, a number of problems were discovered during her maiden voyage to Hampton Roads and during the battle there. Yet she was still able to challenge Virginia and prevent her from further destroying the remaining ships in

14080-413: The word, to be cool and deliberate, to take sure aim and not waste a shot." Monitor , to the surprise of Virginia ' s crew, had emerged from behind Minnesota and positioned herself between her and the grounded ship, preventing the Confederate ironclad from further engaging the vulnerable wooden ship at close range. At 8:45 am Worden gave the order to fire where Greene fired the first shots of

14208-471: Was able to restart her engines later that evening. She rounded Cape Charles around 3:00 pm on 8 March and entered Chesapeake Bay , reaching Hampton Roads at 9:00 pm, well after the first day's fighting in the Battle of Hampton Roads had concluded. On 8 March 1862, Virginia , commanded by Commander Franklin Buchanan , was ready to engage the Union flotilla blockading the James River. Virginia

14336-469: Was aboard and inspected Monitor after the battle responded in a letter of 30 April 1862: "With reference to the Monitor, the moment I jumped on board of her after the fight I saw that a steam tug with twenty men could have taken the upper part of her in as many seconds ... I hear that hot water pipes are arranged so as to scald the assailants when they may dare to set foot on her." The chance to employ such

14464-474: Was already at his station in the pilot house while Greene took command of the turret. Samuel Howard, Acting Master of Minnesota , who was familiar with Hampton Roads with its varying depths and shallow areas, had volunteered to be the pilot the night before and thus was accepted, while Quarter Master Peter Williams steered the vessel throughout the battle (Williams was later awarded the Medal of Honor for this act). The speaking tube used to communicate between

14592-445: Was concern by some Navy officials who witnessed the battle that Monitor ' s design might allow for easy boarding by the Confederates. In a letter dated 27 April 1862 Lieutenant Commander O.C. Badger wrote to Lieutenant H. A. Wise, Assistant Inspector of Ordnance, advising the use of "liquid fire", scalding water from the boiler through hoses and pipes, sprayed out via the vents and pilothouse window, to repel enemy boarders. Wise who

14720-453: Was finally assured but Stanton remained almost in a state of terror and sent telegrams to various governors and mayors of the coastal states warning them of the danger. Subsequently, Stanton approved a plan to load some sixty canal boats with stone and gravel and sink them in the Potomac, but Welles was able to convince Lincoln at the last moment that such a plan would only prevent Monitor and other Union ships from reaching Washington and that

14848-434: Was fitted on the upper deck towards the bow, however, its position prevented Monitor from firing her guns straight forward. One of Ericsson's prime goals in designing the ship was to present the smallest possible target to enemy gunfire. The ship was 179 feet (54.6 m) long overall , had a beam of 41 feet 6 inches (12.6 m) and had a maximum draft of 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 m). Monitor had

14976-503: Was immediately informed of the dire situation after the initial battle. Many were now concerned Virginia would put to sea and begin bombarding cities such as New York while others feared she would ascend the Potomac River and attack Washington. In an emergency meeting among President Lincoln, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton , Secretary Welles and other senior naval officers, inquiries were made about Monitor ' s ability to stop Virginia ' s prospect of further destruction. When

15104-627: Was laid the same day. The turret was built and assembled at the Novelty Iron Works in Manhattan , disassembled and shipped to Bushwick Inlet where it was reassembled. The ship's steam engines and machinery were constructed at the DeLamater Iron Works , also in Manhattan. Chief Engineer Alban C. Stimers , who once served aboard Merrimack , was appointed Superintendent of the ship while she

15232-434: Was located forward of the berth deck where officers would eat their meals, hold meetings or socialize during what little spare time they had. It was well furnished with an oriental rug, a large oak table and other such items. Ericsson had personally paid for the costs of all the officer's furnishings. Many details of Monitor ' s history and insights of everyday crew life have been discovered from correspondence sent from

15360-523: Was optimistic, informing the crew his eyesight would soon return but he would be laid up for some time. She also informed them President Lincoln had personally paid Worden a visit extending his gratitude. Worden was later taken to his summer home in New York and remained unconscious for three months. He returned to Naval service in 1862 as captain of USS  Montauk , another Monitor -type ironclad. The Confederates were also celebrating what they considered

15488-468: Was ordered to sail for Hampton Roads on 26 February, but her departure had to be delayed one day to load ammunition. On the morning of 27 February the ship entered the East River preparatory to leaving New York, but proved to be all but unsteerable and had to be towed back to the navy yard. Upon examination, the steering gear controlling the rudder had been improperly installed and Rowland offered to realign

15616-561: Was powered by Merrimack ' s original engines, which had been condemned by the US Navy before her capture. The ship's chief engineer, H. Ashton Ramsay, served in Merrimack before the Civil War broke out and knew of the engines' unreliability, but Buchanan pushed forward undaunted. The slow-moving Virginia attacked the Union blockading squadron in Hampton Roads, Virginia, destroying the sail frigates Cumberland and Congress . Early in

15744-505: Was quickly duplicated and established the monitor class and type of armored warship built for the American Navy over the next several decades. The remainder of the ship was designed by Swedish-born engineer and inventor John Ericsson , and built in only 101 days in Brooklyn , New York, on the East River beginning in late 1861. Monitor presented a new concept in ship design and employed

15872-411: Was sometimes sarcastically described by the press and other critics as "Ericsson's folly", "cheesebox on a raft" and the "Yankee cheesebox". The most prominent feature on the vessel was a large cylindrical gun turret mounted amidships above the low-freeboard upper hull , also called the "raft". This extended well past the sides of the lower, more traditionally shaped hull. A small armored pilot house

16000-444: Was struck Worden's injury was only known to those in the pilothouse and immediately nearby. With Worden severely wounded, command passed to the executive officer, Samuel Greene . Taken by surprise, he was briefly undecided as to what action to take next, but after assessing the damage soon ordered Monitor to return to the battle area. Shortly after Monitor withdrew, Virginia had run aground, at which time Jones came down from

16128-434: Was the most innovative design by virtue of its low freeboard , shallow -draft iron hull, and total dependence on steam power. The riskiest element of its design was its rotating gun turret , something that had not previously been tested by any navy. Ericsson's guarantee of delivery in 100 days proved to be decisive in choosing his design despite the risk involved. Monitor was an unusual vessel in almost every respect and

16256-404: Was under orders to stay with and protect Minnesota , an action for which he was later criticized. As a result of the duel between the two ironclads, Monitor had been struck twenty-two times, including nine hits to the turret and two hits to the pilothouse. She had managed to fire forty-one shots from her pair of Dahlgren guns. Virginia had sustained ninety-seven indentations to her armor from

16384-435: Was undergoing construction. Although never formally assigned to the crew, he remained aboard her as an inspector during her maiden voyage and battle. Construction progressed in fits and starts, plagued by a number of short delays in the delivery of iron and occasional shortages of cash, but they did not delay the ship's progress by more than a few weeks. The hundred days allotted for her construction passed on 12 January, but

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