The Wall Street Journal had what for history buffs an interesting piece about a new museum dedicated to the Civil War ironclad, the Monitor, it’s battle with the Merrimac, and it’s raising from the Atlantic in the recent past.
The Monitor Center It’s an Ironclad must-see for naval history buffs OpinionJournal – Leisure & Arts
The race between the Union and Confederacy to see whose ironclad would be the first to put to sea, the two-day Battle of Hampton Roads (which ended in a draw), the brief subsequent careers of both ships, and the recovery of their artifacts are all clearly and cogently explained in the "Ironclad Revolution" exhibition through contemporary illustrations and paintings, personal mementos, films and interactive computer stations, and re-created interiors and exteriors.
The genius of the Monitor’s creator, the Swedish-born John Ericsson, is highlighted, as well as the bravery of officers like Worden and Frank Buchanan, the captain of the Virginia until he, too, was wounded in action. The day-to-day lives of the crews onboard are delved into, and for once the innovative Yankee (in the truest sense, for many were from New England) investors and politicos, as well as Ericsson’s fellow engineers, get their due: Without their cunning the Monitor could not have been built in 100 days. Likewise, the courage and ingenuity of the archaeologists and Navy divers who made possible the Monitor’s recovery are recounted.
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