CSS Virginia
When Virginia seceded from the Union, the US Navy moved quickly to try to remove valuable ships from the Gosport naval yard, a significant southern port. Many ships had to be burned, scuttled, and left behind, including the USS Merrimac.
On reporting to the commodore of the yard, I found him disposed to defend the yard and property to the last, and the troops were accordingly landed and some dispositions for defense taken. It was soon determined, however, by Commodore Paulding, who had come on the Pawnee from Washington, to finish the destruction of the scuttled ships, to burn and otherwise destroy, as far as practicable, the property in the yard, and withdraw with the frigate Cumberland, in tow of the Pawnee and a steam-tug which was lying at the yard.
Captain H.G. Wright, Letter to Lieut. Col. E.D. Townsend
In obedience to your order, we have carefully examined and considered the various plans and propositions for constructing a shot-proof steam battery, and respectfully report that, in our opinion, the steam-frigate Merrimac, which is in such condition from the effects of fire, as to be useless for any other purpose, without incurring a very heavy expense in her rebuilding, etc., can be made an efficient vessel of that character.
-Williamson, Brooke and Porter, Confederate Engineers
Building a New Breed of Ship
Despite the fact that the Virginia was built on the hull of a classic warship, it was much more revolutionary than the Gloire and the Warrior, because unlike the European ironclads, it was completely covered in iron and it was designed to be used not as a frigate, but as an iron battery.
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Of the great and skillful calculations of the displacements and weights of timber and iron involved in the planning and construction of this great piece of naval architecture, and of her present weights with everything on board, no other man than myself has, or ever had, any knowledge. If he has let him show it; for, while public opinion said she would never float, none, save myself, knew to the contrary, or what she was capable of bearing.
- John Porter