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Battle of Hampton Roads
Report of Flag-Officer Buchanan, Commander of CSS Virginia
and the James River Squadron, C.S. Navy.
NAVAL HOSPITAL,
Norfolk,
March 27, 1862.
SIR: Having been confined to my bed in this building since the
9th instant, in consequence of a wound received in the action of the previous day, I have not had it in my power
at an earlier date to prepare the official report, which I now have the honor to submit, of the proceedings on the 8th
and 9th instant, of the James River Squadron under my command, composed of the following-named vessels: Steamer
Virginia, flagship, 10 guns; steamer Patrick Henry, 12 guns, Commander John R. Tucker; steamer Jamestown,
Lieutenant Commanding J. N. Barney, 2 guns; and gunboats Teaser, Lieutenant Commanding W. A. Webb, Beaufort,
Lieutenant Commanding W. H. Parker, and Raleigh, Lieutenant Commanding J. W. Alexander, each 1 gun; total, 27 guns.
On the 8th instant, at 11 a. m., the Virginia left
navy yard, Norfolk, accompanied by the Raleigh and Beaufort, and proceeded to Newport News to engage the enemy's
frigates Cumberland and Congress, gunboats, and shore batteries. When within less than a mile of the Cumberland,
the Virginia commenced the engagement with that ship with her bow gun, and the action soon became general, the
Cumberland, Congress, gunboats, and shore batteries concentrating upon us their heavy fire, which was returned with
great spirit and determination. The Virginia stood rapidly on toward the Cumberland, which ship I had determined
to sink with our prow, if possible. In about fifteen minutes after the action commenced we ran into her on starboard bow;
the crash below the water was distinctly heard, and she commenced sinking, gallantly fighting her guns as long as they were
above water. She went down with her colors flying. During this time the shore batteries, Congress, and gunboats kept
up their heavy concentrated fire upon us, doing us some injury. Our guns, however, were not idle; their fire was very destructive
to the shore batteries and vessels, and we were gallantly sustained by the rest of the squadron.
Just after the Cumberland sunk, that gallant officer, Commander
John R. Tucker, was seen standing down James River under full steam, accompanied by the Jamestown and Teaser. They
all came nobly into action, and were soon exposed to the heavy fire of shore batteries. Their escape was miraculous, as they
were under a galling fire of solid shot, shell, grape, and canister, a number of which passed through the vessels without
doing any serious injury, except to the Patrick Henry, through whose boiler a shot passed, scalding to death four persons
and wounding others. Lieutenant Commanding Barney promptly obeyed a signal to tow her out of the action. As soon as damages
were repaired, the Patrick Henry returned to her station and continued to perform good service during the remainder
of that day and the following.
Having sunk the Cumberland, I turned our attention to the
Congress. We were some time in getting our proper position, in consequence of the shoalness of the water and the great
difficulty of managing the ship when in or near the mud. To succeed in my object I was obliged to run the ship a short distance
above the batteries on the James River, in order to wind her. During all the time her keel was in the mud; of course she moved
slowly. Thus we were subjected twice to the heavy guns of all the batteries in passing up and down the river, but it could
not be avoided. We silenced several of the batteries and did much injury on shore. A large transport steamer alongside of
the wharf was blown up, one schooner sunk, and another captured and sent to Norfolk. The loss of life on shore we have no
means of ascertaining.
While the Virginia was thus engaged in getting her position
for attacking the Congress, the prisoners state it was believed on board that ship that we had hauled off; the men
left their guns and gave three cheers. They were soon sadly undeceived, for a few minutes after we opened on her again, she
having run on shore in shoal water. The carnage, havoc, and dismay caused by our fire compelled them to haul down their colors
and to hoist a white flag at their gaff and half-mast another at the main. The crew instantly took to their boats and landed.
Our fire immediately ceased, and a signal was made for the Beaufort to come within hail. I then ordered Lieutenant
Commanding Parker to take possession of the Congress, secure the officers as prisoners, allow the crew to land, and
burn the ship. He ran alongside, received her flag and surrender from Commander William Smith and Lieutenant Pendergrast,
with the side arms of those officers. They delivered themselves as prisoners of war on board the Beaufort, and afterward
were permitted, at their own request, to return to the Congress to assist in removing the wounded to the Beaufort.
They never returned, and I submit to the decision of the Department whether they are not our prisoners. While the Beaufort
and Raleigh were alongside the Congress, and the surrender of that vessel had been received from the commander,
she having two white flags flying hoisted by her own people, a heavy fire was opened on them from the shore and from the Congress,
killing some valuable officers and men. Under this fire the steamers left the Congress, but as I was not informed
that any injury had been sustained by those vessels at that time, Lieutenant Commanding Parker having failed to report to
me, I took it for granted that my order to him to burn her had been executed, and waited some minutes to see the smoke ascending
her hatches. During this delay we were still subjected to the heavy fire from the batteries, which was always promptly returned.
The steam frigates Minnesota and Roanoke and the
sailing frigate St. Lawrence had previously been reported as coming from Old Point, but as I was determined that the
Congress should not again fall into the hands of the enemy, I remarked to that gallant officer Flag-Lieutenant Minor,
"That ship must be burned." He promptly volunteered to take a boat and burn her, and the Teaser, Lieutenant Commanding
Webb, was ordered to cover the boat. Lieutenant Minor had scarcely reached within 50 yards of the Congress when a deadly
fire was opened upon him, wounding him severely and several of his men. On witnessing this vile treachery, I instantly recalled
the boat and ordered the Congress destroyed by hot shot and incendiary shell. About this period I was disabled and
transferred the command of the ship to that gallant, intelligent officer, Lieutenant Catesby Jones, with orders to fight her
as long as the men could stand to their guns.
The ships from Old Point opened their fire upon us. The Minnesota
grounded in the north channel, where, unfortunately, the shoalness of the channel prevented our near approach. We continued,
however, to fire upon her until the pilots declared that it was no longer safe to remain in that position, and we accordingly
returned by the south channel (the middle ground being necessarily between the Virginia and Minnesota, and St.
Lawrence and the Roanoke having retreated under the guns of Old Point), and again had an opportunity of opening
upon the Minnesota, receiving her heavy fire in return, and shortly afterwards upon the St. Lawrence, from which
vessel we also received several broadsides. It had by this time become dark and we soon after anchored off Sewell's Point.
The rest of the squadron followed our movements, with the exception of the Beaufort, Lieutenant Commanding Parker,
who proceeded to Norfolk with the wounded and prisoners as soon as he had left the Congress, without reporting to me.
The Congress, having been set on fire by our hot shot and incendiary shell, continued to burn, her loaded guns being
successively discharged as the flames reached them, until a few minutes past midnight, when her magazine exploded with a tremendous
report.
The facts above stated as having occurred after I had placed the
ship in charge of Lieutenant Jones were reported to me by that officer.
At an early hour next morning (the 9th), upon the urgent solicitations
of the surgeons, Lieutenant Minot and myself were very reluctantly taken on shore. The accommodations for the proper treatment
of wounded persons on board the Virginia are exceedingly limited, Lieutenant Minor and myself occupying the only space
that could be used for that purpose, which was in my cabin. I therefore consented to our being landed on Sewell's Point, thinking
that the room on board vacated by us could be used for those who might be wounded in the renewal of the action. In the course
of the day Lieutenant Minor and myself were sent in a steamer to the hospital at Norfolk.
The following is an extract from the report of Lieutenant Jones
of the proceedings of the Virginia on the 9th:
At daylight on the 9th we saw that the Minnesota
was still ashore, and that there was an iron battery near her. At 8 [o'clock] we ran down to engage them (having previously
sent the killed and wounded out of the ship), firing at the Minnesota and occasionally at the iron battery. The pilots
did not place us as near as they expected. The great length and draft of the ship rendered it exceedingly difficult to work
her. We ran ashore about a mile from the frigate and were backing fifteen minutes before we got off. We continued to
fire at the Minnesota, and blew up a steamer alongside of her, and we also engaged the Monitor, sometimes at
very close quarters. We once succeeded in running into her, and twice silenced her fire. The pilots declaring that we could
get no nearer the Minnesota, and believing her to be entirely disabled, and the Monitor having
to run into shoal water, which prevented our doing her any further injury, we ceased firing at 12 [o'clock] and proceeded
to Norfolk.
Our loss is 2 killed and 19 wounded. The stem is twisted and the
ship leaks. We have lost the prow, starboard anchor, and all the boats. The armor is somewhat damaged; the steampipe and smokestack
both riddled; the muzzles of two of the guns shot away. It was not easy to keep a flag flying. The flagstaffs were repeatedly
shot away. The colors were hoisted to the smokestack and several times cut down from it.
The bearing of the men was all that could be desired; their enthusiasm
could scarcely be restrained. During the action they cheered again and again. Their coolness and skill were the more remarkable
from the fact that the great majority of them were under fire for the first time. They were strangers to each other and to
the officers, and had but a few days' instruction in the management of the great guns. To the skill and example of the officers
is this result in no small degree attributable.
Having thus given a full report of the actions on the 8th and
9th, I feel it due to the gallant officers who so nobly sustained the honor of the flag and country on those days to express
my appreciation of their conduct.
To that brave and intelligent officer Lieutenant Catesby Jones,
the executive and ordnance officer of the Virginia, I am greatly indebted for the success achieved. His constant attention
to his duties in the equipment of the ship; his intelligence in the instruction of ordnance to the crew, as proved by the
accuracy and effect of their fire, some of the guns having been personally directed by him; his tact and management in the
government of raw recruits; his general knowledge of the executive duties of a man-of-war, together with his high-toned bearing,
were all eminently conspicuous, and had their fruits in the admirable efficiency of the Virginia. If conduct such as
his (and I do not know that I have used adequate language in describing it) entitles an officer to promotion, I see in the
case of Lieutenant Jones one in all respects worthy of it. As flag-officer I am entitled to someone to perform the duties
of flag-captain, and I should be proud to have Lieutenant Jones ordered to the Virginia as lieutenant-commander, if
it be not the intention of the Department to bestow upon him a higher rank.
Lieutenant Simms fully sustained his well-earned reputation. He
fired the first gun, and when the command devolved upon Lieutenant Jones in consequence of my disability, he was ordered to
perform the duties of executive officer. Lieutenant Jones has expressed to me his satisfaction in having had the services
of so experienced, energetic, and zealous an officer.
Lieutenant Davidson fought his guns with great precision. The
muzzle of one of them was soon shot away. He continued, however, to fire it, though the woodwork around the port became ignited
at each discharge. His buoyant and cheerful bearing and voice were contagious and inspiring.
Lieutenant Wood handled his pivot gun admirably, and the executive
officer testifies to his valuable suggestions during the action. His zeal and industry in drilling the crew contributed materially
to our success.
Lieutenant Eggleston served his hot shell with judgment and effect,
and his bearing was deliberate, and exerted a happy influence on his division.
Lieutenant Butt fought his gun with activity, and during the action
was gay and smiling.
The Marine Corps was well represented by Captain Thom, whose tranquil
mien gave evidence that the hottest fire was no novelty to him. One of his guns was served effectively and creditably by a
detachment of the United Artillery of Norfolk under the command of Captain Kevill. The muzzle of their gun was struck by a
shell from the enemy, which broke off a piece of the gun, but they continued to fire as if it was uninjured.
Midshipmen Foute, Marmaduke, Littlepage, Craig, and Long rendered
valuable services. Their conduct would have been creditable to older heads, and gave great promise of future usefulness. Midshipman
Marmaduke, though receiving several painful wounds early in the action, manfully fought his gun until the close. He is now
at the hospital.
Paymaster Semple volunteered for any service, and was assigned
to the command of the powder division, an important and complicated duty, which could not have been better performed.
Surgeon Phillips and Assistant Surgeon Garnett were prompt and
attentive in the discharge of their duties. Their kind and considerate care of the wounded and the skill and ability displayed
in the treatment won for them the esteem and gratitude of all who came under their charge, and justly entitled them to the
confidence of officers and crew. I beg leave to call the attention of the Department to the case of Doctor Garnett. He stands
deservedly high in his profession, is at the head of the list of assistant surgeons, and, there being a vacancy in consequence
of the recent death of Surgeon Blacknall, I should be much gratified if Doctor Gamett could be promoted to it.
The engines and machinery, upon which so much depended, performed
much better than was expected. This is due to the intelligence, experience, and coolness of Acting Chief Engineer Ramsay.
His efforts were ably seconded by his assistants, Tynam, Campbell, Herring, Jack, and White. As Mr. Ramsay is only acting
chief engineer, I respectfully recommend his promotion to the rank of chief, and would also ask that Second Assistant Engineer
Campbell may be promoted to first assistant, he having performed the duties of that grade during the engagement.
The forward officers—Boatswain Hasker, Gunner Oliver, and
Carpenter Lindsay—discharged well all the duties required of them. The boatswain had charge of a gun and fought it well.
The gunner was indefatigable in his efforts. His experience and exertions as a gunner have contributed very materially to
the efficiency of the battery.
Acting Master Parrish was assisted in piloting the ship by Pilots
Wright, Williams, Clark, and Cunningham. They were necessarily much exposed.
It is now due that I should mention my personal staff. To
that gallant young officer Flag-Lieutenant Minor I am much indebted for his promptness in the execution of signals; for renewing
the flagstaffs when shot away, being thereby greatly exposed; for his watchfulness in keeping the Confederate flag up; his
alacrity in conveying my orders to the different divisions, and for his general cool and gallant bearing.
My aid, Acting Midshipman Rootes, of the Navy; Lieutenant Forrest,
of the Army, who served as a volunteer aid, and my clerk, Mr. Arthur Sinclair, jr., are entitled to my thanks for the activity
with which my orders were conveyed to the different parts of the ship. During the hottest of the fight they were always at
their posts, giving evidence of their coolness. Having referred to the good conduct of the officers in the flagship immediately
under my notice, I come now to a no less pleasing task when I attempt to mark my approbation of the bearing of those serving
in the other vessels of the squadron.
Commander John R. Tucker, of the Patrick Henry, and Lieutenant
Commanding J. N. Barney, of the Jamestown, and W. A. Webb, of the Teaser, deserve great praise for their gallant
conduct throughout the engagement. Their judgment in selecting their positions for attacking the enemy was good; their constant
fire was destructive, and contributed much to the success of the day. The general order under which the squadron went into
action required that, in the absence of all signals, each commanding officer was to exercise his own judgment and discretion
in doing all the damage he could to the enemy, and to sink before surrendering. From the bearing of those officers on the
8th, I am fully satisfied that that order would have been carried out.
Commander Tucker speaks highly of all under him, and
desires particularly to notice that Lieutenant-Colonel Callender St. George Noland, commanding the post at Mulberry Island,
on hearing of the deficiency in the complement of the Patrick Henry, promptly offered the
services of 10 of his men as volunteers for the occasion, one of whom, George E. Webb, of the Greenville Guards, Commander
Tucker regrets to say, was killed.
Lieutenant Commanding Barney reports every officer and man on
board of the ship performed his whole duty, evincing a courage and fearlessness worthy of the cause for which we are fighting.
Lieutenant Commanding Webb specially notices the coolness
displayed by Acting Master Face and Third Assistant Engineer Quinn when facing the heavy fire of artillery and musketry from
the shore whilst the Teaser was standing in to cover the boat in which, as previously stated, Lieutenant Minor had
gone to burn the Congress. Several of his men were badly wounded.
The Raleigh, early in the action, had her gun carriage
disabled, which compelled her to withdraw. As soon as he had repaired damages as well as he could, Lieutenant Commanding Alexander
resumed his position in the line. He sustained himself gallantly during the remainder of the day, and speaks highly of all
under his command. That evening he was ordered to Norfolk for repairs.
The Beaufort, Lieutenant Commanding Parker, was in close
contact with the enemy frequently during the day and all on board behaved gallantly. Lieutenant Commanding Parker expresses
his warmest thanks to his officers and men for their coolness. Acting Midshipman Foreman, who accompanied him as volunteer
aid, Midshipman Mallory and Newton, Captain's Clerk Bain, and Mr. Gray, pilot, are all specially mentioned by him.
On the 21st instant I forwarded to the Department correct lists
of the casualties on board all the vessels of the squadron on the 8th; none, it appears, occurred on the 9th.
While in the act of closing this report I received the communication
of the Department, dated 22nd instant, relieving me temporarily of the command of the squadron for the naval defenses of James
River. I feel honored in being relieved by the gallant Flag-Officer Tattnall.
I much regret that I am not now in a condition to resume my command,
but trust that I shall soon be restored to health, when I shall be ready for any duty that may be assigned to me.
Very respectfully,
FRANKLIN BUCHANAN,
Flag-Officer.
Hon. S. R. MALLORY,
Secretary
of the Navy.
Source: Official Records
of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, vol. 7 (Washington,
Government Printing Office, 1898): 44-49.
Recommended
Reading: Confederate Ironclad vs Union Ironclad: Hampton Roads
1862 (Duel). Description: The Ironclad
was a revolutionary weapon of war. Although iron was used for protection in the Far East
during the 16th century, it was the 19th century and the American Civil War that heralded the first modern armored self-propelled
warships. With the parallel pressures of civil war and the industrial revolution, technology advanced at a breakneck speed.
It was the South who first utilized ironclads as they attempted to protect their ports from the Northern blockade. Impressed
with their superior resistance to fire and their ability to ram vulnerable wooden ships, the North began to develop its own
rival fleet of ironclads. Eventually these two products of this first modern arms race dueled at the battle of Hampton Roads
in a clash that would change the face of naval warfare. Continued below…
Fully illustrated
with cutting-edge digital artwork, rare photographs and first-person perspective gun sight views, this book allows the reader
to discover the revolutionary and radically different designs of the two rival Ironclads - the CSS Virginia and USS Monitor
- through an analysis of each ship's weaponry, ammunition and steerage. Compare the contrasting training of the crews and
re-live the horrors of the battle at sea in a war which split a nation, communities and even families. About the Author: Ron
Field is Head of History at the Cotswold School in
Bourton-on-the-Water. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1982 and taught history at Piedmont
High School in California
from 1982 to 1983. He was associate editor of the Confederate Historical Society of Great Britain, from 1983 to 1992. He is
an internationally acknowledged expert on US Civil War military history, and was elected a Fellow of the Company of Military
Historians, based in Washington, DC,
in 2005. The author lives in Cheltenham, UK.
Recommended
Reading: Reign of Iron: The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack. From Publishers Weekly: The Monitor-Merrimack showdown may be one
of the Civil War’s most overhyped chestnuts: the two ships were by no means the first ironclads, and their long awaited
confrontation proved an anticlimactic draw, their cannon fire clanging harmlessly off each other’s hulls. Still, the
author of this lively history manages to bring out the story’s dramatic elements. Nelson, author of the Revolution at
Sea series of age-of-sail adventure novels, knows how to narrate a naval crisis. He gives a harrowing account of the Merrimack’s initial onslaught, in which it destroyed two wooden
Union warships in a bloody and chaotic battle the day before the Monitor arrived, and of the Monitor’s nightmarish final
hours as it foundered in a storm at sea. Continued below…
Equally arresting
is his retelling of the feverish race between North and South to beat the other side to the punch with their respective wonder
ships. He delves into every aspect of the ships’ innovative design and construction, and draws vivid portraits of the
colorful characters who crafted them, especially the brilliant naval architect John Ericsson, one of that epic breed of engineer-entrepreneurs
who defined the 19th century. The resulting blend of skillful storytelling and historical detail will please Civil War and
naval engineering buffs alike.
Recommended
Reading: The Battle of Hampton
Roads: New Perspectives on the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (Mariner's Museum). Description: On March 8 and 9, 1862, a sea battle off the Virginia coast changed naval warfare forever. It began when the Confederate States Navy’s
CSS Virginia led a task force to break the Union blockade of Hampton Roads. The Virginia
sank the USS Cumberland and forced the frigate Congress to surrender. Damaged by shore batteries, the Virginia retreated, returning the next day to find her way blocked by the newly arrived
USS Monitor. The clash of ironclads was underway. Continued below…
After fighting
for nine hours, both ships withdrew, neither seriously damaged, with both sides claiming victory. Although the battle may
have been a draw and the Monitor sank in a storm later that year, this first encounter between powered, ironclad warships
spelled the end of wooden warships—and the dawn of a new navy. This book takes a new look at this historic battle. The
ten original essays, written by leading historians, explore every aspect of the battle—from the building of the warships
and life aboard these “iron coffins” to tactics, strategy, and the debates about who really won the battle of
Hampton Roads. Co-published with The Mariners’ Museum, home to the USS Monitor Center, this authoritative guide to the
military, political, technological, and cultural dimensions of this historic battle also features a portfolio of classic lithographs,
drawings, and paintings. Harold Holzer is one of the country’s leading experts on the Civil War.
Recommended
Reading: Ironclad Down: USS Merrimack-CSS Virginia from Design to Destruction (Hardcover). Description: The result of more than fifteen years
of research, Ironclad Down is a treasure trove of detailed information about one of history s most famous vessels. Describing
the fascinating people--Stephen Russell Mallory, John Mercer Brooke, John Luke Porter, et al.--who conceived, designed and
built one of the world's first ironclads as well as describing the ship itself, Carl Park offers both the most thoroughly
detailed, in-depth analysis to date of the actual architecture of the Virginia
and a fascinating, colorful chapter of Civil War history.
Recommended
Reading: Iron Afloat: The Story of the Confederate Armorclads. Description: William N. Still's book is rightfully referred to as the standard of Confederate Naval history.
Accurate and objective accounts of the major and even minor engagements with Union forces are combined with extensive background
information. This edition has an enlarged section of historical drawings and sketches. Mr. Still explains the political background
that gave rise to the Confederate Ironclad program and his research is impeccable. An exhaustive literature listing rounds
out this excellent book. While strictly scientific, the inclusion of historical eyewitness accounts and the always fluent
style make this book a joy to read. This book is a great starting point.
Recommended
Reading: Civil War Ironclads: The U.S. Navy and Industrial Mobilization (Johns Hopkins
Studies in the History of Technology). Description: "In this impressively researched and broadly conceived study, William
Roberts offers the first comprehensive study of one of the most ambitious programs in the history of naval shipbuilding, the
Union's ironclad program during the Civil War. Continued below...
Perhaps more importantly, Roberts also provides an invaluable framework for understanding and analyzing
military-industrial relations, an insightful commentary on the military acquisition process, and a cautionary tale on the
perils of the pursuit of perfection and personal recognition." - Robert Angevine, Journal of Military History "Roberts's study,
illuminating on many fronts, is a welcome addition to our understanding of the Union's industrial mobilization during the
Civil War and its inadvertent effects on the postwar U.S. Navy." - William M. McBride, Technology and Culture"
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