| CSS Virginia was built at Boston Navy Yard as the frigate
Merrimack, commissioned 20 February 1856, Capt. G. J. Pendergrast,
USN, in command. |
| Departing Boston she cruised in West Indian and European waters
in 1856-57. Following brief repairs she sailed in October 1857 as flagship
of the Pacific Squadron, cruising the Pacific coasts of South and Central
America until November 1859. Returning east she decommissioned at Norfolk
16 February 1860. On 20 April 1861 retiring Union forces burned
Merrimack to the water line and sank her to preclude capture. |
| The Confederates, in desperate need of ships, raised
Merrimack and rebuilt her as an ironclad ram, according to a design
prepared by naval constructor Lt. J. M. Brooke, CSN. Commissioned on 17 February
1862, as CSS Virginia, the ironclad was the hope of the Confederacy
to wreak havoc among the wooden ships in Hampton Roads and end the blockade's
strangulation. |
| Despite all-out effort to complete her, Virginia still
had workman on board when she sailed out into Hampton Roads, 8 March 1862,
tended by CSS Raleigh and Beaufort, accompanied by
Patrick, Jamestown, and Teaser. Flag Officer F. Buchanan,
CSN, commanding Virginia, singled out as first victim the sailing
sloop Cumberland, anchored west of Newport News, to test Virginia's
armor against a 70-pounder rifle. In taking position Virginia passed
Congress and exchanged broadsides, suffering no injury while causing
considerable. She crossed Cumberland's bows, raking her with a lethal
fire, finishing off the wooden warship with a thrust of her iron ram to conserve
scarce gunpowder. |
| Cumberland sank with colors flying, taking 121 men, one
third of her crew, and part of Virginia's ram down with her.
Virginia then turned her attention to Congress, which grounded
while attempting to evade. Opening fire from a distance, assisted by the
lighter ships of the James River Squadron, Virginia forced
Congress to haul down her colors. As CSS Beaufort and
Raleigh approached Congress to receive the surrender of her
crew, Federal troops ashore, not understanding the situation, opened a withering
fire and wounded Buchanan, who retaliated by ordering hot shot and incendiary
shell to be poured into Congress. The latter, ablaze and unable to
bring a single gun to bear, hauled down her flag for the last time. She continued
to burn far into the night and exploded about midnight. |
| Virginia did not emerge unscathed. Her stack was riddled
causing loss of power -- and she was initially underpowered. Two large guns
were out of order, her armor loosened anal her ram lost. Nevertheless, she
went on to attack
Minnesota,
but because of shallow water could not close the range to do that steam frigate
serious damage. Virginia anchored that night at Sewell's Point for
repairs. Flag Officer Buchanan was taken ashore to the hospital and Lt. C.
ap R. Jones, CSN, who had conned the ironclad after Buchanan had been wounded,
assumed command. |
| On the following morning Virginia returned to battle.
In the night the Union ironclad Monitor, after a hazardous trip from
New York had arrived in the nick of time to save the fleet in Hampton Roads.
The ensuing inconclusive battle, the first ever fought between powered ironclads,
revolutionized warfare at sea. |
| Flag Officer J. Tattnall, CSN, was ordered on 25 March 1862 to
command in Virginia waters with the ironclad as his flagship. She and USS
Monitor continued to stalemate each other for the next several weeks.
However, Virginia continued as a major threat to Union military operations
acting as an important deterrent to the Union Army's advance. When forced
to evacuate Norfolk, the Confederates tried to take Virginia up the
James River but her draft prevented it. The crew ran her ashore near Craney
Island, fired and destroyed her on 11 May 1862. |
Length; 275'; Beam, 38'6"; Draft, 22'; Speed, 9 knots; Complement,
320; Armament, two 7" rifles, two 6" rifles, six 9", two 12-pdr.
howitzers |
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