Presenter:

John V. Quarstein
Director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center

About the lecture:

USS Monitor did not play a significant role during the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff. Once considered the ‘little ship that saved the nation”, it was unable to effectively shell the Confederate fort. Consequently, after the fight, Monitor’s commander, Lt. William Jeffers wrote a critical report detailing many of the ship’s weaknesses. This prompted a furious reply from John Ericsson detailing how the monitor design was key to the Union victory. Even though much of what Jeffers referenced was true, Ericsson had tremendous political support, enabling him to continue building monitors through to the war’s end.

Registration Information:

Advance registration is required whether you attend the lecture in person or online. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/event/drewrys-bluff-aftermath/