Relics Related to the Ironclad Warship Merrimack
Courtesy of David Schenkman. Slide set accompanying a presentation.
Presentation intro:
I HOPE NONE OF YOU CAME HERE EXPECTING ME TO REGALE YOU WITH FASCINATING TALES OF EXOTIC NUMISMATIC ITEMS STRUCK DURING THE CIVIL WAR YEARS. IF SO, I'M AFRAID YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED.AS ADVERTISED, MY PRESENTATION PERTAINS TO RELICS RELATING TO THE CONFEDERATE IRONCLAD WARSHIP MERRIMAC. I HAVE SLIDES OF SOME NUMISMATIC ITEMS , AND ALSO OF A FEW PIECES THAT UNQUESTIONABLY EXCEED THE LIMITS OF THE TERM "“NUMISMATIC." WHETHER NUMISMATIC OR NOT, THEY SHARE ONE COMMON CHARACTERISTIC — ALL WERE MADE OF MATERIAL TAKEN FROM THE MERRIMAC.
I WILL ASSUME THAT YOU ARE ALL FAMILIAR, AT LEAST TO SOME DEGREE, WITH THE HISTORIC NAVAL BATTLE OF MARCH STH, 1862 BETWEEN THE IRONCLAD WARSHIPS MONITOR AND MERRIMAC. ALTHOUGH NEITHER THE NORTH OR THE SOUTH COULD CLAIM A DECISIVE VICTORY, THIS CONTEST HAS EARNED ITS PLACE IN HISTORY BY POINTING OUT THE OBSOLESCENCE OF WOODEN WARSHIPS, AND THUS CHANGING THE COURSE OF NAVAL WARFARE.
AND SO WE WILL BYPASS THE BATTLE ITSELF AND SKIP TO THE PERIOD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING IT. THE MERRIMAC WENT INTO DRY DOCK TO REPAIR DAMAGE, AND REMAINED THERE FOR NEARLY A MONTH. FOLLOWING THIS SHE STEAMED INTO HAMPTON ROADS NEARLY EVERY DAY, BUT NEVER ENGAGED IN BATTLE.
ON MAY 10TH, 1862, NORFOLK WAS CAPTURED BY UNION FORCES. WITH NOWHERE TO GO, THE MERRIMAC'S CAPTAIN ORDERED THE SHIP LIGHTENED. HE HOPED HE COULD THEN STEAM UP THE JAMES RIVER TO RICHMOND.
UNFORTUNATELY. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING THIS, FEET OF THE MERRIMAC'S WOODEN REMAINED, MAKING HER AN EASY TARGET. AND YET IT WAS CALCULATED THAT SHE STILL COULDN'T MAKE IT UP THE JAMES RIVER. THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO DO BUT DESTROY THE SHIP OR BE CAPTURED.
THE MERRIMAC WAS STEAMED TO CRANEY ISLAND, WHERE SHE WAS SET AFIRE IN 30 FEET OF WATER. WHEN THE FLAMES REACHED THE SHIP'S MAGAZINE IT EXPLODED WITH A BLAST WHICH COULD BE HEARD FOR MANY MILES.
ALTHOUGH IT CAN'T BE PROVEN EXACTLY WHEN ALL THE PIECES YOU WILL SEE WERE STRUCK, I FEEL CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT NONE OF THEM ARE CONTEMPORARY WITH THE WAR. THE FACT THAT THE SHIP REMAINED UNDER THIRTY FEET OF WATER UNTIL WELL AFTER THE WAR ENDED PRETTY WELL ELIMINATES THE POSSIBILITY THAT ANY RELICS WERE PRODUCED DURING THAT PERIOD.
AFTER THE WAR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT MADE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO RAISE THE MERRIMAC, AND THEN ABANDONED THE EFFORT. STARTING IN 1867, WHEN A WRECKING COMPANY RECOVERED THE IRON RAM, VARIOUS PIECES OF THE VESSEL WERE RAISED BY PRIVATE FIRMS BY USING GUNPOWDER TO BLOW OFF SECTIONS TO OBTAIN COPPER AND IRON.
