Agreed. I just didn't want to edit the text. Had the Virginia won, at some point she likely would have attempted to sail up the Potomac and bombard Washington DC but had little chance of making an outside passage to Philadelphia or New York.
As for the what ifs, remember the Monitor was firing half charges from her 11" guns because they hadn't had time to properly test them. Even then she managed to crack the Virginia's armor plate and spall the oak backing. Had Monitor gone to full chargers she might have won a decisive battle.
I even wonder if at close range if cannister shot might have gotten through gunports and been able to bounce around a bit inside?
Spall liners might have mitigated the effects of cannister that found it's way inside but at lower velocity, the shot might have just bounced off the liner. Get hit by a 2-3 pound round shot at even low velocity and your day is pretty much ruined.