A Cheesebox On A Raft

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph

On March 9, 1862, the USS Monitor, described as a 'cheesebox on a raft', met the CSS Virginia in the first naval battle between two ironclad warships. The hard fought battle was a draw, but a new era had begun. Designed by John Ericsson, a Swedish engineer, the Monitor had all of her vital machinery located below the waterline with only her turret, pilothouse, smokestack and a few fittings exposed to enemy gunfire. Two 11-inch Dahlgren guns - the most powerful weapons in the Naval inventory - were housed in the rotating turret. 

The USS Monitor sank in rough seas on December 31, 1862 carrying 16 members of her crew to the bottom. The turret and a number of other artifacts have been recovered from the wreck and are on display in Newport News, Virginia. The resting place of the USS Monitor is designated as a National Marine Sanctuary.