SKU: hamptoncumberland

Although this American Civil War battle has gone down in history as the first all out confrontation between ironclad ships, this encounter was only a part of this famous battle.  On March 8, 1862, the day prior to the drawn combat between the CSS Virginia and the USS Monitor, the Confederate vessel under Captain Buchanan sank the USS Cumberland through ramming and forced the USS Congress aground and set her alight.  With the onset of darkness, CSS Virginia anchored under the protection of Confederate batteries on Sewel Point.  She had scored an overwhelming victory and had suffered very little damage.  No shot had penetrated the ironclad which was quite capable of continuing the battle the next day.  But then she would face a different opponent, in a battle which would change the face of Naval Warfare forever.