Page "Battle of Hampton Roads" Paragraph 11

When Mallory's men searched the South for factories that could build engines to drive the heavy ships that he wanted, they found no place to do it immediately.

At the best facility, the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, building engines from scratch would take at least a year.

Upon learning this, Williamson suggested taking the engines from the hulk of Merrimack, recently raised from the bed of the Elizabeth River.

His colleagues promptly accepted his suggestion and expanded it, proposing that the design of their projected ironclad be adapted to the hull.

Porter produced the revised plans, which were submitted to Mallory for approval.

On July 11, 1861, the new design was accepted, and work began almost immediately.

The burned-out hull was towed into the graving dock that the Union Navy had failed to destroy.

During the subsequent conversion process, the plans were further modified to incorporate an iron ram fitted to the prow.

Her offense in addition to the ram consisted of 10 guns: six smooth-bore Dahlgrens, two and two Brooke rifles.

Trials showed that these rifles firing solid shot would pierce up to eight inches of armor plating.

The Tredagar Iron works could produce both solid shot and shell, and since it was believed that Virginia would face only wooden ships, she was given only the shell.

Had solid shot been used against the Monitor, the result of the battle might have been different.

The armor plating, originally meant to be thick, was replaced by double plates, each thick, backed by of iron and pine.

The armor was pierced for 14 gunports: four on each broadside, three forward, and three aft.

The revisions, together with the usual problems associated with the transportation system of the South, resulted in delays that pushed out the launch date until February 3, 1862, and she was not commissioned until February 17, bearing the name CSS Virginia.