Five Hours Of Shelling

The Union Navy attacked Fort McAllister along the coast of Georgia on January 27^th 1863, with several gun boats.

Fort McAllister was under the command of Confederate Major John B Gallie, who before the war was a merchant in Savannah, Georgia.

On January 26^th 1863 the Union ironclad the USS Montauk along with the USS Wissahickon, USS Dawn and USS Seneca approached Fort McAllister.  The Montauk set anchor within an effective firing range of the Fort’s guns.  On January 27^th 1863 the Montauk with support of the other ships opened fire on the Fort which they continued for 5 hours.  The Fort was reported to have been hit by over 450 cannon rounds.  The ironclad was hit about 15 times by fire from the Fort but wasn’t seriously damaged, nor where there any casualties.  The Union ship withdrew after the five hours, because the Montauk was running short of ammunition.  There were no reported casualties from Fort McAllister, nor was there much damage.

This battle would mark the first use of an ironclad ship against a land base.  The Commander of the Montauk was John Worden, who had been the commander of the USS Monitor when she fought the CSS Virginia for the first time.

She Ignored Other Ships And Shore Batteries

On March 8^th 1862 the USS Cumberland and USS Congress became the first United States ships to be put out of commission by an ironclad, the CSS Virginia.

Around 3pm on March 8^th 1862 the CSS Virginia entered Hampton Roads from the Elizabeth River.  She found on the other side of Hampton Roads five Union warships, the USS Congress, Cumberland, Minnesota, Roanoke and St Lawrence.  All five of these Union ships were of conventional wooden construction.  Three of the ships, the Congress, Cumberland, and Roanoke were sailing ships at the mercy of the wind to move.

As the Virginia sailed towards the Union ships she was described as a “roof of a very big barn belching forth smoke as from a chimney on fire."  Turning west the Virginia steamed passed the USS Congress, ignoring the other ships and shore batteries firing on her.  She rammed the USS Cumberland on the starboard side.  The Cumberland began to go down, but her crew continued to fight refusing to surrender.

The Virginia tore off her iron ram as she backed away from the Cumberland to take the fight to the USS Congress.  The Confederate ship settled into an hour long battle, firing into the Congress’ hull, and causing many casualties.  The Union ship raised a white flag, but as the Confederates were taking off the Congress’ crew they were hit with gunfire from shore.  The commanding officer of the Virginia, Captain Franklin Buchanan ordered the Congress set a fire; she exploded about 2am when the fire reached her powder magazines.

The Virginia had, had the muzzles shot off two of her guns, and many of her external fitting had been knock off, but she was still battle worthy.  There had been about 24 casualties on board the Virginia, including Buchanan.

Richmond Stayed Safe

The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff a part of the Peninsula Campaign was fought May 15^th 1862 in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

The only obstacle to Union movement up the James River after the fall of Norfolk, Virginia; protecting the Confederate capital at Richmond, was Fort Darling and Drewry’s Bluff.  Drewry’s Bluff is located about 7 miles from the capital on a sharp bend in the river.  The confederates in the area were under the command of Navy Commander Ebenezer Farrand and Army Captain Augustus H Drewry.  Fort Darling had 8 cannons along with some artillery and naval guns salvaged from the CSS Virginia.  Also protecting the fort were the CSS Patrick and obstructions placed just under the water in the river.

A detachment of Union navy under Commander John Rodgers steamed up the James River on May 15^th 1862 from Fort Monroe.  The ships in this detachment included the USS Monitor, USS Galena, and USS Aroostook with others.  The Galena got to within 600 yards of the fort, but was hit by several Confederate rounds before she could fire on the fort.  The battle went on for over three hour with the Galena taking another 45 hit, unable to move.  The Monitor’s heavy armor allowed her withstand the incoming ammo, but she was unable to elevate her guns enough to hit the Confederate batteries.  The Union ships were force to withdraw to City Point.

Fort Darling on Drewry’s Bluff had held up to the attack with only 8 casualties.

To Keep It Out Of Union Hands

The CSS Virginia was destroyed May 11^th 1862 to keep her from falling into Union hands.

Union troops advanced on Norfolk, Virginia on May 10^th 1862.  The CSS Virginia was steam powered and not made for sea travel, nor was she able to retreat up the James River do to her draft, and was stuck.  The Virginia’s crew attempted to reduce her draft by dumping all the supplies and coal, but this exposed her unarmored hull and didn’t reduce the draft enough.  With no safe port the Virginia’s captain Josiah Tattnell ordered her destroyed.  The task fell to the last man off the Virginia after all her guns had been removed.

Early on the morning of May 11^th 1862 Lieutenant Catesby Roger Jones set fire to the Virginia, after running her aground off Craney Island.  When the fire reached the magazine she exploded.

Died While The Ironclad Attacked

Union Navy Lieutenant Joseph B Smith was killed while commanding the USS Congress March 8^th 1862, when attacked by the CSS Virginia.

Joseph B Smith was born in Belfast, Maine in 1826, the son of United State Commodore Joseph Smith.  He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1841 as midshipman and was part of the graduating class on 1847.  After graduation Smith served at the Washington Navy Yard on the USS Mississippi and took part in the United States Coastal Survey.  He was promoted in 1855 to Lieutenant and assigned the USS Merrimack, a steam frigate.  In 1857 Smith was given ordnance duty at the Washington Navy Yard in DC.

As the Civil War approached Smith was ordered to the USS Congress as Executive Officer.  On March 8^th 1862 when the Confederate ironclad the CSS Virginia attacked and destroyed the USS Congress, Smith was the acting commander.  He was killed during the battle.  The USS Congress surrendered and was destroyed when her powder magazine exploded.

The Battle Of The Ironclads

The Battle of Hampton Roads, a dual between two ironclads was fought on March 9th 1862.

Planning to break up the Union blockade, on March 8th 1862 the Confederate ironclad ram the CSS Virginia [also known as the CSS Merrimack] with several other vessels in support, attacked a number of wooden-hulled ships belonging to the Union Navy. The Virginia destroyed two ships and was about to attack the USS Minnesota which had run aground. The attack was called off by darkness and the falling tide. The crew of the Virginia took the time to repair some minimal damage and care for wounded, including her captain Franklin Buchanan.

Planning to resume it's attack on the USS Minnesota, acting captain Roger Jones didn’t know that the ironclad the USS Monitor had arrived in the early morning hours of March 9th 1862. The captain of the Monitor, Lieutenant John Worden, took up a defensive position and intercepted the CSS Monitor as she approached the USS Minnesota. The two ironclads battled for three hours, without either ship causing much damage to the other. When the fighting ended the CSS Virginia returned to her home berth at the Gosport Navy Yard, and the USS Monitor returned to defending the Minnesota.

She Changed Shipping Forever

The USS Monitor, with its turreted center gun was launched today, January 30th 1862. The Monitor was the first ironclad commissioned by the United States Navy. She is more famous for the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9th 1862 in which the Monitor fought the Confederate ship the CSS Virginia.

The Monitor was designed by John Ericsson a Swedish engineer, but Saratoga Springs, New York‘s Theodore Timby designed the revolving gun turret. She was described as a “cheese box on a raft”. The deck was armored and sat just above the waterline, and was built at the Continental Iron Works in Brooklyn,NY. Although the Monitor preformed well in river combat, she was not made for the rough waters of the ocean. She became swamped during a storm by high waves off Cape Hatteras,North Carolina on December 31st 1862. Sixteen of her sixty-two crew were lost in the storm.