Confederate Ironclad May Have Been Found (CSS Virginia aka Merrimac)

Associated Press ^ | April 30, 2003 | AP

[SpringheelJack]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. -- An underwater survey found what might be remnants of the Confederate ironclad warship Virginia, the former USS Merrimack that fought the Union's ironclad Monitor in the 1862 battle that redefined naval warfare.

"It would be a stroke of incredible luck to discover it after all these years," said Dick Hoffeditz, curator of the Virginia War Museum in Newport News.

The underwater survey, for the proposed construction of a marine terminal on the Elizabeth River, describes two shipwrecks in the area and says there is "a distinct possibility" that they might be parts of the Virginia and of a schooner that hit the submerged wreck and sank next to it.

The Monitor and the Virginia -- which was built on part of the salvaged hull of a Union sailing ship, the USS Merrimack -- fought a pounding battle near Newport News on March 9, 1862.

It was the first clash of wooden ships armored with steel plates to repel cannon balls. Most historians consider the four-hour battle a draw.

On May 11, 1862, the Virginia ran aground near Craney Island. After the crew was evacuated, the ship was set afire, detonating the 16,000 pounds of black powder in the ship's magazine. Documents show that salvage companies later removed two boilers and parts of the wooden hull.

What was left of the ship was again blown up, and some sections were dragged to the Navy Yard in Portsmouth.

Several parts of the Virginia survive in museums, including dented armor and the ship's wheel at the Mariners' Museum, and an anchor and part of a propeller shaft at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond.

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has called for a follow-up investigation to decide if the wreck spotted in the survey is the Virginia. If it is, federal and state laws require that the ship's remains be removed before any dredging can take place.

The Monitor sank at the end of 1862, landing upside down in 240 feet of water, 16 miles off Hatteras, N.C. A joint Navy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration team has raised the Monitor's turret and other parts.

The Mariners' Museum in Newport News has custody of Monitor artifacts.

* __

On the Net:

Monitor Center: http://www.monitorcenter.org

Mariners' Museum: http://www.mariner.org/

[SpringheelJack]

I checked to see if this was already posted but didn't find anything.

[Howlin]

This is a fabulous find! How exciting for the history of this country.

I hope the PC nuts don't go wild about the "confederate" thing. :-)

[FReepaholic]

>>...I checked to see if this was already posted but didn't find anything...<<

Don't worry. If this is your first offense, the Post Police will probably only give you a warning.

[jrushing]

detonating the 16,000 pounds of black powder in the ship's magazine.

Just imagine that explosion.. & they had enough left to put in a museum.

That Yankee Monitor just sank by itself.

[Cagey]

I checked to see if this was already posted but didn't find anything.

Just hope Illbay doesn't notice this story is in breaking news.

I find these stories very interesting. There was a recent thread about the Confederate submarine Hunley being raised with details of some of the artifacts found inside.

[Non-Sequitur]

That Yankee Monitor just sank by itself.

Yeah we didn't need to blow it up to keep it from being captured after running it aground on a marked shoal. Actually the Monitor went down with help from a rather severe storm off of Hatteras, which is not called the graveyard of the Atlantic without reason.

[Tahoe4x4]

For some more good stuff on this and other old ship wrecks check out Clive Cussler's (Dirk Pitt) sight NUMA. He also has 2 books about his hunt for wrecks.

The Sea Hunters and The Sea Hunters 2

On the net http://www.numa.net/

[Shooter 2.5]

During the storm, the Monitor lost it's smokestack so it lost power. In an effort to turn the ship into the wind, the anchor was let out but the ship was in too deep of water.

The discoverer of the wreck found the anchor chain before he found the ship.

[Non-Sequitur]

That was the major design flaw with the first Monitor. Later classes kept the low freeboard but were more sea worthy with taller fixed stacks and their pilot houses moved to the top of the turret. Following the war Monitor-type ships crossed the Atlantic and rounded Cape Horn.

[jrushing]

Yeah we didn't need to blow it up to keep it from being captured after running it aground on a marked shoal.

Yeah, I know. We lost (thank God). A house divided cannot stand. Now, we stand together.

[Shooter 2.5]

I especially liked the pictures of the monitors with the double turrets. I have some coffee table books that feature the various designs. I'll have to look up the ones you mentioned.

[Non-Sequitur]

If memory serves there was a three turreted ship, which was made by cutting down and armoring an existing frigate but the name escapes me.

[stainlessbanner]

Didn't you hear?

[stainlessbanner]

Dixie Ping

[Cagey]

Didn't you hear?

Not until just now. Too bad, because I like the guy.

[Travis McGee]

That Yankee Monitor changed the course of Naval history and construction more than any other warship I can even think of.

[mass55th]

Here's a link to another Civil War shipwreck in Florida...The Maple Leaf: Maple Leaf Shipwreck

[RasterMaster]

Long live the Virginia!

[Shooter 2.5]

I didn't know about a three turreted ship. I always liked the idea the two ships were ready at the exact same time in history.

[PAR35]

At least Whiskey Papa is still around to defend "honest" Abe.