Hey everyone, welcome to episode 108 of our Civil War podcast.

My name is Rich.

I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Thanks for tuning into the podcast.

Y'all have been so patient as we've used the last three episodes to set the stage for

the battle between the monitor and the Virginia. But now that the stage has been well and truly

set, this week we finally get to the clash of the Iron Clads.

After their successful sortie out into Hampton Roads on Saturday, in the pre-dawn darkness

of Sunday morning, March 9, 1862, the Virginia's officers examined their ship.

The Iron Clads surgeon, Dinwitty Phillips, later said, quote,

I found all her stanchions, iron railings, boat davits, and light work of every description

swept away. Her smokestack cut to pieces, two guns without muzzles, and 98 indentations

on her plating, showing where heavy iron shot had struck but glanced off without doing

any injury. End quote. Besides all of that, water was also leaking in through a crack

in the ship's bow, caused when the iron ram had been wrenched off the day before when

the Virginia had backed away from the Cumberland after ramming her.

So the Confederate Iron Clad hadn't exactly emerged unscathed from her battle with the

Union Block Hating Squadron. But despite the battering she'd received on Saturday, the

Virginia was still essentially intact and ready, willing, and able to renew the contest

with the Yankee ships out in the roadstead. And so the Iron Clads crew ate breakfast,

which included quote, two jiggers of whiskey, end quote, and then officers and men prepared

for action. The rebels were confident that when they steamed back out into Hampton Roads

that morning, the stranded Minnesota and any other federal ships their big iron clad

...