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Civil War's USS Monitor returns to "active duty" at Mariners' Museum in Virginia

By Hal Gieseking

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Published: 21Oct2006
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The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA opens the USS Monitor Exhibition March 9, 2007 – exactly 145 years to the day of the battle of ironclads that changed naval warfare forever. Here is the epic story this exhibition will tell.

In 1973 divers discovered the wreckage of the ironclad USS Monitor strewn across the ocean floor 26 miles from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The Civil War ship had foundered in a heavy gale in December, 1862 – just months after the "Battle of Hampton Roads." In this world famous 4-hour naval battle the afternoon of March 9, 1862, the Monitor fought the Confederate CSS Virginia (Merrimack) to a draw. A number of artifacts have since been recovered from the wreck site, including the turret, propeller, anchor, and engine that have become some of the featured attractions of the spectacular new multi-media USS Monitor Exhibition that opens March 9 at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA. With these artifacts plus inter-active displays, and new audio/video techniques, the Exhibition brings the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia back to active duty to tell their story. And what a story it is.

At the start of the Civil War, the Union had abandoned the Norfolk Navy Base at Portsmouth, VA and burned one of their most powerful frigates, the steam-powered USS Merrimack, to prevent her from falling into Confederate hands. The Confederates raised the ship from the mud, converting her to an ironclad vessel with a wooden tent-shaped structure on top that was covered with iron bars. This armor sloped at a 35 degree angle almost to the waterline. The Confederates christened their new ironclad the CSS Virginia. The Union quickly nicknamed this new threat, the "Monster."

The Union went into panic mode, designing and building their own ironclad warship, the USS Monitor in a few frantic months. The Monitor was another oddly-shaped ship, resembling a modern day submarine with her 172-foot long deck topped by a revolving turret. Its strange appearance earned the Monitor the unflattering title, "Cheesebox on a raft." Now the stage was set for the Cheesebox on a raft to do battle with the Monster, forever changing naval history and overnight, making every wooden warship in the world obsolete.

On March 8, 1862 the CSS Virginia steamed toward the Union fleet blockading the Hampton Roads, Virginia harbor. The heavy frigate USS Cumberland was the first victim. Her crew fired volley after volley at this weirdly shaped ship rapidly approaching at 7 knots. The shells bounced harmlessly off the Virginia's iron armor like tennis balls. The Virginia rammed and sank the Cumberland. Another heavy Union frigate was next, the USS Congress. This ship caught fire and later exploded into a massive shower of metal and wood splinters. The day was a total disaster for the Union navy.

The next day the Virginia returned to the hunt, planning to destroy the remaining Union ships. But almost as in a bad Western movie, the Union's "hero" had arrived during the night. The Monitor now steamed right at the Virginia, firing two powerful Dahlgren cannons from her revolving turret. The enemies were evenly matched and protected by their iron armor. After four hours, the no-win-win battle was over, and the two ships sailed away from each other. History records the battle as a "draw," but the Monitor had saved the rest of the Union fleet. The Virginia nee Merrimack was later sunk by its own crew to keep the approaching Union from owning another ironclad.

During the USS Monitor Exhibition that opens March 9, 2007 at the Mariners' Museum, visitors can step into a battle theater where scenes of the ironclads clash are projected on the walls with the sounds of cannon fire and wind vibrating the floors. Other rooms show a life size CSS Virginia under construction. You can walk on the deck of a full size Monitor model. Experience the fateful night the ship sank in a squall with readings of survivor accounts heard above the howling winds. Then see the various artifacts from the ocean floor, some still being restored in a viewable conservation laboratory.

The Virginia Hospitality Suite has created a special "Jamestown 2007 Web Feature" that features the full story of the Battle of Hampton Roads with descriptions of all the exhibits illustrated by numerous drawings and photographs. The Mariners' Museum is located in Newport News, Virginia at the intersection of J. Clyde Morris and Warwick.

More information about the Battle of Hampton Road and the Monitor and Merrimac clash of the ironclads can be found at www.virginiahospitalitysuite.com

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