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The
Battle of Hampton Roads,
March 8, 1862: Iron vs. Wood
On March 8, 1862, two days after the
Monitor left New York for Hampton Roads, the Virginia
left her dock at the Gosport Yard and steamed into the James
River. Anchored in the river were 17 ships of the United States
Navy manning the blockade. Franklin Buchanan, commander of the
Virginia, had decided to test his new ship against the
Union fleet. The Virginia steamed directly toward two
wooden ships of the Union Navy, the USS Cumberland and
the USS Congress. As the Confederate ironclad approached
the Union vessels, both ships opened fire on the Virginia.
The cannon balls fired from the Cumberland and the Congress
simply bounced off the Virginia's iron-plated casemate.
The wooden ships of the blockading fleet were helpless against
the Confederate ironclad.
The Virginia steamed toward the
Cumberland with the intent of testing her iron ram against
the Cumberland's hull.
The Virginia's ram smashed through the Cumberland's
wooden planking, and the doomed
Union ship sank rapidly beneath the water. After sinking the
Cumberland, the Virginia attacked the Congress.
Using her cannon at close range, the Virginia shelled
the Union ship into surrender and left the ship a burning wreck.
Another Union vessel, the USS Minnesota, attempted to
come to the rescue of the Cumberland and the Congress,
but in the shallow waters of the James River the ship ran aground.
Stranded and unable to move, the Minnesota became the
Virginia's next target.
By the time the Virginia approached
the stranded Minnesota, it was late in the afternoon.
The tide had begun to ebb. The
shallow waters that had trapped the Minnesota now saved
her. The Virginia could not float in less than 22 feet
of water. The shallow river prevented her from coming close
enough to the Minnesota to cause any great damage. The
captain of the Virginia decided to return to his base
and renew the attack the following morning.
The first voyage of the Virginia
had been unbelievably successful. In less than four hours, the
Confederate ironclad had sunk two ships of the United States
Navy, damaged a third, and killed over 300 Union sailors. The
Virginia herself had sustained no serious damage. The
lesson of the day's battle was clear: wooden warships were no
match for an ironclad.
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