Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

by James M. McPherson

For two hours the ironclads slugged it out. Neither could punch through the other’s armor, though the Monitor’s heavy shot cracked the Virginia’s outside plate at several places. At one point the southern ship grounded. As the shallower-draft Monitor closed in, many aboard the Virginia thought they were finished. But she broke loose and continued the fight, trying without success to ram the Monitor. By this time the Virginia’s wheezy engines were barely functioning, and one of her lieutenants found her [Page 377] “as unwieldly as Noah’s Ark.” The Monitor in turn tried to ram the Virginia’s stern to disable her rudder or propeller, but just missed. Soon after this a shell from the Virginia struck the Monitor’s pilot house, wounding her captain. The Union ship stopped fighting briefly; the Virginia, in danger of running aground again, steamed back toward Norfolk. Each crew thought they had won the battle, but in truth it was a draw. The exhausted men on both sides ceased fighting—almost, it seemed, by mutual consent.4