Merrimack was the first of six screw frigates (steam frigates powered by screw propellers) begun in 1854. Like others of her class (Wabash, Roanoke, Niagara, Minnesota and Colorado), she was named after a river. The Merrimack originates in New Hampshire and flows through the town of Merrimac, Massachusetts, often considered an older spelling which has sometimes caused confusion of the name.[1]
Merrimack was launched by the Boston Navy Yard 15 June 1855, sponsored by Mary E. Simmons, and commissioned 20 February 1856, Captain Garrett J. Pendergrast in command. She was the second ship of the Navy to be named for the Merrimack River.
Service
Shakedown cruises took the new screw frigate to the Caribbean and to Western Europe. Merrimack visited Southampton, Brest, Lisbon, and Toulon before returning to Boston and decommissioning 22 April 1857 for repairs. Recommissioning 1 September 1857, Merrimack got underway from Boston Harbor 17 October as flagship for the Pacific Squadron. She rounded Cape Horn and cruised the Pacific coast of South and Central America until heading for home 14 November 1859. Upon returning to Norfolk, she decommissioned 16 February 1860.
Merrimack was still in ordinary during the crisis preceding Lincoln's inauguration. Soon after becoming Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles took action to prepare the frigate for sea, planning to move her to Philadelphia. The day before the firing on Fort Sumter, Welles directed that "great vigilance be exercised in guarding and protecting" Norfolk Navy Yard and her ships. On the afternoon of 17 April 1861, the day Virginia seceded, Engineer in Chief B. F. Isherwood managed to get the frigate's engines lit off; but the previous night secessionists had sunk light boats in the channel between Craney Island and Sewell's Point, blocking Merrimack. On 20 April, before evacuating the Navy Yard, the U.S. Navy burned Merrimack to the waterline and sank her to preclude capture.[2]
USS Merrimack aflame during the burning of the Norfolk Navy Yard, 20 April 1861
The Confederacy, in desperate need of ships, raised Merrimack and rebuilt her as an ironcladram, according to a design prepared by Lt. John Mercer Brooke, CSN. Commissioned as CSS Virginia 17 February 1862, the ironclad was the hope of the Confederacy to destroy the wooden ships in Hampton Roads, and to end the Union blockade which had already seriously impeded the Confederate war effort.
^"BURNING OF GOSPORT NAVY-YARD; Eleven Vessels Scuttled and Burned, The Steam Tug Yankee Tows the Cumberland to Sea, Norfolk Not on Fire". The New York Times. New York City. 24 April 1861. Retrieved 2 August 2022. The Government vessels had been scuttled in the afternoon before the Pawnee arrived, to prevent their being seized by the Secessionists… The following are the names of the vessels which were destroyed: Pennsylvania, 74 gun-ship; steam-frigate Merrimac, 44 guns; sloop-of-war Germantown, 22 guns; sloop Plymouth, 22 guns; frigate Raritan, 45 guns; frigate Columbia, 44 guns; Delaware, 74 gun-ship; Columbus, 74 gun-ship; United States, in ordinary; brig Dolphin, 8 guns; and the powder-boat… [plus] line-of-battle ship New-York, on the stocks… Large quantities of provisions, cordage and machinery were also destroyed — besides buildings of great value — but it is not positively known that the [dry] dock was blown up.
Canney, Donald L. (1990). The Old Steam Navy: Frigates, Slops and Gunboats, 1815–1882. Vol. 1. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-004-1.
Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-8317-0302-4.
Olmstead, Edwin; Stark, Wayne E.; Tucker, Spencer C. (1997). The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon. Alexandria Bay, New York: Museum Restoration Service. ISBN0-88855-012-X.
Silverstone, Paul H. (2006). Civil War Navies 1855–1883. The U.S. Navy Warship Series. New York: Routledge. ISBN0-415-97870-X.
Nelson, James L. 2004. The Reign of Iron: The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack. HarperCollins Publishers, NY. ISBN0-06-052403-0.
External links
history.navy.mil/photos: USS Merrimack
Journal of a Cruise onboard U.S. Steam Frigate Merrimack, 1856–1858, MS 15 held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
January 19, 2023
merrimack, 1855, other, ships, with, this, name, merrimack, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, october, 2020, lea. For other ships with this name see USS Merrimack This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations October 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message USS Merrimack also improperly Merrimac was a steam frigate best known as the hull upon which the ironclad warship CSS Virginia was constructed during the American Civil War The CSS Virginia then took part in the Battle of Hampton Roads also known as the Battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack in the first engagement between ironclad warships USS Merrimack Engraving by L H Bradford amp Co after a drawing by G G PookHistoryUnited StatesNameMerrimackOrdered6 April 1854Launched15 June 1855Commissioned20 February 1856Decommissioned16 February 1860FateBurned and sunk in dock 20 April 1861 Raised and converted into ironclad CSS VirginiaGeneral characteristicsTonnage3 200Length275 ft 84 m Beam38 5 ft 11 7 m Draft24 ft 7 3 m Propulsionsail steam engineSpeed12 knotsArmament14 8 inch guns 2 10 inch guns 24 9 inch gunsMerrimack was the first of six screw frigates steam frigates powered by screw propellers begun in 1854 Like others of her class Wabash Roanoke Niagara Minnesota and Colorado she was named after a river The Merrimack originates in New Hampshire and flows through the town of Merrimac Massachusetts often considered an older spelling which has sometimes caused confusion of the name 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 Creation 1 2 Service 2 See also 3 Footnotes 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksHistory Edit USS Merrimack sectional view Creation Edit Merrimack was launched by the Boston Navy Yard 15 June 1855 sponsored by Mary E Simmons and commissioned 20 February 1856 Captain Garrett J Pendergrast in command She was the second ship of the Navy to be named for the Merrimack River Service Edit Shakedown cruises took the new screw frigate to the Caribbean and to Western Europe Merrimack visited Southampton Brest Lisbon and Toulon before returning to Boston and decommissioning 22 April 1857 for repairs Recommissioning 1 September 1857 Merrimack got underway from Boston Harbor 17 October as flagship for the Pacific Squadron She rounded Cape Horn and cruised the Pacific coast of South and Central America until heading for home 14 November 1859 Upon returning to Norfolk she decommissioned 16 February 1860 Merrimack was still in ordinary during the crisis preceding Lincoln s inauguration Soon after becoming Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles took action to prepare the frigate for sea planning to move her to Philadelphia The day before the firing on Fort Sumter Welles directed that great vigilance be exercised in guarding and protecting Norfolk Navy Yard and her ships On the afternoon of 17 April 1861 the day Virginia seceded Engineer in Chief B F Isherwood managed to get the frigate s engines lit off but the previous night secessionists had sunk light boats in the channel between Craney Island and Sewell s Point blocking Merrimack On 20 April before evacuating the Navy Yard the U S Navy burned Merrimack to the waterline and sank her to preclude capture 2 USS Merrimack aflame during the burning of the Norfolk Navy Yard 20 April 1861The Confederacy in desperate need of ships raised Merrimack and rebuilt her as an ironclad ram according to a design prepared by Lt John Mercer Brooke CSN Commissioned as CSS Virginia 17 February 1862 the ironclad was the hope of the Confederacy to destroy the wooden ships in Hampton Roads and to end the Union blockade which had already seriously impeded the Confederate war effort See also Edit American Civil War portalList of steam frigates of the United States Navy Union Navy Ships captured in the American Civil War Bibliography of American Civil War naval historyFootnotes Edit Nelson J The Reign of Iron 2004 BURNING OF GOSPORT NAVY YARD Eleven Vessels Scuttled and Burned The Steam Tug Yankee Tows the Cumberland to Sea Norfolk Not on Fire The New York Times New York City 24 April 1861 Retrieved 2 August 2022 The Government vessels had been scuttled in the afternoon before the Pawnee arrived to prevent their being seized by the Secessionists The following are the names of the vessels which were destroyed Pennsylvania 74 gun ship steam frigate Merrimac 44 guns sloop of war Germantown 22 guns sloop Plymouth 22 guns frigate Raritan 45 guns frigate Columbia 44 guns Delaware 74 gun ship Columbus 74 gun ship United States in ordinary brig Dolphin 8 guns and the powder boat plus line of battle ship New York on the stocks Large quantities of provisions cordage and machinery were also destroyed besides buildings of great value but it is not positively known that the dry dock was blown up References EditThis article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entry can be found here Bibliography EditCanney Donald L 1990 The Old Steam Navy Frigates Slops and Gunboats 1815 1882 Vol 1 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 004 1 Chesneau Roger Kolesnik Eugene M eds 1979 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1860 1905 Greenwich UK Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 8317 0302 4 Merrimack Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Naval History amp Heritage Command NH amp HC Retrieved 1 February 2013 Olmstead Edwin Stark Wayne E Tucker Spencer C 1997 The Big Guns Civil War Siege Seacoast and Naval Cannon Alexandria Bay New York Museum Restoration Service ISBN 0 88855 012 X Silverstone Paul H 2006 Civil War Navies 1855 1883 The U S Navy Warship Series New York Routledge ISBN 0 415 97870 X Nelson James L 2004 The Reign of Iron The Story of the First Battling Ironclads the Monitor and the Merrimack HarperCollins Publishers NY ISBN 0 06 052403 0 External links Edithistory navy mil photos USS Merrimack Journal of a Cruise onboard U S Steam Frigate Merrimack 1856 1858 MS 15 held by Special Collections amp Archives Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USS Merrimack 1855 amp oldid 1113869340, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
