USS Monitor
Drawing of Monitor at sea
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Monitor |
Ordered | 4 October 1861 |
Builder | Continental Iron Works, Greenpoint, Brooklyn |
Cost | $275,000 |
Laid down | 25 October 1861 |
Launched | 30 January 1862 |
Commissioned | 25 February 1862 |
Fate | Lost at sea during a storm, 31 December 1862 (off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina) |
Status | Wreck located 27 August 1973, partially salvaged |
General characteristics | |
Type | Monitor |
Displacement | 987 long tons (1,003 t) |
Tons burthen | 776 tons (bm) |
Length | 179 ft (54.6 m) |
Beam | 41 ft 6 in (12.6 m) |
Draft | 10 ft 6 in (3.2 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed | 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) |
Complement | 49 officers and enlisted men |
Armament | 2 × 11 in (280 mm) smoothbore Dahlgren guns |
Armor |
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USS Monitor | |
Nearest city | Cape Hatteras, North Carolina |
Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
Built | 1861–1862 |
Architect | John Ericsson |
Architectural style | Ironclad warship |
NRHP reference No. | 74002299[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | 11 October 1974 |
Designated NHL | 23 June 1986 |
USS Monitor was an ironclad warship built for the United States Navy during the American Civil War and completed in early 1862, the first such ship commissioned by the Navy.[a] 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 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
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 the James River to support the Union Army during the
Conception
While the concept of ships protected by armor existed before the advent of the ironclad Monitor,
The Union Navy's attitude towards ironclads changed quickly when it was learned that 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 the Confederates' progress in converting the Merrimack to an ironclad; this prompted the Union Navy to complete and deploy Monitor as soon as possible.[9]
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,[10] made her way through Confederate lines with news that 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.[11][b] 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 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 ...".[13][14]
Approval
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 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.[15][c]
Ericsson originally made no submission to the board, but became involved when
The three ironclad ships selected differed substantially in design and degree of risk. Monitor 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.[d] Ericsson's guarantee of delivery in 100 days proved to be decisive in choosing his design despite the risk involved.[22]
Design and description
Monitor was an unusual vessel in almost every respect and was sometimes sarcastically described by the press and other critics as "Ericsson's folly", "cheesebox on a raft"
The ship was powered by a single-cylinder horizontal
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.
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,[37] 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 the gun's designer Dahlgren himself.[44] 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°.[45]
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 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.[46] The two innermost plates were riveted together while 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.[27]
After the duel between the two ironclads at Hampton Roads there 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.[47] Wise who 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."[48] The chance to employ such a tactic never arose. There are conflicting accounts as to whether such an anti-personnel provision was installed.[49][50]
Construction
Preliminary work had begun well before that date, however, and Ericsson's consortium contracted with
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 the Navy chose not to penalize the consortium.
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 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 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.[64][66][67] 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 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.[68]
Monitor employed over forty patented inventions and marked a significant departure from the dominant naval vessels of the time.[19][69] Ericsson's innovative turret design, although not without flaws, facilitated the widespread adoption of rotating guns on warships in navies worldwide.[70] 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.[71] Yet she was still able to challenge Virginia and prevent her from further destroying the remaining ships in the Union flotilla blockading Hampton Roads.[72]
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".[73]
Crew
Monitor's crew were all volunteers and totaled 49 officers and enlisted men. The ship required ten officers: a commander, an executive officer, four engineers, one medical officer, two masters and a paymaster.[74] Before Worden was allowed to select, assemble, and commit a crew to Monitor, the vessel had to be completed.[75] The original officers at the time of Monitor's commissioning were:
Lieutenant John Lorimer Worden, Commanding Officer | |
Lieutenant Samuel Greene, Executive Officer | Third Assistant Engineer, Robinson W. Hands |
Acting Master, Louis N. Stodder | Fourth Assistant Engineer, Mark T. Sunstrom |
Acting Master, J.N. Webber | Acting Assistant Paymaster, William F. Keeler |
First Assistant Engineer, Isaac Newton Jr. | Acting Assistant Surgeon, Daniel C. Logue[74] |
Second Assistant Engineer, Albert B. Campbell |
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.[75] In Monitor's turret, Greene and Stodder supervised loading and firing of the two eleven-inch (280 mm) Dahlgrens. Each gun was crewed by eight men.[76] 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.[77]
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 the enlisted men in the crew.[80]
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 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.[81]
Many details of Monitor's history and insights of everyday crew life have been discovered from correspondence sent from the various crew members to family and friends while serving aboard the ironclad. In particular the correspondence of
Service
On 6 March 1862, the ship departed New York bound for
Battle of Hampton Roads
On 8 March 1862, Virginia, commanded by Commander Franklin Buchanan,[90] was ready to engage the Union flotilla blockading the James River.[g] Virginia 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.[92][h]
The slow-moving Virginia attacked the Union blockading squadron in Hampton Roads, Virginia, destroying the sail frigates Cumberland and Congress.[i] Early in 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.[93]
Days before the battle a telegraph cable was laid between Fortress Monroe, which overlooked Hampton Roads, and Washington.
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 the grounded Minnesota.[99][100] By midnight, under the cover of darkness, Monitor quietly pulled up alongside and behind the Minnesota and waited.[101]
Duel of the ironclads
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.[102] In Monitor Worden was already at his station in the pilot house while Greene took command of the turret.[103] 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).[104][105] The speaking tube used to communicate between the pilothouse and the turret had broken early in the action so Keeler and Toffey had to relay commands from Worden to Greene.[106][107] 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,[103][108] "Tell Mr. Greene not to fire till I give the word, to be cool and deliberate, to take sure aim and not waste a shot."[108]
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 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.[109] The ironclads fought, generally at close range, for about four hours, ending at 12:15 pm,[110][j] ranging from a few yards to more than a hundred. Both ships were constantly in motion, maintaining 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.[112]
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 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.[113][114] However, neither vessel was able to sink or seriously damage 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, 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.[56][115][k] 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 the inside, rendering him unconscious. He was taken below to recover and relieved by Stimers.[107][116]
The two vessels were pounding each other at such close range that they collided five times.[117] 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 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.[118]
Towards the end of the engagement, Worden directed Williams to steer Monitor around the stern of the Confederate ironclad;
Shortly after Monitor withdrew, Virginia had run aground, at which time Jones came down from 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.[26] 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[123] and, like Worden, was under orders to stay with and protect Minnesota,[124] 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 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.[121][125]
Strategically, the battle between these two ships was considered the most definitive naval battle of the Civil War. The battle itself was largely considered a draw, though it could be argued Virginia did slightly more damage.[121] 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.[126] Strategically, nothing had changed: the Union still controlled Hampton Roads and the Confederates still held several rivers and Norfolk,[127] 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.[101]
Events after the battle
Immediately following the battle Stimers telegraphed Ericsson, congratulating and thanking him for making it possible to confront 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 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.[128]
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 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.[129] Worden was later taken to his summer home in New York and remained unconscious for three months.[130] He returned to Naval service in 1862 as captain of USS Montauk, another Monitor-type ironclad.
The Confederates were also celebrating what they considered 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.[131]
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 a large ship (the
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
The
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 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.[137]
Battle of Drewry's Bluff
After the destruction of Virginia, Monitor was free to assist the
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 the river including
Repairs and refit
In September Captain John P. Bankhead received orders to take command of Monitor, relieving Stevens, and was sent to Hampton Roads to take charge of the vessel.[147] Shortly after Bankhead assumed command, Monitor's engines and boilers were condemned by a board of survey which recommended that they be overhauled completely.[148] On 30 September the ironclad was sent to the Washington Navy Yard for repairs[149][150] arriving there on 3 October.[151]
Upon arrival at Washington Monitor and her crew were greeted by a crowd of thousands of cheering admirers who came to see the ship that "saved the nation". Monitor was now a premier tourist attraction and the crowd was soon allowed on board to tour the vessel.[152] During this time the vessel was picked clean of artifacts for souvenirs by the touring civilians that came aboard. When Stodder and others came to close up the dock and ship one evening Stodder noted, "When we came up to clean that night there was not a key, doorknob, escutcheon – there wasn't a thing that hadn't been carried away."[153]
Before Monitor was put into dry dock for repairs, Lincoln, Fox, various officials and a few of Worden's close friends arrived to ceremoniously review the vessel and pay respect to the crew and former commander Worden, who after a long and partial recovery arrived for the occasion. Entire army regiments were also directed to come by the navy yard and review the ship and honor the crew. Monitor's crew assembled on deck in formation with their officers in front, while Lincoln, Fox and other guests stood near the turret. When Worden, with part of his face blackened from the wounds he received at Hampton Roads, came aboard, the heavy guns in the navy yard were fired in salute. Lincoln came forward and greeted Worden and then introduced him to some of the others. After his formal greeting the crew swarmed around Worden and embraced and shook hands with their former commander and thanked God for his recovery and return. Worden called each of them by name and spoke friendly to and complimented each of them personally. When order was restored the President gave a short speech about Worden's career. At Fox's request, Worden gave a speech to the gathering about his voyage from New York to Hampton Roads, the trials they were faced with along the way and of the great battle between Monitor and Virginia, while paying tribute to many of the officers and men involved. In closing he gave special thanks to Ericsson, Lincoln, Welles and all who made construction of Monitor possible.[154][155]
While Monitor was undergoing repairs her crew was put aboard
Final voyage
On 24 December 1862, orders were issued directing Monitor to Beaufort, North Carolina to join USS Passaic and USS Montauk for a joint Army-Navy expedition against Wilmington, North Carolina, where she would join the blockade off Charleston. The orders were received by the crew on Christmas Day, some of whom had been aboard Monitor on her harrowing journey from New York to Hampton Roads in March and were not pleased with the prospect of taking to the high seas once again. Dana Greene remarked, "I do not consider this steamer a sea going vessel".[159]
The crew celebrated Christmas aboard Monitor while berthed at Hampton Roads in what was described as a most merry fashion, while many other celebrations were occurring along the shore. The ship's cook was paid one dollar to prepare a meal for the crew befitting the day; it was received with mixed opinion. That day, Monitor was made ready for sea, her crew under strict orders not to discuss the impending voyage with anyone, but bad weather delayed her departure until 29 December.[160]
While the design of Monitor was well-suited for river combat, her low freeboard and heavy turret made her highly unseaworthy in rough waters. Under the command of John P. Bankhead, Monitor put to sea on 31 December, under tow from the steamship USS Rhode Island, as a heavy storm developed off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Using chalk and a blackboard, Bankhead wrote messages alerting Rhode Island that if Monitor needed help she would signal with a red lantern.[161]
Monitor was soon in trouble as the storm increased in ferocity. Large waves were splashing over and completely covering the deck and pilot house so the crew temporarily rigged the wheel atop the turret which was manned by helmsman Francis Butts.
Greene and Stodder were among the last men to abandon ship and remained with Bankhead who was the last surviving man to abandon the sinking Monitor. In his official report of Monitor to the Navy Department, Bankhead praised Greene and Stodder for their heroic efforts and wrote, "I would beg leave to call the attention of the Admiral and of the Department of the particularly good conduct of Lieutenant Greene and Acting Master Louis N. Stodder, who remained with me until the last, and by their example did much toward inspiring confidence and obedience on the part of the others."[83]
After a frantic rescue effort, Monitor finally capsized and sank, stern first,[169] approximately 16 miles (26 km) southeast off Cape Hatteras with the loss of sixteen men,[170] including four officers, some of whom remained in the turret, which detached as the ship capsized. Forty-seven men were rescued by the life boats from Rhode Island.[171][172][n] Bankhead, Greene and Stodder barely managed to get clear of the sinking vessel and survived the ordeal,[166] but suffered from exposure from the icy winter sea.[173] After his initial recovery, Bankhead filed his official report, as did the commanding officers of the Rhode Island, stating officers and men of both Monitor and Rhode Island did everything within their ability to keep Monitor from sinking. The Navy did not find it necessary to commission a board of inquiry to investigate the affair and took no action against Bankhead or any of his officers.[174]
Some time later a controversy emerged over why Monitor sank. In the Army and Navy Journal, Ericsson accused the crew of drunkenness during the storm, being consequently unable to prevent the vessel from sinking. Stodder vigorously defended the crew and rebuked Ericsson's characterization of the crew and events and wrote to Pierce that Ericsson "covers up defects by blaming those that are now dead", pointing out that there were a number of unavoidable events and circumstances that led to the ship's sinking, foremost being the overhang between the upper and lower hulls which came loose and partially separated during the storm from slamming into the violent waves. Stodder's account was corroborated by other shipmates.[175]
Rediscovery
The Navy tested an "underwater locator" in August 1949 by searching an area south of the
Interest in locating the ship revived in the early 1970s and Duke University, the National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation sponsored an expedition in August 1973 to search for the wreck using a towed sonar system. The Duke team was led by John G. Newton[179] (no known relation to the Isaac Newton that served on the Monitor). On 27 August, Monitor was discovered almost 111 years after sinking, near Cape Hatteras at coordinates 35°0′6″N 75°24′23″W / 35.00167°N 75.40639°W. They sent a camera down to photograph the wreck, but the pictures were so fuzzy as to be useless; on a second attempt the camera snagged something on the wreck and was lost. The sonar images did not match what they expected the wreck to look like until they realized that the sinking vessel had turned over while descending and was resting at the bottom upside down. The team announced their discovery on 8 March 1974. Another expedition was mounted that same month to confirm the discovery and the research submersible Alcoa Sea Probe was able to take still photos and video of the wreck that confirmed it was Monitor.[180]
These photos revealed that the wreck was disintegrating and the discovery raised another issue. Since the Navy had formally abandoned the wreck in 1953, it could be exploited by divers and private salvage companies as it lay outside North Carolina's territorial limits.
In 1977, scientists were finally able to view the wreckage in person as the submersible Johnson Sea Link was used to inspect it. The Sea Link was able to ferry divers down to the sunken vessel and retrieve small artifacts.[184] U.S. Navy interest in raising the entire ship ended in 1978 when Captain Willard F. Searle Jr. calculated the cost and possible damage expected from the operation: $20 million to stabilize the vessel in place, or as much as $50 million to bring all of it to the surface.[185] Research continued and artifacts continued to be recovered, including the ship's 1,500-pound (680 kg) anchor in 1983. The growing number of relics required conservation and a proper home so the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in charge of all U.S. marine sanctuaries, selected the Mariners' Museum on 9 March 1987 after considering proposals from several other institutions.[186][187]
Recovery
Initial efforts in 1995 by Navy and NOAA divers to raise the warship's propeller were foiled by an abnormally stormy season off Cape Hatteras. Realizing that raising the whole wreck was impractical for financial reasons as well as the inability to bring up the wreck intact, NOAA developed a comprehensive plan to recover the most significant parts of the ship, namely her engine, propeller, guns, and turret. It estimated that the plan would cost over 20 million dollars to implement over four years. The Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program contributed $14.5 million. The Navy divers, mainly from its two
Another effort to raise Monitor's propeller was successful on 8 June 1998, although the amount of effort required to work in the difficult conditions off Cape Hatteras was underestimated and the fewer than 30 divers used were nearly overwhelmed. The 1999 dive season was mostly research oriented as divers investigated the wreck in detail, planning how to recover the engine and determining if they could stabilize the hull so that it would not collapse onto the turret. In 2000, the divers shored up the port side of the hull with bags of grout, installed the engine recovery system, an external framework to which the engine would be attached, in preparation for the next season, and made over five times as many dives as they had the previous season.[189]
The 2001 dive season concentrated on raising the ship's steam engine and
Much like the previous year, the 2002 dive season was dedicated to lifting the 120-long-ton (120 t) turret to the surface. Around 160 divers were assigned to remove the parts of the hull, including the armor belt, that lay on top of the turret using chisels,
With Tropical Storm Cristobal bearing down on the recovery team, and time and money running out,[193] the team made the decision to raise the turret on 5 August 2002, after 41 days of work, and the gun turret broke the surface at 5:30 pm to the cheers of everyone aboard Wotan and other recovery ships nearby.[194] As archaeologists examined the contents of the turret after it has been landed aboard Wotan, they discovered a second skeleton, but removing it did not begin until the turret arrived at the Mariners' Museum for conservation. The remains of these sailors were transferred to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, in the hope that they could be identified.[195]
Only 16 of the crew were not rescued by Rhode Island before Monitor sank and the
In 2003 NOAA divers and volunteers returned to the Monitor with the goal of obtaining overall video of the site to create a permanent record of the current conditions on the wreck after the turret recovery. Jeff Johnston of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS) also wanted a definitive image of the vessel's pilothouse. During the dives, Monitor's iron pilothouse was located near the bow of the vessel and documented for the first time by videographer Rick Allen, of Nautilus Productions, in its inverted position.[202]
Conservation of the propeller was completed nearly three years after its recovery, and it is on display in the Monitor Center at the Mariners' Museum.[203] As of 2013, conservation of the engine, its components, the turret and the guns continues.[204] The Dahlgren guns were removed from the turret in September 2004 and placed in their own conservation tanks.[205] Among some of the artifacts recovered from the sunken vessel was a red signal lantern, possibly the one used to send a distress signal to Rhode Island and the last thing to be seen before Monitor sank in 1862 – it was the first object recovered from the site in 1977. A gold wedding band was also recovered from the hand of the skeletal remains of one of Monitor's crew members found in the turret.[206]
Northrop Grumman Shipyard in Newport News constructed a full-scale non-seaworthy static replica of Monitor. The replica was laid down in February 2005 and completed just two months later on the grounds of the Mariners' Museum.[207] The Monitor National Marine Sanctuary conducts occasional dives on the wreck to monitor and record any changes in its condition and its environment.[208]
Memorials
The
In 1995 the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating USS Monitor and CSS Virginia depicting the two ships while engaged in their famous battle at Hampton Roads. For an image of the stamp, see footnote link.[211]
The 150th anniversary of the ship's loss prompted several events in commemoration. A memorial to Monitor and her lost crew members was erected in the Civil War section of
New Jersey-based indie rock band
Legacy
Monitor gave her name to a new type of
In popular culture
The battle between the Monitor and the Confederate ironclad
See also
- Bibliography of American Civil War naval history
- Bibliography of early United States naval history
- List of monitors of the United States Navy
- List of National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Dare County, North Carolina
Notes
- U.S. War Department, and at her commissioning the Carondelet was Union Army (United States Army) owned, rather than U.S. Navy property.[2]
- ^ Accounts vary. Some sources claim she stole and was carrying the ship's plans, rather than a letter from a third party.[12][13][14]
- ^ Members of the Ironclad board included Commodores Joseph Smith, Hiram Paulding and Charles H. Davis. The board lacked experienced shipbuilders but was compensated by the fact that two of the members had years of shipyard experience.[15]
- ^ British trials of a turret designed by Captain Cowper Coles on board the floating battery HMS Trusty began the same month.[21]
- ^ Ericsson later admitted that this was a serious flaw in the ship's design and that the pilot house should have been placed atop the turret.
- ^ See Bibliography: Marvel, William, ed. (2000). The Monitor Chronicles: One Sailor's Account ...
- ^ Buchanan was commander of the Washington Navy Yard when the war broke out.[91]
- ^ Before setting out to engage the Union blockade Buchanan had quizzed Ramsay and learned of the history of their questionable reliability.[92]
- ^ Serving aboard Congress was Buchanan's brother, McKean Buchanan.[90]
- ^ Accounts vary, some claim the battle lasted no more than three and a half hours,[26] while some claim as many as five hours.[111]
- ^ In a letter of 19 March 1862, to Captain A. A. Harwood, Chief of Bureau of Ordnance and hydrography, Dahlgren emphasized "A subject so important cannot be perfected without much reflection and extensive experiment. But we lack almost the preliminary information indispensable to commence with."[115]
- USS Maratanza.[145]
- ^ In the actual engravings the men's names are inscribed below those of the ships' names. e.g. MONITOR & MERRIMA WORDEN
- ^ William Keeler in Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy, (Washington: D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1863)
- Navy List, an action more accurately described as a decision to 'surplus' ships, not a legal abandonment of the warship as an item of federal property. In fact, aside from express authority from Congress, the act of abandonment is outside the authority of any agency, including the Navy. The Navy can decommission a ship, but must follow 'surplus property' procedures administered by the General Services Administration to actually dispose of the ship."[181]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 9 July 2010.
- ^ Silverstone, 2006, pp. 109, 112.
- ^ Bennett, 1900, pp. 212–213.
- ^ Baxter, 1933, pp. 3–9.
- ^ a b Gardiner, 1992, pp. 50–55.
- ^ Konstam, 2002, p. 12.
- ^ Bennett, 1900, p. 64.
- ^ Baxter, 1933, pp. 184–185.
- ^ Clancy, 2013, p. 55.
- ^ CIA: Historical Document: Black Dispatches.
- ^ Davis, 1996, pp. 214–215.
- ^ Sutherland, 2004, p. 70.
- ^ a b Allen, 2008, pp. 115–116.
- ^ a b Tomblin, 2009, p. 161
- ^ a b Roberts, 1999, p. 5
- ^ Roberts, 1999, p. 7
- ^ Baxter, 1933, p. 253
- ^ a b Thompson, 1990, p. 224
- ^ a b Ward, Burns and Burns, 1990, p. 99
- ^ Roberts, 1999, pp. 7, 16–17
- ^ Brown, pp. 41–43
- ^ Roberts, 1999, pp. 7–11
- ^ Thulesius, 2007, pp. 108, 113
- ^ Bushnell, Ericsson, Welles, 1899, pp. 17, 41
- ^ McCordock, 1938, p. 103
- ^ a b c Tucker, 2006, p. 171
- ^ a b c d Thompson, 1990, p. 228.
- ^ a b Silverstone, p. 4
- ^ a b c Campbell, 1979, p. 119
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 128
- ^ Canney, 1993, p. 30
- ^ Thompson, 1990, p. 227
- ^ Mindell, 2000, p. 41
- ^ McCordock, 1938, p. 31
- ^ Thompson, 1990, p. 226
- ^ Canney, 1993, pp. 30, 80
- ^ a b c Thompson, 1990, p. 225.
- ^ Baxter, 1933, p. 256
- ^ Canney, 1993, pp. 79–80
- ^ Reed, 1869, pp. 253–54.
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 8
- ^ Wilson, 1896, p. 30.
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 211–212
- ^ Field, 2011, p. 33
- ^ Olmstead, Stark & Spencer, 1997, p. 90
- ^ Canney, 1993, p. 29
- ^ Rawson, 1898, pp. 285–86.
- ^ Rawson, 1898, pp. 293–94
- ^ Garrison, 1994, p. 140
- ^ Gentile, 1993, p. 70
- ^ Baxter, 1968, pp. 258–59
- ^ McPherson, 1988, pp. 374–375
- ^ a b McPherson, 1988, p. 375
- ^ Baxter, 1968, pp. 257–259
- ^ Thompson, 1990, pp. 229, 234–237
- ^ a b c Nelson, 2009 p. 467
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 25
- ^ a b Thulesius, 2007, p. 109
- ^ Bennett, 1900, p. 79
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 34
- ^ Thompson, 1990, pp. 236–237
- ^ Mariners' Museum article, 2013
- ^ Quarstein, 1999, p. 47
- ^ a b Thompson, 1990, p. 237
- ^ DANFS: Monitor
- ^ Bennett, 1900, p. 119
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 27–28
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 30–31
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 46
- ^ Park, 2007, p. 193
- ^ Quarstein, 2006, p. 45
- ^ Quarstein, 2006, p. 85
- ^ Thulesius, 2007, p. 140
- ^ a b Quarstein, 2010, p. 40
- ^ a b Quarstein, 2010, pp. 40–41
- ^ Konstam, 2002, p. 68
- ^ Rawson and Woods, 1897, p. 534
- ^ "Navy Photograph NH # 61931". Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Navy Photograph NH# 575". Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 44
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 50
- ^ George S. Geer, 1862, letters to wife Martha
- ^ a b Still, 1988, p. 20
- ^ Thulesius, 2007, p. 138
- ^ Baxter, 1968, pp. 266, 286
- ^ a b Konstam, 2002, p. 40
- ^ Baxter, 1968, p. 167
- ^ Baxter, 1968, p. 289
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 54–57, 74
- ^ a b Davis, 1996, p. 216
- ^ Holzer, Mulligan, 2006, p. 70
- ^ a b Nelson, 2009, p. 6
- ^ Konstam, 2002, p. 13
- ^ Clancy, 2013, p. 60
- ^ Quarstein, 1999, p. 75
- ^ Baxter, 1933, p. 297
- ^ Welles Diary, Vol. I, p. 65
- ^ Welles Diary, Vol. I, p. 66
- ^ Quarstein, 1999, p. 77
- ^ Field, 2011, p. 44
- ^ a b Wagner, 2002, p. 553
- ^ Quarstein, 1999, p. 78
- ^ a b Still, 1988, p. 18
- ^ Field, 2011, pp. 38, 46
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, pp. 181, 191
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 78
- ^ a b c Greene letter, 1862
- ^ a b Hoehling, 1993, p. 155
- ^ Maclay, 1894, p. 314
- ^ Ward, Burns and Burns, 1990, pp. 95, 101
- ^ Varhola, 1999, p. 221
- ^ McPherson, 1988, pp. 373–74
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 109–111
- ^ Leckie, 1990, p. 211
- ^ a b Dahlgren, 1882, p. 279
- ^ Maclay, 1894, p. 313
- ^ Ward, Burns and Burns, 1990, p. 101
- ^ a b c Field, 2011, p. 56
- ^ Field, 2011, pp. 36–37, 56–57
- ^ a b Holzer, Mulligan, 2006, p. 14
- ^ a b c Wilson, 1896, p. 32
- ^ Baxter, 1933, p. 294
- ^ Still, 1988, p. 7
- ^ Holzer, Mulligan, 2006, p. 101
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 79
- ^ Konstam, 2002, p. 7
- ^ Davis, 1975, p. 136
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 71
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 97
- ^ Still, 1988, p. 8
- ^ Quarstein, 2012, p. 169
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 108
- ^ Bennett, 1900, pp. 136–137
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 88
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 109
- ^ Anderson, 1989, pp. 77–78
- ^ Quarstein, 2012, p. 15
- ^ Davis, 1975, p. 147
- ^ a b Fuller, 2008, p. 178
- ^ a b c d Stern, 1962, p. 90
- ^ McCordock, 1938, p. 349
- ^ Wagner, Galleghar, Finkelman, 2002, p. 530
- ^ Wagner, Galleghar, Finkelman, 2002, p. 574
- ^ "Navsource archives". Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Quarstein, 2010, pp. 149–150
- ^ Tucker, 2006, p. 182
- ^ a b c Mariener's Museum, 2013: John P. Bankhead
- ^ Still, 1988, p. 67
- ^ Quarstein, 2006, p. 140
- ^ Thulesius, 2007, p. 131
- ^ Quarstein, 2006, p. 241
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, pp. 155–156
- ^ Quarstein, 2006, p. 241
- ^ a b c Nelson, 2009, p. 323
- ^ Worden, Greene, 1912, pp. 1–6, 21–22
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 156
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, pp. 156–157
- ^ Still, 1988, p. 67
- ^ Quarstein, 1999, p. 121
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 106
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 171
- ^ Thulesius, 2007, p. 136
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, p. 172
- ^ His real name was Wells Wentz; see US Naval Institute Magazine 2013 Archived 16 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine-thus he is listed under his real name in the USS Monitor Cenopath memorial gravestone
- ^ Mariner's Museum, Article: The Last Voyage of the USS Monitor
- ^ a b Mariner's Museum, Article: Last Voyage
- ^ Quarstein, 2010, pp. 171–72;
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 13
- ^ "The Lost Men of the Monitor". May 2013.
- ^ "USS Monitor". monitor.noaa.gov. Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
In the end, 16 of the brave men onboard the Monitor never met the year of 1863.
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 12
- ^ Holloway, 2013, pp. 7–8
- ^ Mariner's Museum, Article: John P. Bankhead, 2013
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 14
- ^ Mindell, 2000, p. 140
- ^ Clancy, 2013, p. 32
- ^ Harvard Journal, April 1951
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 32–33
- ^ "Monitor 150th Anniversary - Discovery of the Monitor".
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 34–37
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 62
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 37–38
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 91
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 38–40
- ^ Erickson, 1998, part 5 of 5, p. 2
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 42–43
- ^ Broadwater, John. "The USS Monitor: In Situ Preservation and Recovery". academia.edu. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 44–48
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 48–50
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, pp. 156–62
- ^ Southerland; Davidson; Journal, 2001
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 63, 102, 120, 186, 210
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 212–13, 230
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 183
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 265–67, 277–79
- ^ Clancy, 2013, pp. 279–84
- ^ Smolenyak, Megan (28 December 2012). "150th Anniversary of the USS Monitor: Meet Civil War Naval Heroes Robert Williams and William Bryan". HuffPost. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ Smolenyak, Megan (26 December 2012). "Crew of the USS Monitor: Could Sailor Jacob Nicklis Be One of the Mystery Skeletons?". HuffPost. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ Smolenyak, Megan (13 May 2012). "Crew Members of the USS Monitor: Solving the Mystery of the Skeletons in the Turret 150 Years Later". HuffPost. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ Smolenyak, Megan (9 November 2011). "USS Monitor: Could William Bryan Be One of the Skeletons in the Turret?". HuffPost. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ "Civil War sailors laid to rest 150 years later". CNN. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- NOAA. 26 July 2003.
- ^ Broadwater, 2012, p. 133
- ^ "USS Monitor Center". The Mariners' Museum. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Clancy, 2013, p. 271
- ^ NOAA: Monitor's Artifacts
- ^ Northrop Grumman Newport News. "Northrop Grumman Employees Reconstruct History with USS Monitor Replica". Archived from the original on 19 February 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
- ^ "About Your Sanctuary: Expeditions". Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ "Monitor Memorial: History". City of New York: Parks & Recreation. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Calder, Rich (7 January 2013). "Vandal covers B'klyn Civil War statue in white paint". New York Post. NYP Holdings. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Smithsonian National Postal Museum. An image of the stamp is available at Arago: people, postage & the post online, Monitor*Virginia stamp.
- ^ Ricles, Shannon. "USS Monitor Monument Dedication". USS Monitor: Preserving a Legacy. Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ "The Greenpoint Monitor Museum". The Greenpoint Monitor Museum. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Titus Andronicus". robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Lymangrover, Jason. "The Monitor – Titus Andronicus". AllMusic.
- ^ "Titus Andronicus- The Making of the Monitor Pt 1". 12 July 2010. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013 – via YouTube.
- ^ Parkes, 1990, p. 166
- ^ Ballard, 1980, p. 219
- ^ Chesneau & Kolesnik, 1979, p. 23
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2020). "Hearts in Bondage (1936)". AllMovie. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ISBN 9781461739579.
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{{cite book}}
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{{cite book}}
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- ISBN 978-0-19-503863-7.
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- ISBN 978-1-55750-075-5.
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- Quarstein, John V. (2012). The CSS Virginia: Sink Before Surrender. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-60949-580-0.
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- ISBN 978-1-57003-418-3.
- Bushnell, Cornelius Scranton; Ericsson, John; Welles, Gideon (1899). The original United States warship "Monitor". New Haven, Connecticut: National Memorial Association.
- Dahlgren, Madeleine Vinton (1882). Memoir of John A. Dahlgren, Rear-Admiral United States Navy. J. R. Osgood.
- Green (USN), Lieutenant Samuel Dana (1862). "Eye-witness Account of the Battle between the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia". U.S. Navy, Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- Rawson, Edward K., Superintendent Naval War Records; Woods, Robert H. (1898). OFFICIAL RECORDS of the UNION AND CONFEDERATE NAVIES in the WAR OF THE REBELLION. Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Welles, Gideon (1911). Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson. Vol. 1. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
- Worden, John Lorimer; Greene, Samuel Dana; Ramsay, H. Ashton; Watson, Eugene Winslow (1912). The Monitor and the Merrimac: Both Sides of the Story. New York, London: Harper and Brothers.
Further reading
- Bennett, Frank Marion; Weir, Robert (1896). The Steam Navy of the United States: A History of the Growth of the Steam Vessel of War in the U.S. Navy, and of the Naval Engineer Corps. Pittsburgh: Warren & Company; Press of W. T. Nicholson.
- Gott, Kendall D. (2003). Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry–Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862. Stackpole books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0049-8.
- Holloway, Anna Gibson and White, Jonathan W. (2018). "Our Little Monitor": The Greatest Invention of the Civil War. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. ISBN 978-1-60635-314-1
- Holloway, Anna Gibson (2023). "Encounters with the Monitor Boys", in Brian Matthew Jordan and Jonathan White, eds., Final Resting Places: Reflections on the Meaning of Civil War Graves, Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 2023, pp. 54–75.[ISBN missing]
- Holzer, Harold (2013). The Civil War in Fifty Objects. New York: Penguin Books: New York Historical Society. 416 pages.[ISBN missing]
- Johnson, Robert Underwood; Buel, C.C., eds. (1887). Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Vol. I. New York: Century Company.
- Mokin, Arthur (1991). Ironclad: the Monitor and the Merrimack. Presidio Press. ISBN 978-0-8914-1405-6.
- Peterkin, Ernest W. (1985). Drawings of the U.S.S. Monitor: A Catalog and Technical Analysis. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- Quarstein, John V. (2000). C.S.S. Virginia, Mistress of Hampton Roads. self-published for the Virginia Civil War Battles and Leaders Series. ISBN 978-1-56190-118-0.
- Quarstein, John V. (1997). The Civil War on the Virginia Peninsula. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4438-0.
- Sheridan, Robert E. (2004). Iron from the Deep: The Discovery and Recovery of the USS Monitor. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-413-5.
- Snow, Richard (2016). Iron Dawn: The Monitor, the Merrimack, and the Civil War Sea Battle that Changed History. Scribner. ISBN 978-1-4767-9420-4..
- ISBN 978-0-87249-616-3.
- Still, William N. Jr. (1988). Monitor Builders: A Historical Study of the Principal Firms and Individuals Involved in the Construction of USS Monitor. Washington, DC: National Park Service.
- Welles, Gideon (1911). Thaddeus Welles (ed.). Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson. Vol. 2. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
- Welles, Gideon (1911). Thaddeus Welles (ed.). Diary of Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson. Vol. 3. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
External links
- The Monitor Center Archived 22 October 2004 at the Wayback Machine at the Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia
- Battle of Hampton Roads schematic map Archived 21 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- Seattle Pilot mentioning the depth charging of the Monitor
- Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA official website
- The American Civil War Museum
- US Navy Library on USS Monitor
- Naval History and Heritage Command: USS Monitor
- Video of model vibrating-lever engine of USS Monitor
- Project Cheesebox vol. 1
- Project Cheesebox vol. 2
- Project Cheesebox vol. 3
- "Preserving the USS Monitor 2001". NOAA Ocean Explorer. March–August 2001. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- "Monitor Expedition 2002". NOAA Ocean Explorer. June–December 2002. Retrieved 24 February 2015.