Images (0) Videos (0 . To make up for this painful shortage, the Confederacy was reduced to scavenging old scrap iron, melting down old smoothbore cannon and iron tools, and even ripping up hundreds of miles of railroad track. This battle has major significance because it was the first meeting in combat of ironclad warships, USSMonitor and CSSVirginia. [44] The latter three got under way as soon as they saw Virginia approaching, but all soon ran aground. (function () { The commandant there, Captain Charles S. McCauley, though loyal to the Union, was immobilized by advice he received from his subordinate officers, most of whom were in favor of secession. Six weeks later, a salvage company raised the ship and the Confederates began rebuilding it. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Buchanan, in Virginia, had not expected to fight another armored vessel, so his guns were supplied only with shell rather than armor-piercing shot. Most accounts emphasize the contribution of the captain of Monitor, John L. Worden, to the neglect of others. McCauly had ordered the guns on the Merrimack spiked and the ship scuttled. Despite the battle ending in a stalemate, it was seen by both sides as an opportunity to raise war-time morale, especially since the ironclad ships were an exciting naval innovation that intrigued citizens. Prior to the Civil War, Franklin Buchanan was the first superintendent of the Unites States Naval Academy (1845 - 1847). In 1987, the site was declared a National Marine Sanctuary, the first shipwreck to receive this distinction. The destruction of the navy yard was mostly ineffective; in particular, the large drydock there was relatively undamaged and soon could be restored. [70], Virginia remained in drydock for almost a month, getting repairs for battle damage as well as minor modifications to improve her performance. Both ships met ignominious ends. Virginia) during the American Civil War. In 1973, the wreck of the Monitor was discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. //
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