A painting of the Battle of Hampton Roads  depicting the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Mariners’ Museum

Battle of Hampton Roads

Abraham Lincoln and the Union Navy's Civil War plan was to create a complete naval blockade of the Southern states, thereby strangling the South into submission by cutting off their supply lines to the outside world. Hampton Roads was one of the most strategically important coastal regions for both sides because it was one of the South's primary passages to the sea and potential European allies. The USS Monitor was ordered to the area because the ironclad CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimac) posed a great threat to the Federal fleet that was enforcing the blockade. Before the Monitor arrived, the Virginia had already destroyed the wooden frigates Cumberland and Congress.

The next day when the Virginia went to finish off the stranded Minnesota, the Monitor had already taken position in its defense. For more than four hours, the two ironclad vessels bombarded each other at close range, but caused no substantial damage due to their iron armor. At one point during the battle, the Monitor's captain, John Worden, was injured and blinded from a shell exploding in his view-port. This led to a temporary withdraw from the battle to assess the captain's injuries and any damages to the ship. The Virginia's captain assumed that they were retreating and therefore withdrew in supposed victory. When the Monitor turned back for battle and saw the Virginia was no longer there, they also assumed victory. The Battle of Hampton Roads ultimately resulted in a draw with both vessels being able to steam away having changed naval warfare forever.