Heroes Get Remembered, but Legends Never Die: The Ongoing Fascination with USS Monitor

Today marks the 151st anniversary of the sinking of the USS Monitor.  It is as much a front story headline over a hundred and fifty years ago as it remains today.  The burial of the two unidentified sailors at Arlington National Cemetery in March hit worldwide popularity among the major news outlets.  It is by far one of the most intriguing stories of the American Civil War.  But why?  

This post is but one of many written about the Monitor today.  That is no secret.  It's an anniversary, after all.  In a block of major commemorations already occurring (WWII, 1812, WWI, Korea), it seems only natural.  Our own American love affair with commemorations continue to drive many history-based blogs and social media outlets such as the CWN 150.  History happens within these parameters.  The job of the historian and the general public is to remember it in whatever way they seem fit: ceremonies, stories, publications, lectures, etc.  It is an unspoken "social contract" Civil War enthusiasts signed back in 2011 at the commemoration's beginning.  The story of the Monitor, however, is still alive and thriving.  Others already faded into the distant sleep of the bicentennial.  

Battlefields around the country also received their attention this year.  Thousands of visitors braved the heat and flocked to the Gettysburg and Vicksburg sesquicentennial commemorations.  Their stories certainly deserve equal praise and reverence.  What is particularly interesting about the USS Monitor, now 151 years later, is its adaptability.  Her story constantly evolves.  Like some creature lost in the evolutionary chain, the men of the Monitor adapt to the changing time periods. 

Dozens of books about the Monitor currently line your book store's Civil War section.  The majority of these published over the course of the last decade.  Timeliness is next to godliness.  Many monographs claim "new developments" or "uncovered history."  This is perhaps an intentional play on the ship's 2002 recovery.  Even after the hoopla of the ship's sesquicentennial anniversary during the Battle of Hampton Roads in 2012, books, articles, and news stories continue to surface.  Far beyond the typical "15 minutes" of historical fame, the Monitor has overstayed its welcome.  We are okay with that.

The continued fascination exists on everything from wine bottles to memorial plaques and challenge coins.  In the grand scheme of collective memory, the Monitor is THE BRAND for the Civil War navies.  At a time when branding takes up so much time and energy for museums and institutions around the world, enthusiasts for this subject have known theirs for years.  Whether you like the publicity or not, the Monitor is here to stay.  

Heroes get remembered.  Legends like the Monitor, however, never die.  That is a promise as ironclad as the ship itself.  

Here's to 151 years.  As you toast your champagne tonight, save a little bit for the Monitor boys.    

    

CSS Hampton Flag Finds a Home

“In the museum business, if you are lucky, you occasionally have an opportunity to experience what we call ‘wow’ moments.” – Elizabeth A. Poulliot, HRNM Director

Timing is everything.  At least in light of recent events, it is.  If it wasn’t for the quick thinking of two Federal Army officers, we might not have the Civil War Navy’s most recent and prized artifact, the flag of the CSS Hampton.

Richmond, Virginia: 1865

Virginia stood wounded and defeated in the last two years of war.  After suffering heavy casualties throughout Grant’s Overland Campaign, Virginia’s army braced their backs to the south of Richmond at Petersburg in June 1864.  To the west, Virginia’s lush and vibrant Shenandoah Valley burned, denying much needed food and supplies to the starving at Petersburg.  By March 1865, the Petersburg campaign was over.  One month later, approaching Federal armies captured the Confederate capitol.  Richmond remained a burned-out husk of its former self.  The Confederate military was gone and much of its population deserted.  It seems that the war would be over.  Yet victory did not come without its spoils. 

 

CSS Nansemond, one of Hampton's sister ships.

In the midst of the desolation and destruction, Lieutenant William J. Ladd of the 13^th New Hampshire Regiment stood alone in the deserted city Capitol.  According to the History of the regiment, Ladd rode towards Rocketts landing and found a Union cavalryman.  The two rowed out onto the James, where they pulled down two flags off of the CSS Hampton, one of two Maury that saw action during the American Civil War.  Little did they know, the Confederates rigged the ship to explode.  Minutes after they rowed back ashore, the ship went up in a fiery blaze; symbolic of the Navy’s demise and that of its most prized city. 

Dayton, VA: 2011

Ladd kept the flag after the war at his home in Milton.  In the 1960s, the flag made its way to Dayton, VA and into the hands of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society (HRHS).  The flag that once flew defiantly against the government of the United States lay in a collections box.  Nancy Hess, Vice President of the society, came across the discovery in 2011.  Included with the flag was a handwritten inscription sewn onto the flag:

 

"That of Confed gun boat Hampton burnt in James River at the taking of Richmond.  The flag was taken from the burning ship by Liet. Ladd (13th N. Hampshire), Ge. Devens Staff."

The flag was a terrific find.  Yet it remained in extreme disrepair.  The board at the HRHS decided to look for a new home for the flag, eventually reaching Captain H.J. Hendrix, Director of the Naval History and Heritage Command.  Captain Hendrix offered to see to the flag’s conversation and care. 

Dayton, VA: 2013

In front of a crowd of nearly fifty people, Captain H. J. Hendrix, NHHC Director, accepted the flag of the Hampton on behalf of the U.S. Navy.  After a long journey, the flag will be preserved and displayed at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum (HRNM) in Norfolk, VA.  Elizabeth Poulliot, HRNM  Director, will gladly work with Washington, D.C. to see the flag make it to Norfolk.  What better place to preserve the history of the gunboat than near the place where it was built across the Elizabeth River? 

 

NHHC Director Captain H.J. Hendrix inspects the flag of CSS Hampton

The flag is an important piece that helps us understand the importance of the Confederate Navy in Hampton Roads.  Poulliot plans to  “to prominently display it in our Civil War gallery.”  She added that visitors will “want to learn more about the Civil War, and how the Confederacy build Maury gunboats.  The acceptance of this ensign from CSS Hampton is an honor for our institution.”

For information on the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, please visit the website HERE or go to their BLOG. 

In Case You Missed It: Watercolor Contest Winners!

Over the past weekend, there was a lot of interest generated about the Battle of Hampton Roads Watercolor Contest.  For its first time around, it was a great success.  I hope everyone that saw the original art on the evening of 8 March enjoyed it as much as we did.  In case you didn't get to see the art on the 8th or are not a fan of either the CWN 150 or Hampton Roads Naval Museum on Facebook (and you SHOULD BE!), here is the link to the HRNM Facebook site with ALL of the participants scanned in for your viewing pleasure.  We have reproduced the three age group winners below.  With your continued support, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum can make the watercolor contest an annual event!



Olivia Eicher - Age 5-10 Winner

Nathan Cowfer - Age 11- 13 Winner

Sarah Howland - Age Adult Winner

Civil War TECH Special Edition Issue Now Available

Get all three copies of the CWN Publications for FREE at the CWN Conference in Newport News

It is finally here!  Print copies of the Civil War Technology Special Edition have arrived hot off the press at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  For those members of HRNHF, we will be sending these out to you as soon as possible. 

Not a member of the Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation?  Want to be one?  Go to the website HERE and receive copies of The Daybook, including the special editions, right to your doorstep.  This is but one of many benefits of membership.  

There are still two other ways to get copies of the CWN SE Technology Issue.  You can download high quality .pdf's of both Civil War Navy Special Editions at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum website HERE, or click under the "Publications" tab on this blog.  The second?  Come to the front desk of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and pick one up yourself while supplies last!  Stop by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum booth at the upcoming Civil War Navy Conference in Newport News and get all three CWN 150 publications.  We will also have our LEGO ironclad ships on display for guests to see.

CWN 150 Booth Pictures at the 2012 SNA Conference

CWN 150 Exhibit and Booth at the 2012 SNA Conference

Naval History and Heritage Command Booth

Upcoming Events for the CWN 150

Wow.  A new year for all of us.  For the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, it is the follow up to the most cataclysmic series of events which led to the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Confederacy.

2011 (1861) was an excellent start to the events and activities surrounding the role of the Navy's during the war.  2012 promises to be an important year, if not the most important one, for the CWN 150. There are tons of events planned and scheduled for this commemorative year, so stay tuned.  In the near future, however, there are two that are directly on the radar for January (not to mention the CWN 150 Watercolor Contest and LEGO shipbuilding program!).

2012 SNA Conference in Crystal City, VA
The CWN 150 will have a booth in the exhibitors room at the 2012 Surface Navy Association at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City.  The conference will be held from Tuesday, January 10th to Thurs, January 12th.  Come stop by and get a FREE copy of the CWN 150 Special Edition Daybook or have a chat with me about anything related to the exciting Civil War Navy commemoration this upcoming year.  I will also have some prize drawings to win a copy of the Civil War at Sea DVD which just came out in coordination with Bob Rositzke and Bill Erickson of the Surface Navy Association. 

It will also be the debut of the new CWN 150 traveling exhibit panel which highlights the history and heritage of the Civil War navies, noting how the war itself was the beginning of the creation of a modern surface navy.  Come check it out. 

See the full list of exhibitors, events, and speakers for the SNA Conference HERE.

 Lecture at Ashantilly Center in Darien, GA (January 22, 3:00 pm) 
I will also be speaking next Saturday at the Ashantilly Center in GA.  The fine folks at Coastal Georgia University helped to put together this event, which also includes lectures from several of our friends at the National Civil War Naval Museum im Columbus.  According to the Ashantilly Center's website, the description is as follows:

"Matt Eng, Deputy Educator at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and an expert on American Naval History, will discuss the importance of commemorating the Civil War’s Sesquicentennial, focusing much of his presentation on the Navy during that period."

Flattering as the description is, I will be discussing the overall scope of the CWN 150 and its role in the ongoing narrative of memory during the war.  For more information on the event, please go to the full link/details HERE or the Mcintosh County Homepage HERE.

I look forward to an excellent year for the CWN 150 and the Civil War Sesquicentennial.  Let's make it the best one yet!  Stay tuned for more info on the March 2012 Battle of Hampton Roads events at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and the Mariners' Museum. 

Full Speed Ahead,

Matthew T. Eng

BOHR Watercolor Contest at HRNM

American poet Amy Lowell once wrote: "Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in."

As part of the sesquicentennial of arguably the most famous of all Civil War naval battles, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum/CWN 150 will hold a Battle of Hampton Roads Watercolor Art Contest in honor of the famed event. 

We are inviting all those in the Hampton Roads area to heed the words of Ms. Lowell and create original pieces of art.  Watercolor art may be developed anytime between now and March 8. March 8 is the deadline for drop off. Be creative!  For those of you fans of the CWN 150 who are not in the area, you are more than welcome to take pictures of your own creations (any type of art form) and post them to the CWN 150 Facebook page.  We will repost your art on this blog.  

The contest, however, only applies to watercolor..  Winners of the art contest will receive a prize package courtesy of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  All submitted watercolor art will be unveiled at HRNM during the FREE After Hours History program on March 8, 2012, at 6pm.  More details to follow on the event.  For Civil War Navy buffs, this is a perfect kick off to the Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend! 
Take a look at the full details, rules, and the registration form for the watercolor contest on the Hampton Roads Naval Museum Blog.  If you have any other questions, please contact Laura Orr, Special Events HRNM, at laura.l.orr@navy.mil.

U.S. Navy Memorial/NHHC Civil War at Sea Conference Confirmed Speakers

Civil War at Sea Symposium

23 April 2011

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Last week, we posted that The United States Navy Memorial is holding a symposium to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  The Naval History and Heritage Command will co-host the event, highlighting the U.S. Navy’s role in, and contributions to, the outcome of the war.  Here is a list of some of the confirmed speakers for the event. 

Speakers include:

v      Keynote speaker Craig Symonds, renowned Civil War historian and author of award-winning books Lincoln and His Admirals and The Civil War at Sea, will kick off the event and give an overview of the Confederate and Union navies.  Symonds is a retired professor and chairman of the history department at the United States Naval Academy.

v      Robert J. Schneller, Jr. has been a historian in the Contemporary History Branch at the Naval Historical Center since 1991. He is the editor of Under the Blue Pennant, or Notes of a Naval Officer, 1863-1865, by John W. Grattan; co-writer of Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War; and author of  A Quest for Glory: A Biography of Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren.

v      Howard J. Fuller is Senior Lecturer of War Studies in the Department of History as well as a Core Member of the History and Governance Research Institute's Conflict Studies Research Group at the University of Wolverhampton. He specializes in Anglo-American 19th-century history, particularly the American Civil War and the British Empire.

v      Andy Jampoler is a retired U.S. Navy Captain.  Jampoler, who served in Vietnam, has an extensive background, including working at the Pentagon and commanding a land-based maritime patrol aircraft squadron, as well as a naval air station.  During the 1970s and 80s, he flew Lockheed P-3 airplanes in search of Soviet submarines. After retiring from the Navy, he worked in the international aerospace industry and then moved on to become a full-time writer.

v      Matthew T. Eng serves as Deputy Educator of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, VA.  Eng is also the Coordinator for the Navy History & Heritage Command's Civil War Sesquicentennial.

v      Gordon Calhoun is the publication editor and command historian for the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.  He contributes to the museum’s exhibits including National Emergency: Local Navy Units in The Cold War and One Hundred Years of Silence: The Submarine Force at 100, as well as edits the museum’s quarterly journal of local history The Daybook.

v      William Connery is a seasoned writer in history and culture.  He has authored more than two dozen articles on various aspects of the American Civil War.  Connery, who writes for The Washington Times, served as the executive assistant to the Chairman of The Washington Times from 2006-2009 and as editor covering domestic/worldwide political and social issues for a general-interest monthly magazine.

v      Robert Browning is the Chief Historian for the U.S. Coast Guard.  He is the author of several books include From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron During the Civil War and U.S. Merchant Vessel War Casualties of World War II¸ as well as numerous booklets and more than 50 articles. 

This information is reproduced from the U.S. Navy Memorial Website.  For more information, go to: http://www.navymemorial.org/Events/CivilWaratSea/tabid/142/Default.aspx