Hampton Roads Research Paper

The Battle of Hampton Roads occurred on March 8 and 9 of 1862 and is most commonly known as the Battle of the Ironclads. The naval battle came at a time when the Union forces were attempting to take the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia. The Union Naval vessels with 204 guns heavily outgunned the Confederate vessels that had only 35 guns but the determining factor of the battle was the new type of vessel, the ironclad. The noteworthy combatants of this battle were the CSS VIRGINIA and the USS MONITOR, both were ironclad ships that changed the way naval battles would be fought in the future of the war and the future of the United States Navy. The CSS VIRGINIA was an ironclad naval vessels with 10 guns and a 1500 pound ram attached
1 Buchanan set sail aboard the CSS VIRGINIA, manned by 320 men, from Norfolk, Virginia in the morning of March 8, 1862. Among Buchanan’s force were two small steamers, BEAUFORT and RALEIGH, three gunboats of the James River Squadron and the steamers PATRICK HENRY and JAMESTOWN totaling only 35 guns. Buchanan’s Confederate force faced the Union Frigates MINNESOTA, ROANOKE, CONGRESS, St. LAWRENCE and CUMBERLAND totaling a more impressive 204
The USS MONITOR was tasked with defending the Union flagship MINNESOTA which had run aground. On the morning of the following day, the CSS VIRGINIA got underway again and was tasked with sinking the Union Flagship MINNESOTA. The CSS VIRGINIA ignored the USS MONITOR and began firing hot shots at the MINNESOTA from about a mile out. The MINNESOTA was struck and was set on fire, and at this point the USS MONITOR began to sail towards the CSS VIRGINIA in an effort to direct fire away from the MINNESOTA. The USS MONITOR and the CSS VIRGINIA were locked in battle for nearly four hours. The crew of the USS MONITOR seemed to be firing too rapidly to aim for the CSS VIRGINIA only weakness, the exposed hull at the waterline, and because of this CSS VIRGINIA only took minor damage from the 41 hits from USS MONITOR’s 180 pound cannon shells. Even though the CSS VIRGINIA had 10 guns, vice the 2 of the USS MONITOR, she only landed 24 hits that only dented the hull of the USS MONITOR. The deciding moment of the battle came when the USS MONITOR attempted to ram the stern of the CSS VIRGINIA but missed, however as the USS MONITOR was passing a shell exploded on the USS MONITOR’s pilothouse forcing her to steer away towards Fort Monroe to assess the damage. Seeing this, CSS VIRGINIA took the opportunity to return to