Battlefield Dispatches No. 479: Old Monitors

Very often, when researching a given subject unrelated discoveries are made. Such was the case while researching an historic bridge in Bourbon County and no, the subject of this column is not about older issues of the Fort Scott Daily Monitor.

The title of this column refers to the continued use of “Ironclad” ships such as the “Monitor” which became famous during its’ engagement with the Merrimac, formerly the CSS Virginia, during the Civil War. After the Civil War, many of the U. S. Navy’s single and double turreted “Monitors” were decommissioned and placed in a mothball fleet in the League Island Navy Yard near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The second half of the 19th Century was when iron and steel ships were replacing the wooden warriors of the sea. Therefore, it made perfect sense for the U. S. Navy to keep many of the Civil War ironclads for future use if necessary. That necessity became a reality in 1898, 33 years after the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, when the United States was preparing for what became the Spanish American War. It was then that the “Old Monitors” would be used for coastal defense of the eastern harbors and southern approaches to the United States such as Key West, Florida. The following articles about the “Old Monitors” are from the front page of the March 24 and 27 editions of the Fort Scott Daily Monitor.

Thursday, March 24, 1898, Page 1: “OLD MONITORS NEEDED

Secretary Long orders vessels used in the war to be commissioned!

Washington, March 23: The Navy Department took the most decisive step toward the defensive preparation for the emergency that has been made since the squadron was centered at Key West. The orders to bring into service eight single turreted monitors used during the civil war for service as coast defense ships. They have been lying for some time at the League Island Navy Yard at Philadelphia, [Pa.].

Simultaneously with the issue of these orders to the old single turreted monitors, Secretary Long also ordered the modern double-turreted Monitor “Terror” from New York, where she had been stationed to Key West. This last move takes from New York what has thus far been regarded as her chief vessel reliance for harbor defense and the Monitors “Nahant” and “Jason” will now supply the place of the “Terror”. While there is a vast difference between the old and new types of these peculiar naval engines, yet they are essentially the same and naval officers say that it is a great mistake to believe the effectiveness of the old monitors is passed.

Sunday, March 27, 1898, Page 1: “TAKEN FROM ANNAPOLIS

Naval Academy Draw on for Officers

Adding to the Fleets

Navy Department issues orders assigning commanders to the monitors.

The fly squadron will not be ready until the end of the week.

Rushing the War Work!

Washington, March 26: The Navy Department issued orders today placing officers in command of a number of the single turreted monitors which have recently been called into service. These naval officers will be first in command of the several monitors and will be aided by officers and men from the Naval Militia of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and elsewhere. The monitors are still at the League Island Navy Yard being outfitted as rapidly as possible and reports received at the Navy Department indicate that they will be ready to proceed in from ten days to two weeks.

The commanders of the various monitors above referred to are drawn from the faculty of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, [Md.] and from steel inspection, as the emergency is such that these officers can be better utilized for active sea service than for educational work and for inspection.”

Now then, this is the extant of the information discovered concerning the use of “Old Monitors” from the Civil War for coastal defense during the Spanish American War to date. The fact that they were being “outfitted” does not necessarily mean that they were all actually deployed to the eastern ports. However, it appears that the “Terror” was in active service and was deployed south to Key West and that the “Nahant” and “Jason’ were used in place of the “Terror” to protect New York Harbor. If additional information is discovered concerning these Old Monitors it will be featured in future columns as the Search Goes On!