Page 54 - NS-2 Textbook

THE CIVIL WAR 47

An old photograph depicting the damage done to the Monitor's turret, taken shortly after the battle.

March, her entrance to the area lit by the burrung COIl- been damaged and was leaking badly at the bow. Even
gl~ss. Worden was directed by the senior Union officer though the MOllilor's shots had not penetrated the iron
present afloat to take up position near the MilJ/lesola to plates, 1nan), ·were cracked, as ,vas much of the 'wooden
protect her from further damage. superstruchlre. Jones decided to retire to the shelter of
Early in the morning of 9 March, Union sailors sa'''' the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs.
the exhaust of the Virgillia as she came out of her anchor- The battle thus came to an indecisive end. But
age. The Confederate ship took a different charmel so she clearly, the age of ironclad vessels had arrived. With it, a
could get much closer to the Mill/lesola. Worden pulled whole new set of naval tactics had to be developed by the
up anchor and placed the MOllilor between the Virgillia \vorld's navies. The timely arrival of the Monitor, and nu-
and the helpless wooden vessel. Then began a ferocious rnerous other Union vessels, including other ironclads,
four-hour gunneq duel at close range between the two enabled General McClellan to launch his peninsular
ironclads. The MOllitor kept so close that the Virgillia had campaign against Richmond. Norfolk was captnred, and
trouble bringing a gun to bear. The Union ship, much the Virginia was blmvn up by her own crew to prevent
smaller and drawing only twelve feet of watel~ was caphrre. The MOllilor sank a year later in a gale off the
much more maneuverable, but even ·with her larger Carolina Capes, taking down a part of her crew. She
guns, she could not penetrate the Confederate's armor. would be an important influence in naval ship design for
Finally Jones broke off with the MOllilor and concentrated more than forty years. (The wreck of the MOllitor was lo-
on the Mimleso!a, quickly setting the ship on fire. cated in 1973, and various parts, including her anchor,
Nov"} hmvevel~ the Virginia went aground. The M011- propener, and engine, have been recovered. Future plans
itor closed in, believing she could finish the Confederate call for possibly salvaging her hmet.)
off. Jones, however, shifted his fire from the MOllilor's
hUTet to the small pilothouse forward. A lucky shot ex- LEE GAINS TIME
ploded ahead of the viewing slits, temporarily blinding
Worden and seriously wOtmding him in the face. Lieu- McClellan had launched his attack on the Virginia penin-
tenant Sanulel Greene, the executive officer, ,vas in the sula on 17 March 1862, only a week after the famous Bat-
turret. It took him twenty minutes to get the word and tle of Hampton Roads. Lincohl realized that the war
proceed to where he could coml the ship. In the mean- would not end before Lee and his Army of Northern Vir-
tin1e, the helmsman kept steering Worden's last order, ginia were crushed, despite the Union victories in the
which was to "sheer off." As a result, the MOllitor with- west. By 5 April, McClellan had landed some 121,500
drew to-ward Fortress MOlU'oe, during \vhich time the blue-coated soldiers of his Army of the Potomac on the
Virgillia freed herself from the bottom. The Vilgillia had peninsula and had beglm his advance from Fortress Mon-