From what I read of the Civil War, the Merrimac terrorized the Mississippi and the New England coast before it was finally confronted by the Monitor. The Mississippi was a front in the Civil war because it was easily accessed by both sides.
Uhh, not exactly. The Merrimac/Virginia never got out of the James estuary. Probably would have immediately sunk if it ha.
It did indeed terrorize the US Navy, but only for one day, handing it its worst defeat in history before Pearl Harbor. Would have done more damage, but the Monitor showed up the next day and fought her to a draw.
The New England coast may have been terrorized, but only because they were idiots who didn’t realize the M/V was if possible even less seaworthy than the Monitor. Engines, if I remember correctly, had a top speed of something like 4 knots and it took her 45 minutes or so to turn around.
The CSN engineers did amazing work with what they had, but their extremely limited resource meant they produced a major kludge.
It is possible you are thinking of the CSS Alabama, a commerce raider that swept the seas of US ships before being taken on and sunk off the coast of France by the USS Kearsarge.
The Merrimac never left Hampton Roads and other that sinking the Cumberland and the Congress on the first day it caused no further damage.
On July 4th. 1863 after three months of siege Vicksburg surrendered to Union forces. This gave the North control of the Mississippi and cut the Confederacy in two. After this the South just ran out the clock.
No. Refloated Merrimac didn’t get to Mississippi, or New England. There were some wild stories in the papers. The engines, after being raised, were not up to much. Due to the weight of its iron slabs, it was hardly seaworthy.