“seemed like the fight of a pygmy and a giant” — Civil War Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin

Today, the Civil War Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin remembers the day the world’s navies had to make a dramatic change to their fighting ships.

On March 9, 1862, the federal Monitor and the Confederate Merrimac (a.k.a. Virginia) fought near Hampton Roads, Virginia.

The Confederates had resurrected the federal’s Merrimac at Norfolk and encased her in iron while the federals had the new Monitor built as an ironclad.

These two ships met and changed naval history.

From History of the United States of America by Henry William Elson, published in 1906:

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THE DUEL OF THE IRONCLADS

The most famous of all naval duels, and one of the most important in the world’s history, was that between the Monitor and the Merrimac at Hampton Roads on Sunday, March 9, 1862.

But four years before this time France had built the first ironclad; England soon followed her lead and built two, and these three alone existed at the opening of the Civil War.

But none of these had come into action, and it was left for the United States, in its unnatural contest with itself, to furnish the world with the first battle between ironclads.

On abandoning the navy yard near Norfolk in April, 1861, the Union forces burned what was combustible, including the steam frigate Merrimac.

The vessel when partially consumed sank beneath the waves. A few months later the Confederates raised it and converted it into an ironclad.

The work progressed for many months, until March 8, 1862, when this new iron bound monster, now called the Virginia, steamed down the Elizabeth River toward Hampton Roads, where lay at anchor several of the finest United States warships.

Meanwhile the Lincoln administration, knowing of the building of the Merrimac, was preparing to meet her with a vessel of her own class.

A contract for an ironclad was made with John Ericsson, the Swedish inventor. Ericsson ignored the French and English models and built a vessel on a plan of his own invention.

Day and night the work was pushed at the Brooklyn shipyard, and the new ironclad, named the Monitor, was finished almost at the same hour as was the Merrimac.

But she had much further to go, and the Merrimac, under Captain Buchanan, reached the scene of action some hours in advance of the Monitor; and memorable hours they were in American naval history.

The Merrimac steamed slowly up the harbor toward Newport News on that calm afternoon of March 8, on her mission of destruction.  When she came within three quarters of a mile the Congress, a fine frigate of fifty guns, opened fire on her, as did also the Cumberland, a sloop of thirty guns; but the strange-looking monster held her peace.

At length, when she came within easy range, she fired into the Cumberland with fearful effect, then she raked the Congress with a broadside. After this, steering direct for the Cumberland, she rammed that vessel, and the impact stove in her side, making a hole “wide enough to drive in a horse and cart.”

The Cumberland filled rapidly with water, but the gallant crew kept working their guns to the last. The vessel sank with a final roar, and the mast, still protruding above the water, marked with its fluttering pennant the burial place of a crew as brave as any that ever died in their country’s cause.

For an hour longer the Congress continued the struggle, when she surrendered; and the Confederates burned her in the evening.

During this contest the shore batteries at Newport News poured volley after volley into the Merrimac, but neither their shots nor those from the vessels seemed to affect the iron pachyderm.

The Minnesota, seeing the distress of her unfortunate sisters, had steamed down the channel to take part in the battle, but she ran aground and stuck fast. Here she lay helpless in the middle of the channel and might have become an easy prey to the Merrimac.

But it was late in the afternoon, and the captain of the Merrimac decided to wait till the following morning to complete his destructive work.

The delay was fatal.

The news of this fearful day’s work was flashed northward, and it created consternation. Mr. Lincoln held a Cabinet meeting to discuss the new terror.

“The Merrimac,” said Secretary Stanton, “will change the whole character of the war; she will destroy, seriatim, every naval vessel; she will lay all the cities on the sea coast under contribution.” The greatest anxiety prevailed in government circles; but the next day brought different news.

On that night the Monitor arrived from New York, commanded by Lieutenant John L. Worden.

Steaming up the mouth of the James by the light of the burning Congress, she hove to near the grounded Minnesota and waited for the morning.

Early in the morning the Merrimac stood for the Minnesota and opened fire — but here was the new enemy to deal with.

The Monitor instantly threw herself before the Minnesota and engaged the Merrimac.

The two vessels were alike only in being ironclads. The Merrimac was a clumsy, unwieldy vessel of thirty- five hundred tons, and carried eight heavy guns and seven small ones.

She was aptly described as “a huge, half-submerged crocodile.”

The Monitor was a small vessel of but nine hundred tons and carried two eleven-inch Dahlgren guns in a revolving turret, twenty feet in diameter, and gave the appearance of  “a cheese box on a raft.”

It seemed like the fight of a pygmy and a giant.

For several hours these two vessels fought like demons, sometimes but a few yards apart.

The Merrimac attempted to ram her antagonist, but the Monitor skillfully avoided the blow and escaped injury.

One double shot from the Monitor March 9, forced in the sides of the Merrimac several inches, knocking the crew off their feet with the concussion and causing everyone to bleed from the nose or the ears.

At length, when the ships were but ten yards apart, a shell from the Merrimac struck the pilot house of the Monitor, and exploded directly over the sight-hole.

Commander Worden, who was standing just back of this spot, was stunned and his eyes were utterly blinded with burning powder. He then ordered his vessel to retire that the extent of the injury to the pilot house might be ascertained.

The Merrimac then steamed back to Norfolk, and the battle was ended.

The fight was terrific and grandly picturesque, but there was no loss of life, and only a few were wounded on the Merrimac, and but one, Lieutenant Worden, on the Monitor.

The battle was a draw; but in its effects it must be regarded a victory for the Monitor, for the Minnesota and the other Union vessels were saved, the power of the Merrimac was destroyed, and two months later, when the Confederates abandoned Norfolk, she was burned.

This first fight of ironclads had the effect of revolutionizing naval warfare throughout the world.

All the navies of the world were composed of wooden vessels, and here in Virginia waters it was demonstrated that no wooden ship could stand before an ironclad.

The day of the “ship of the line ” of the “oak leviathan ” was over from this hour.

“Whereas,” said the London Times, “we had one hundred and forty-nine first-class warships, we have now two. . . . There is not now a ship in the English navy apart from these two that it would not be madness to trust to an engagement with that little Monitor.”

Every maritime power in the world began from this date to reconstruct its navy on the basis of the ironclad.

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The Civil War Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin shows with an artist’s image, circa 1891, of the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac.

Civil War Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar Coin