Yesterday and today in 1862, the newspapers in the North and the South were buzzing about the rampage at will of the C.S.S. Virginia, formerly the U.S.S. Merrimac, through the blockading Union fleet in Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk and Newport News. Articles also told of the appearance on the second day of the smaller and faster "Ericsson Battery," the Monitor. Even though I've heard about the Monitor defeating the Merrimac as far back as I can remember, it is really interesting to see the story develop and read it as it appeared at the time. Articles for March 10, 1862: http://www.pddoc.com/cw-chronicles/?m=20060310 Articles for March 11, 1862: http://www.pddoc.com/cw-chronicles/?m=20060311 I am publishing articles daily from the corresponding day in 1862 in my Civil War blog, "Chronicles of the American Civil War." http://www.pddoc.com/cw-chronicles Mike Goad RVs at Haw Creek Outdoors http://www.pddoc.com/camp/recreational_vehicles.htm

My ancestor Egbert Oswald Hixon was in the First Company Massachusetts Volunteer Sharpshooters, the "Andrew Sharpshooters." We have his diary starting March 26, 1862. On March 31 he wrote: "Weather cloudy. Steamer Monitor close by: looks like an old raft with a big kettle on top. got unloaded about 2 o'clock P.M. marched out to Hampton by the fortress. Hampton was burnt last year by the Rebs. Came out 2 miles farther to Camfield." I have seen descriptions of the Monitor as a cheese box on a raft, but a teakettle makes more sense. Carol Botteron Maintainer, Civil Wat Units File

Carol, <SNIP> > "Steamer Monitor close by: looks like an old raft with > a big kettle on top. <SNIP> Sounds like a good description of the U. S. S. "New Ironsides", another monitor. Alice J. Gayley Pennsylvania in the Civil War http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/