The United States Navy has been involved in countless engagements since their creation in October of 1775. During these battles, the need for advance technology and superior leadership became increasing more vital to winning. However, some battles see a greater increase than others do. The Battle of Hampton Roads is one of the paramount battles that lead to the growth of the United States Navy, due to the fact this encounter between the Union and Confederate ironclad ships was unlike any battle that preceded it. On March 9, 1862 after a two-day struggle, the Union Navy left Hampton Roads as the victor due to the impressive leadership of Captain John Worden, advanced naval technology, and frankly just pure luck.
On the morning of March 8, 1862,
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With beating the CSS Virginia in mind and the leaked design plans of the CSS Virginia, much more effort and planning went in the making of the USS Monitor. Swedish engineer John Ericsson was the lead designer of the Union ironclad. It was built from the ground up in just ninety days and was made entirely of iron, giving the vessel a leg up over its opposite. The key design feature that set the USS Monitor apart from the CSS Virginia was the turret that was “twenty-one feet across and eight feet high, the turret was constructed of eight layers of overlapping one-inch iron plate, and it revolved on a spindle… [The guns] were large-caliber guns, and because the turret could revolve, they could be pointed in any direction” (Symonds 101).
Ironclads have never been tested before the Battle of Hampton Roads, so neither side was sure how the effective their ships would be. However, the immense effect the ironclads had on naval battle was evident almost immediately. Rounds no longer tore thorough ships, they bounced off the iron plating causing little to no damage to the vessel. Due to advent of iron plating both sides had to adjust their fighting tactics and weaponry or continue ending battles with neither ship being
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive battle for the North, and it lasted for a total of three days. It began on July 1 and ended on July 3, 1863. The Confederacy was going on the offensive and was beginning to venture into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. They encountered Union troops as they advanced towards Harrisburg where they planned to cut off Union supply lines and to steal provisions that they needed. The Battle of Gettysburg became the bloodiest multi-day battle ever fought in United States history. At the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union claimed victory, and they would use this psychological advantage throughout the rest of the Civil War.
On March 8-9, 1862 the battle of Hampton Road took place as one of the many battles during the Civil War. It was between the Monitor and the Merrimack. It was apart of the Confederate Union to break down the wall of southern ports. It was located of of Sewells Point off of Hampton Road, Virginia. The reason for the battle was because the Union placed a barrier blocking off ocean access for the confederate side. There was a total of six-hundred people dead. One hundred was the Confederate while five-hundred of the Union died. They fought using Ironclad ships, steam-propelled warships. The two ships were called The USS Merrimack and The USS Monitor. The USS Merrimack had been resting at the bottom of the the Elizabeth River and used to be called
At 8:15am on July 18, 1863 the second battle of Fort Wagner commenced. It was initiated by four federal land batteries and the Federal Fleet that shelled from the sea using 11 ships to include the “USS New Ironsides, a veritable floating gun platform sheathed in iron.” The Confederate soldiers incased all 14 cannons in sandbags hoping they would last the unrelenting shelling of the Federal Fleet, which hurled shells at the Fort weighing up to 400 pounds. The Confederate men retreated to the belly of the Fort where they held out the shelling suffering zero casualties and amazingly loosing few
The Civil war cut our nation in two, Americans fighting Americans, brother against brother. A key battle fought westward was the turning point in the war: the Battle of Vicksburg.
The War of 1812 was a two and a half year long conflict between England and the United States. The British wanted to invade the United States once again and try to make them fall. The many battles that were fought throughout the War had many wins and losses with only one being the most influential. The Battle of New Orleans began with a two hour naval fight in Lake Borgne that later moved to land on January 8th. The Battle of New Orleans was not just a win for the United States and a loss for the British, but rather a reason for the withdrawal of the British and the final time they would fight the United States. The Battle of New Orleans had an influential aftermath that both hindered and helped the two countries.
The historical battle of Harpers Ferry was a pivotal point during the Civil War. While the battle was a clear victory on the Confederate front, Union forces could have changed the outcome with little efforts. This paper analyzes the battle with the intent of identifying how the application, utilization, or availability of intelligence assets could have resulted in an alternate outcome. With the proper use of All Source Intelligence analysis on the Union front, the Battle of Harpers Ferry would have played out completely different. While the results of this battle may not have changed the outcome of the Civil War, it would have affected the timeline of follow-on battles. The structure of this paper is simple, we cover the basics of the battle and follow up with relevant facts on how proper use of terrain analysis and troop capabilities affects the outcome of the battle.
The importance of this raid lay in the fact that they captured much-needed cannons and gunpowder.
The Battle of Fredericksburg falls in a long list of failures of the Army of the Potomac during the first year of the American Civil War. Following the Battle of Antietam the Northern Army had the opportunity to defeat Lee’s army. However, Northerners, were shocked by Lee’s escape following this battle on 17 September 1862, and were further upset by Major General George B. McClellan’s procrastination in pursuing Lee and allowing General J.E.B. Stuarts daring cavalry raid into Pennsylvania around Gettysburg (10-12 October 1862). McClellan’s failure to pursue Lee’s Army is mainly due to his own lack of confidence, believing that he doesn’t have enough men or material in order to defeat the Army of Virginia. President Lincoln had finally
Lee's armed force, subsequently, solidly trusted that on the off chance that they experienced the Federals on generally parallel terms they would win. The Battle of Gettysburg, which brought about fundamentally the same setbacks on both sides, demonstrated to Lee and his armed force that the Federal armed force was willing to cause any level of misfortunes so as to stop the Confederates, and this acknowledgment gave a mental stun to the Confederates, a critical defining moment in their confidence in their power.
Bombarding the USS Congress into surrender and ramming the USS Cumberland so hard it broke its own ram. It was about to sink the USS Minnesota before it retreated for supplies and a new ram. However the next day it showed up to finish the job, but it found a surprise. The USS Monitor. Once the Monitor retreated Virginia may have been low on supplies but it was still prepared to turn back and fight once more. The ships fought multiple times over the next few months and upgrades, but even then there has been no clear winner up till this date. Proving history repeats itself the Union finally captured the Norfolk navy yard. Just before the Confederates evacuated, they destroyed Virginia and took off. The ship was never used again throughout the
bloody and costly years for both sides we come to the date of July 1,
The American Revolutionary War took place from 1775 to 1783. The war made the thirteen colonies of the United States of America independent from Great Britain. One of the first major battles of the American Revolution was The Battle of Long Island. The Battle of Long Island was the first battle that took place after the United States declared its independence on July 4, 1776. The battle took place in August 1776 and proved to both sides that the upcoming war would be long and arduous, not easily won by either side. The British Army was victorious in this battle and forced the Continental Army to retreat leaving the entire state of New York under British control. This paper will provide insight and valuable information into the reason behind the American Revolution, and The Battle of Long Island, specifically details concerning the Continental and British Armies, strategies employed during the battle, and an alternate outcome through addressing failures in the American strategy. An alternate outcome to the battle would have a significant impact on the American Revolutionary War.
The Revolutionary War started in 1775. The American colonies have had enough of the British occupants and set their foot down in pursuit to freedom and independence. Each battle that happened during the Revolutionary War had its own significance and contributions to the independence of the colonies. Many brave men laid their lives in pursuit of the dream of independence from British control. One particular battle paved the way for that independence to become a reality. That battle is known as the Battle of Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown took place in what we know today as Virginia. It was a decisive battle that turned the table during the Revolutionary War. The battle ultimately led to the liberty of the American Colonies from the
"American Revolution : The Battle of Yorktown." American Revolution : The Battle of Yorktown. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-yorktown.htm>.
The battle at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781 is most famously known as the “ battle that ended the Revolutionary War.” While this is true, there is still much that can be learned from the principles applied, that still has relevance today. General George Washington, along with his allied French commanders, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau and Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, they exquisitely displayed how a execute siege operations. This battle also displayed a great example of how multinational operations can be successful.