Ship Artifacts

Cannons

Cannon excavation. Photo Credit(s): Courtesy of The Mariners’ Museum

The Monitor had two XI-inch Dahlgren, smooth-bore cannons that weighed nearly nine tons each. They were originally cast in New York and installed on the Monitor in early 1862. Although most warships had many more cannons, the Monitor’s rotating turret made it possible for only two cannons to be capable of firing in multiple directions. These cannons were capable of firing solid shots weighing 140 pounds with 15 pounds of gunpowder. After the Battle of Hampton Roads, one canon was engraved with the words “Worden Monitor & Merrimac” (in honor of the Monitor’s captain, John Worden), and the other was engraved with “Ericsson Monitor & Merrimac” (in honor of the ship’s designer, John Ericsson).

After the turret was raised in 2002, conservators began the long process of excavating the fragile cannons from the turret and stabilizing them. The cannons were removed from the turret in 2004 and placed in conservation tanks. They are currently undergoing an extended soaking process to remove chlorides from the iron. This process will take approximately 5 years.

Cannons being set in conservation tank. Photo Credit: Monitor Collection/NOAA