The Union blockaded the Confederate coast during the American Civil War as part of the Anaconda Plan. To fight the overwhelming Union advantage in manpower and ships, the Confederacy adopted a new technology: the ironclad vessel. These low-profile ships were covered in metal armor, protecting them from traditional cannonballs and shells. In March 1862, the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor, two new ironclads, battled for the first time!
Victory Goes to the Confederacy (Sort Of)
While the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia certainly won the battle on the first day, March 8, 1862, it did not defeat its Union rival on March 9. The first day of the Battle of Hampton Roads saw the CSS Virginia defeat two Union warships, the USS Cumberland (sunk) and the USS Congress (grounded but burned). Three other Union ships were run aground during the battle that day, bringing Union losses to 250 sailors killed and five ships disabled. The single Confederate attacker, the CSS Virginia, suffered two sailors killed.
On March 9, the Virginia returned to battle, hoping to destroy the grounded USS Minnesota. Instead, she encountered the USS Monitor, another ironclad. The Virginia fired upon both the Monitor and the Minnesota, and the two ironclads dueled for hours. Eventually, both ironclads were damaged, and the battle was called off by both sides, each assuming the other was quitting the fight. Thus, both sides claimed victory at Hampton Roads, though the second day was inconclusive.
Timeline of the Battle of Hampton Roads
Planning for the eventual battle began in 1861 with the implementation of the Anaconda Plan by Union general-in-chief Winfield Scott. To have any hope of breaking the Union blockade and protecting its rivers, the Confederacy salvaged vessels left in its territory by the US Navy.
At the Gosport Naval Yard, the Confederates took possession of the USS Merrimac, a ship that had been scuttled (intentionally destroyed) on April 20, 1861 after the Battle of Fort Sumter. The Confederates repaired this ship and armored it with iron plating, creating an ironclad. This innovation was cheered by the South and prompted panic in the North, which quickly created its own ironclads.
On February 17, 1862, the new CSS Virginia was released from dry dock.
The Virginia’s goal was to break the Union blockade near Norfolk, Virginia, and on March 8, 1862, it sailed out into Hampton Roads.
At midday, the new warship directly attacked five wooden Union warships: the Congress, Cumberland, Minnesota, St. Lawrence, and Roanoke. Its first target was the USS Cumberland, which it rammed and sank. It then engaged the USS Congress, which had run itself aground.
Suffering damage, the Virginia retreated but returned the next day, only to encounter its ironclad rival, the USS Monitor.
For hours, the two ironclads battled inconclusively before each left the scene.
What Caused the Battle of Hampton Roads?
The Battle of Hampton Roads was prompted by the Union blockade of the Confederacy, which was part of the Anaconda Plan. Union general-in-chief Winfield Scott and US President Abraham Lincoln thought that depriving the South of the ability to export goods (cotton and tobacco) to Europe and import military supplies from Europe would weaken the Confederacy quickly. Unfortunately for the Confederacy, it almost entirely lacked a navy. To have any hope of breaking the blockade, it would need to innovate.
This innovation came in the form of ironclads and blockade runners. The CSS Virginia was created as the nation’s first ironclad, with hopes that this new type of vessel could defeat multiple wooden vessels used by the Union. On March 8, 1862, the Confederacy put this plan to the test by having the CSS Virginia attack five wooden Union warships. If ironclads could break the blockade, it could allow for limited trade with Europe and Latin America. This was much more feasible than trying to defend the entire coastline.
Why Was the Battle of Hampton Roads Significant?
First, the Battle of Hampton Roads demonstrated the success of the ironclad warship. Although the five wooden vessels did inflict some damage on the CSS Virginia, it was undeniable that the iron-armored warship was unmatched. The second day of battle, March 9, revealed that the Union’s own ironclad, the USS Monitor, could hold its own against the Virginia. Thus, an arms race in terms of ironclad warships began. This would inevitably be won by the Union, which had a much greater industrial capacity.
Second, the first day of battle was the worst defeat for the US Navy until the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii almost 80 years later. The carnage inflicted by the CSS Virginia caused some panic in the North, though this was short-lived as the Confederacy could not create many such ironclads. Lacking sophisticated equipment, the South could only attach traditional iron plating to existing wooden vessels. By 1863, the Union had a fleet of ironclads, while the Confederacy lost the Virginia on May 11, 1862 after the vessel was scuttled following the Union capture of Norfolk, Virginia.
5 Facts About the Battle of Hampton Roads
1. Casualties
Casualties during the two-day battle totaled 369 for the Union and only 24 for the Confederacy. Among the Union total, 261 were killed in action, almost all on the first day (March 8, 1862) from the USS Cumberland and the USS Congress. Among the 24 Confederate casualties, seven were fatalities, though the CSS Virginia managed to leave the engagement under its own power on both days. US sailors would not face a bloodier engagement until Pearl Harbor.
2. Commanders
Union forces were led by Lieutenant John L. Worden, a seasoned veteran who had joined the US Navy in 1834. He served in the Mexican-American War and in the Mediterranean. Early in the Civil War, he was arrested by Confederate authorities while trying to return to Washington DC. After being released, he was granted command of the new ironclad USS Monitor in February 1862. During the battle, his eyes were seriously injured, but his tenacity made him a war hero in the Northern press. After the war, he remained in the US Navy and was eventually promoted to rear admiral.
Confederate forces were led by Captain Franklin Buchanan, who was also a longtime veteran of the seas. A Marylander, Buchanan thought his state would join the Confederacy and therefore resigned his commission with the US Navy. Awkwardly, he attempted to withdraw his resignation upon learning that his state would not secede but was dismissed from service instead. He joined the Confederate Navy and, after the Battle of Hampton Roads, was wounded in the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864. He retired back to Maryland after the war.
3. Number of Forces Involved
Roughly 1,400 men served on the several Union vessels at Hampton Roads, compared to only 188 men on board the CSS Virginia. However, due to the groundings of multiple Union vessels, not all 1,400 Union sailors were directly involved in combat at any one time. On March 9, the second day of battle, the two ironclad ships mostly fought each other, creating an even matchup. Thus, the Union’s manpower advantage was not decisive in battle.
4. Visiting Hampton, Virginia Today
The best vantage point to visit the site of the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads is at the restored Fort Monroe. Fort Monroe National Monument commemorates both the American Civil War and colonial-era history. Controversially, the location of the fort is believed to be where the first enslaved Africans arrived in North America in 1619. There are many historic sites around Fort Monroe and in the town of Hampton, Virginia, which was founded in 1610.
5. Trivia: Railroad Iron Used to Create Confederate Ironclads
Little iron existed in the South, making it difficult to build ironclads. Railroad iron had to be scavenged for the purpose, which was detrimental because the Confederacy also had a shortage of railroads. The South also lacked the equipment to bend the iron, allowing for more weak points on Confederate ironclads versus their better-machined Union counterparts. Regardless, the Confederacy quickly lost the ability to build many ironclads due to Union seizures of shipping yards.
Aftermath of the Battle of Hampton Roads: Naval Arms Race
The success of the ironclads in battle quickly led to a worldwide naval arms race, quickly replacing wooden warships with ironclad vessels. Additionally, the success of the Union blockade showed European powers that their naval forces could be used to dominate coastlines in Africa and Asia to maintain colonies. Britain quickly became the global leader in naval power, and it adopted the revolving turrets used on Union ironclads to its battleships. Unlike earlier wooden warships, ironclad battleships could now fire in all directions.
Iron was quickly replaced by steel, making warships even stronger and more durable. Although ironclads did not last long after the war, with most of them being scrapped for their valuable iron plating, those that sank were better preserved by their armor, and many were rediscovered decades later. Ironclads could remain intact for well over a century, unlike wooden warships that quickly degraded underwater. For example, although the USS Monitor sank in a storm in December 1862, its turret was recovered 140 years later. Fans of naval history can visit several historical sites of sunken ironclads and see recovered portions of them in nearby museums.
