Battle of Hampton Roads

Clash of the Civil War Ironclads

By David A. Norris

Smoke swirled amid the thunderous noise that roared from powerful Dahlgren guns and Brooke rifles. Thousands of spectators along the shore watched the two most dangerous warships in the world at each other at point-blank range. Read more

To say that the clash between the Merrimack and Monitor changed naval history is an understatement; the two made wooden ships a thing of the past.

Battle of Hampton Roads

The Monitor and Merrimack: After the Fight

by Keith Milton

The subsequent careers of the Monitor and Merrimack were not as dramatic as their first clashes. The two ironclads never met in combat again after their infamous battle on March 9, 1862. Read more