Peninsula In Passage

Battle of the Ironclads-March 9, 1862 Families and workers on shoreline farms and plantations from Town Point to Hoffler’s Creek had front row – or rooftop – seats to the first sea battle of ironclad ships, the “USS Monitor” and the “CSS Virginia” (formerly “Merrimac”), on June 8, 1862. The Confederate ironclad “Virginia” steamed out to meet the Union fleet off Newport News. E.A. Jack, steam engineer, remembered the battle from the engine room. I heard the dull reports of the enemy’s artillery, and an occasional sharp crack and tremor of the ship when we were struck.” The “Virginia” fired on and then rammed the “Cumberland.” As she sank the order went up on the “Virginia.” “Give us steam now! All that you Can! The enemy is flying! Other ships from the Confederate fleet helped run the “Congress” and “Minnesota” aground. Then “Congress” was set afire. The “CSS Virginia” returned to Sewell’s Point with just a few wounded and three dead. The fires from the “Congress” lit up the night sky. The percussion of the battle guns must have been deafening to anyone within miles of Hampton Roads. The next day the “Merrimac” came out to fight again and was not surprised to see the “Monitor” steam out from behind the grounded “Minnesota.” The battle between the two lasted several hours during which time “Merrimac” grounded for an hour in shallow water. When it was afloat it rammed the “Monitor.”The two ironclads exchanged cannon volleys and bombs but could not destroy each other. The “Monitor” retreated behind the “Minnesota” and the “CSS Virginia” returned to the navy yard in Portsmouth. By early May Union forces would overtake Confederate forces at the batteries at Sewell’s Point and open the door for an invasion of Norfolk and Portsmouth. The Georgia Militia, encamped at the end of Gum and Town Point Roads, retreated from their batteries when the Union forces took control of Norfolk and Portsmouth on May 10, 1862, one month after the battle of the ironclads. For the rest of the Civil War the area was under martial law.

E. A. Jack

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