How The CSS Virginia Came To Be | CSS Virginia
The birth of CSS Virginia was considered to be an integral part of the American Civil War. It was the first steam-powered ironclad warship the Confederacy ever built. CSS Virginia actually came from an abandoned warship named USS Merrimack. Turning the USS Merrimack into CSS Virginia wasn’t a simple task, not to mention, there weren’t any ironclads before this one. The Confederate had no prototype or sample to copy – it came from scratch, although they were able to salvage some parts or machinery from the USS Merrimack.
It all started when the Confederacy took possession of the Norfolk yard after the Union Force abandoned it. Before the Union Force abandoned the yard, they burnt and sunk the USS Merrimack. However, the USS Merrimack sunk in shallow water and the Confederacy was able to raise her up.
Confederate Navy Secretary Stephen Mallory ordered that the USS Merrimac be converted into an ironclad warship on June 23, 1861. Secretary Mallory commissioned John Brooke to make initial designs for the ironclad. When John Brooke’s design was approved, Mallory appointed Lieutenant John L. Porter to oversee the overall construction while Brooke was in-charge of the ship’s iron plate and armament. Chief Navy Engineer William P. Williamson was responsible for the ships machinery.
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