| The Development and Use of Monitor Class Ships During and after the Civil War |
| This page will be home to my masters thesis. The title is just a working one and will undoubtedly change during this process; however, it is a good description of what I want to accomplish with this work. We Americans hold a kind of fascination with U.S.S. Monitor and her sister ships. Their iron sides and rotating turrets made them innovative and unique. When one looks at them they are more reminded of a modern battleship that a wooden vessel. In reality, these ships had many shortcomings. They were miserable to work on in summer months and leaked badly in all but the calmest seas. This work will look at both the good and the bad of these ships. |
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| Ok, so I was a bit vague with my description of the paper...well, its because I need to read and research more before I start jumping to conclusions. To that effect I have begun a Selected Bibliography of the works I have read. The bibliography contains basic publisher information for each book, as well as a brief description of the books contents. If you interested on learning more one Monitors, or more about the Civil War at sea, take a closer look at the books you find here. |
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| Selected Bibliography |
| Primary Source Documents NEW!!! Keeler, William F. Robert W. Daly, Ed. Aboard the USS Monitor: 1862. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute, 1964. This is a one of a kind piece, as it contains the letters of William F. Keeler, the acting paymaster aboard the Monitor to his wife. Keeler served on the Monitor from its launch, through its battle with the Virginia at Hampton Roads, to its eventual sinking off the North Carolina coast. These letters are invaluable as they give detail about life aboard this revolutionary ship. Not only does Keeler discuss the Monitor's pivotal battle with the Virginia, but also the battle at Drewry�s Bluff, and long period that the Monitor served on blockade duty on the James River. The letters culminate with the Monitor�s destruction on the night of December 29th, 1862. Secondary Source Documents Mindell, David A. War, Technology, and Experience aboard the USS Monitor. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000. This work details the story of the U.S.S. Monitor from its conception to its eventual destruction in a storm off North Carolina. This book is a departure from the norm when it comes to books over the Monitor. Not only does it detail its battle with the C.S.S. Virginia but it also talks about the Monitor in the months following that engagement while on blockade duty at Hampton Roads. It also makes the Monitor's shortcomings quite clear, from its failures at Drewry�s Bluff, to it leaks, and to its almost unbearable living conditions during the summer months on the James River. More than just a piece on the ship, this work looks at the roll technology played during this period. Tucker, Spencer C. A Short History of the Civil War at Sea. Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources Inc., 2002. Much like the title says, this is an excellent short history of the Civil War at sea. It details most of the naval conflicts of the Civil War, including the battle between the Monitor and the Virginia, the battle for Charleston harbor, the battle for Mobile Bay, the battle for Galveston Bay, as well as many of the conflicts that took place on the Mississippi and other rivers. It does a good job of detailing the results of combat in which Monitor style ships took part in, and therefore is an excellent source. |
| This page was last updated 8/10/2005 |