Virtual Civil War Lecture: River Monitors

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The Tennessee at Bay, in the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864. Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command. 

 

Join us for a free virtual lecture with author and historian John V. Quarstein, director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center, when he gives a presentation about turreted ironclads that were successful and played a valuable role in the Confederacy’s final defeat in the West.

Viewers are welcome to send any comments or questions to John, and he will answer them following his talk.

About the lecture: While the Union achieved great success on the western waters with the City-class and other paddle wheel casemate ironclads like USS Essex, shipyards in the Mississippi River began to construct turreted ironclads. Most of these monitors did not see active operations until 1864, yet they were shotproof and effective warships. Two classes of single-turreted monitors and one class featured twin turrets. The most unusual river monitor was USS Ozark which had one turret and one casemate. Milwaukee-class monitors, USS Chickasaw and USS Winnebago, fought during the August 5, 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay and damaged the Confederate ironclad CSS Tennessee. For the most part, these monitors were successful and played a valuable role in the Confederacy’s final defeat in the West.