"The Fight Between the Two Iron Monsters": The Monitor Versus the Virginia as Described by Major Stephen Dodson Ramseur, C.S.A.

"THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO IRON MONSTERS": THE MONITOR VERSUS THE VIRGINIA AS DESCRIBED BY MAJOR STEPHEN DODSON RAMSEUR, C.S.A. Edited by Gary Gallagher The clash between the Monitor and the Virginia1 on March 9, 1862, was one of the more dramatic episodes of the Civil War. The Virginia set the stage for the confrontation when it steamed down the Elizabeth River on March 8, past Norfolk and cheering southerners along the banks of the river, and out into Hampton Roads. Across the Roads to the north and northwest lay Union ships at anchor. Soon Federal soldiers and sailors focussed glasses on the hulking Virginia as it slowly made its way toward them. Federal warships, among them the Congress and Cumberlandneai Newport News, and the Minnesota, Roanoke, and Sf. Lawrence off Fort Monroe, cleared for action to meet the approaching ironclad. For the remainder of this beautiful Saturday, the Virginia, assisted by a group of small gunboats, engaged the Union vessels in a onesided contest. By nightfall, the Cumberland had been sunk, the Congress had surrendered and was in flames, the Minnesotahad been badly crippled and run aground, and the Roanoke and Sf. Lawrence had retreated to shallow water where the Virginiacould not follow. Victorious Confederates looked forward to completing the destruction of the enemy fleet the next day; after that, the Virginia might menace other parts of the East Coast, perhaps even sail up the Potomac and shell Washington. When the Virginia returned on Sunday morning to finish off the Minnesota , its surprised crew saw the Monitor, which had arrived the previous evening, move out from behind the grounded ship; it was now iron against iron. Most observers initially thought that the much larger Virginiawould prevail against its odd-looking adversary, but the Monitor's 1 When Confederates raised the scuttled USS Merrimack (named after the Merrimack River in New England) and converted it into an ironclad, they christened their newvessel the CSS Virginia. Even among southerners, however, the original name continued to be better known. The most common spelling was Merrimac, omitting the "k". THE MONITOR VERSUS THE VIRGINIA269 greater maneuverability proved a valuable asset.2 Each ship inflicted some punishment, though not one shot penetrated the armor of either. About noon the Monitor broke off the battle and withdrew to shoal water to assess its damage. By the time it ventured back out into the Roads the Virginia had started toward the Confederate shore and did not reverse course to renew the struggle. The fight had been a tactical draw. In a broader sense, the Monitor was the victor, for it had saved the Federal fleet and insured that the Virginia would remain at Norfolk. The biggest loser was the wooden navy, which saw that day a future certain to be ruled by iron ships.3 People who watched the events of March 8 and 9 knew they had been part of something extraordinary. One of those witnesses was Stephen Dodson Ramseur of North Carolina, a twenty-four-year-old major of artillery who chanced to be on court martial duty in Norfolk the day the Virginia first attacked the northern fleet. Over the next twenty-three months Ramseur would participate in most of the great battles of the Army of Northern Virginia and become a major general, the youngest West Pointer to achieve that rank in the Confederate service. None of his later experiences, however, made a greater impression on him than what he saw off Hampton Roads in March 1862. Two days after the battle Ramseur wrote an account for his brother-in-law. His colorful observations , enriched by information gathered from other Confederates, are presented in the following unpublished letter.4 Fort Pender, Near Smithfield Va March 11th, 1862 My Dear Brother, 1 owe you an apology for not writing sooner, but I have been [in] a state of such glorious excitement since Friday last, that I could not compose myself to write any one. Well, you have heard of the great naval fight on the 8th and 9th Inst [ant]s. I will give you a hurried account of an eye witness. Our court adjourned sine die on the 8th about...