Crewmen On the Deck of the Monitor
The crew appreciated time spent on the deck, as conditions inside the ship could be brutal.
The crewmen of the Monitor took pride in their posting, and they were all volunteers for duty aboard the ironclad.
Following the Battle of Hampton Roads, and the destruction of the Virginia by retreating Confederates, the Monitor mostly stayed near Fortress Monroe. A number of visitors came aboard to see the innovative new ship, including President Abraham Lincoln, who paid two inspection visits to the ship in May 1862.
Photographer James F. Gibson also visited the Monitor, and took this photograph of crewmen relaxing on the deck.
Visible on the turret is an opening of a gun port, and also some dents which would be the result of cannonballs fired from the Virginia. The gun port opening reveals the exceptional thickness of the armor protecting the guns and gunners in the turret.
The crewmen of the Monitor took pride in their posting, and they were all volunteers for duty aboard the ironclad.
Following the Battle of Hampton Roads, and the destruction of the Virginia by retreating Confederates, the Monitor mostly stayed near Fortress Monroe. A number of visitors came aboard to see the innovative new ship, including President Abraham Lincoln, who paid two inspection visits to the ship in May 1862.
Photographer James F. Gibson also visited the Monitor, and took this photograph of crewmen relaxing on the deck.
Visible on the turret is an opening of a gun port, and also some dents which would be the result of cannonballs fired from the Virginia. The gun port opening reveals the exceptional thickness of the armor protecting the guns and gunners in the turret.