THE U.S. CIVIL WAR AND UTAH LANDSCAPE

The years 2011-2015 are being remembered in the U.S. as the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.  I have always been interested in this epic part of American history, but even more so during this remembrance period.  There are literally hundreds of books and articles being published each year during this celebration. It seems impossible to read all of them, or even browse the bookshelves.  A couple of months ago, in early March, Civil War buffs remembered the Battle of Hampton Roads, one of the most important naval battles in the nation’s history.

In 1861 President Lincoln decided on a policy of blockading ports of the Confederate states---part of General Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan to “strangle” the south!  Scott was known as “Old Fuss and Feathers”, and was Commanding General of the United States Army for the last 20 years of his 47 year career!  So, from Virginia down the Atlantic Coast and over into the Gulf Coast and up the Mississippi River, Union ships patrolled the waters trying to intercept Confederate ships (or sympathetic privateers, mostly British blockade runners) transporting supplies into ports, or out with cotton (for sale in Europe).  Although the blockade runners were fairly successful in getting in and out of ports, the small size of their cargo holds did not allow much commerce, and the Union captured somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 ships over the course of the conflict.  In summary, the blockade was successful.

SCOTT'S PLAN TO STRANGLE THE C.S.A. WITH THE USE OF A NAVAL BLOCKADE.  PHOTO FROM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

One of the most important ports, to both the Union and the Confederacy, was the area known as Hampton Roads, the estuarine mouth of the James River as it flows into Chesapeake Bay.  Although the Confederacy controlled the south part of the estuary at Norfolk and Portsmouth, the Union had strongholds at Fort Monroe on the north (on the Virginia Peninsula) and Fort Wool on a small man-made island (Rip Raps) on the south side of the main channel.  Therefore, the Union was able to block the entrance to the channel and the Confederacy lost sea access to inland Richmond (their capital on the James River) as well as access to naval facilities at Norfolk.  In addition to the patrolling Union ships, the U.S. Navy anchored several other warships to strengthen the blockade (USS Cumberland, Congress, Minnesota, Roanoke and St Lawrence).    

However, the Confederate Navy had a little surprise for the Union blockade at Hampton Roads!  On March 8, 1862, the CSS Virginia (and the gunboat consorts CSS Raleigh and Beaufort, plus the Patrick Henry, Jamestown, Teaser) steamed down a tributary of the James (the Elizabeth River, above the blockade) and headed downstream to confront the Union gunboats.  The Virginia, commanded by Franklin Buchanan, headed straight toward the USS Cumberland, a sailing warship carrying perhaps 22 smoothbore Dahlgren shell guns and a larger aft Parrott rifle.  After pummeling the Cumberland with numerous shells the Virginia rammed the sloop-of-war below the waterline and she (all ships are referred to as feminine I guess) sank.  The Virginia then took aim the USS Congress, a 52 gun sailing frigate that had run aground.  After badly pounding the ship, hot cannon balls were sent flying into her powder magazine and the Congress sank.  The Virginia then went for the USS Minnesota, a steam-powered frigate and a former flagship of the Hampton Roads Fleet.  Unfortunately, the Minnesota had also ran aground and after a brief encounter with the Confederate ships, she was probably saved from destruction by the coming nightfall.

SKETCH OF THE CSS VIRGINIA.  NOTE THE BATTERING RAM ON THE BOW OF THE VESSEL.  PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVAL HISTORICAL AND HERITAGE CENTER.

There was a reason the CSS Virginia was so successful on that day in March 1862—she was covered with iron plates and the shots from the Union ships mostly bounced off the hulls!  Ironclad ships suddenly became a new player in U.S. naval history.

The Virginia actually begin her career as a 40 gun wooden frigate of the U.S. Navy.  As Union forces burned their fleet (mostly) during the 1861 retreat from Norfolk/Portsmouth, they left behind many remnants.  Since the USS Merrimac (or Merrimack) only burned to the waterline, the Confederate Navy hauled her up, retrofitted it with iron plates (an ironclad), and renamed it the CSS Virginia.  The Merrimack was a screw prop so the engines were mounted below the water line--a seemly good fit for the new ironclad.  But, as a retrofitted wooden ship, the Virginia was a very bulky vessel with a turning radius of perhaps one mile, an engine in need of a rebuild, and had 14 gun ports (four each broadside, three bow and stern, carrying a variety of weapons including 9 inch Dahlgren smoothbores, two 6.4 inch rifles and two pivot guns fore and aft (7 inch Brooke rifles capable of firing 104-pounds shells) (Olmstead and others, 1997).  Two of the Dahlgren,s were built to fire "hot shots, heated up in a special furnace.

After the carnage (~ 250 men killed, Cumberland and Congress sank, two transports and a tug sank, two frigates and a tug damaged, and a transport captured) the Virginia retired for the evening but returned the next day to finish off the Minnesota and to destroy, or at least disrupt, the blockade.  But, the Union had its own surprise---during the night the USS Monitor, commanded by John A. Worden, steamed into the estuary with an assignment to protect the Minnesota.  The Monitor was the Union’s first attempt at an ironclad and was built from the ground up and was not a retrofitted ship.  Therefore, it was much smaller and more nimble than the Virginia.  In addition, the Monitor carried only two, 11- inch Dahlgren shell guns but they were mounted in a revolving steam-powered turret.

USS MONITOR  SKETCH FROM COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVAL HISTORICAL AND HERITAGE CENTER.

AN 11 INCH DALHGREN SHELL GUN.  PHOTO FROM COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVAL HISTORICAL AND HERITAGE CENTER.

 

The Monitor and the Merrimack (most popular term for the Virginia) battled for over three hours on March 9 with most shells bouncing off the ironclad structures.  At times, they were almost touching each other and a Brooke rifle on the Virginia was able to hit the Monitor's pilot house dead on, injuring the Captain.  However, the faster Monitor was always able to maneuver quickly and stay between the Virginia and the Minnesota.  Finally, the battle seemed a draw and both vessels steamed off for repair and recuperation.  However, the course of naval history changed on that day, not only for the U.S. and C.S.A. but for the world.  Steam-powered ironclad ships were now the warships of the future. 

Interestingly, both the C.S.A. and the Union claimed victory in the battle but most historiams would call it a draw!  But, the blockade had been preserved for the Union but unfortunately (for the Union) the battle made Major General George McClellen alter his plans to march on Richmond so the Confederate capitol was saved for another day.



 on the

THE MONITOR VS. THE MERRIMAC AT THE BATTLE OF HAMPTON ROADS.  PRINT FROM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

So, now the burning question---how in the world does this Civil War naval battle relate to the geology of Utah?  The answer lies along UT 313 heading southwest off US 160 north of Moab toward Dead Horse Point State Park.  At about MP 4, two square-topped buttes appear to the northwest—Monitor and Merrimac Buttes!  The massive cliffs (seen in the photo below) are part of the Entrada Formation (Slick Rock Member) while the crinkly and folded redbeds below belong to the Dewey Bridge Member of the Entrada. Below the Dewey Bridge is the cross-bedded and wind-blown Navajo Sandstone while the juniper-covered Kayenta Formation occupies the foreground.  Capping the buttes are the Moab Member of the Entrada (white sandstone) and minor beds of the Summerville and Morrison formations.  The entire section is Jurassic in age.

MONITOR (RIGHT) AND MERRIMAC BUTTES.

Of course the Merrimac (CSS Virginia) is the more massive butte while the smaller is the USS Monitor.  Together they are locked in battle forever (or at least until erosion wears then down).  So, that is the story of how the U.S. Civil war arrived in Utah! 

REFERENCES CITED

Olmstead, Edwin; Stark, Wayne E.; Tucker, Spencer C., 1997, The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon. Alexandria Bay, New York: Museum Restoration Service.   

POST SCRIPT

• The C.S.A. Navy abandoned the ports around Norfolk and scuttled the CSS Virginia on May 11, 1862, rather than allow capture by Union forces.  The Virginia simply was too heavy to steam up the James to Richmond.
• The smaller USS Monitor was lost in heavy seas off Cape hatteras on December 31, 1862.  However, the U.S. Navy liked the design and constructed dozens of "monitor-like" ironclads for use in both river warfare and on the high seas.   
• The massive 11 inch Dalhgren shell guns weighed in at nearly 16,000 pounds. 
• The Captain of the Monitor stopped at the Flagship Roanoke, anchored in Hampton Roads, and offered to let any seaman off who did not want to continue with the battle.
• Bad weather delayed the arrival of the Monitor by one day.  perhaps the Congress and Cumberland could have been saved if the weather had cooperated.
• After writing this little article I discovered the April 2012 edition of "Naval History" (a journal) dedicated to the Battle of Hampton Roads.  Most interesting was a first-hand report written (actually dictated) by a Monitor seaman detailing the battle.
• An impact structure, Upheaval Dome, is located a few miles from Monitor and Merrimac Buttes.  The age is post-Jurassic.  
• An impact structure was created ~ 35 Ma. at the site of the current southern Chesapeake Bay.                     

  

  LOCATION OF IMPACT STRUCTURE IN CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA.  THE JAMES RIVER IS THE SOUTHERNMOST STREAM.  MAP FROM NASA.

  
  

  
  

  

  AERIAL PHOTO (FROM USDA) OF UPHEAVAL DOME NEAR MAOB, UTAH