Brief Biographies

John Payne Bankhead (1821-1867)

Bankhead entered the U.S. Navy in 1837 as a midshipman. His early career was spent with the Coast Survey. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Bankhead was assigned to blockade duty along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia, where his experience with the Coast Survey was put to good use. He distinguished himself and was placed in command of the Monitor after Thomas H. Stevens was reassigned. The Monitor was in need of repairs and was sent to the Washington Navy Yard, where she became a popular tourist attraction. Bankhead returned with the Monitor to the James River. On Christmas Eve, 1862, Bankhead was given orders to have the Monitor towed to Beaufort, NC. On December 31 the vessel was overcome by violent seas and sank near Cape Hatteras, NC.

Franklin Buchanan (1800-1874)

Buchanan became a midshipman in the U.S. Navy in 1815. He had a prestigious early career but resigned his commission in 1861 believing his home state of Maryland would secede. When Buchanan realized that Maryland would remain with the Union, he requested that Secretary of the Navy Welles reinstate his commission, but Welles refused and dismissed Buchanan from the service. Buchanan later joined the Confederate navy and at first received an administrative post; however, in 1862 he was given command of the Virginia, the Confederacy's ironclad warship. On March 8, 1862, Buchanan destroyed two U.S. warships in Hampton Roads, VA. The Monitor engaged the Virginia the following day, but Buchanan had been injured and was no longer in command. Buchanan was made admiral and given the command of Confederate naval forces at Mobile for the remainder of the war.

Cornelius Scranton Bushnell (1829-1896)

An industrialist from New Haven, he served as facilitator between Ericsson, Lincoln, the U.S. Navy, and other manufacturers to ensure that the ironclad board accepted Ericsson's proposal for the Monitor. His own contribution to the cause, the USS Galena, was not as successful as the monitor-type design.

Cowper Phipps Coles (1819-1870)

Coles served in the British navy and was advanced to the rank of captain by 1856. While in the service he developed and constructed an armored gun-raft capable of carrying a large gun shielded by iron plate. Coles was ordered to supervise the construction of several more gun-rafts; however, the rafts were not completed before the end of the Crimean War. Coles continued to study the use of defensive armor for ships. His early design for a gun-raft was eventually transformed into an armored ship with two turrets, capable of carrying heavy guns. The similarity to Ericsson's design for the Monitor caused considerable controversy, with both men claiming the original conception for the design. It now seems clear that both conceived of the original idea independently. It is not known what later influence Coles or Ericsson might have had on each other's work. Coles's ship design was accepted by the admiralty in 1864-1865, and construction began in 1866. The ship was commissioned the HMS Captain in 1870, and after a trial voyage joined the Channel fleet. On her maiden voyage, however, the Captain overturned and sank, drowning Coles and most of the crew.

Erastus Corning (1794-1872)

Corning began his career as an industrialist with a small iron manufacturing company located in Albany, NY. His business expanded with the development of railroads, where he established his reputation. During the Civil War, the U.S. Navy contracted with Corning to manufacture iron for the Monitor.

Charles Davis (1807-1877)

Davis was enlisted as a midshipman in 1824 after attending Harvard College for two years. He later graduated and spent much of his career conducting research for the U.S. Navy. In 1861 Davis was appointed to a board that was to consider plans submitted for a new ironclad warship. Although the board was initially skeptical of ironclads, they accepted John Ericsson's proposal for the Monitor.

Harold "Doc" Edgerton (1903-1990)

Edgerton received a BS from the University of Nebraska in electrical engineering in 1925, and MSc and DSc degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked as an educator but was also widely recognized as a pioneer in strobe and underwater photography. In 1973, as part of an interdisciplinary group of scientists interested in the application of geological survey equipment for underwater archaeology, he developed special cameras that resulted in the identification of the Monitor wreck.

John Ericsson (1803-1889)

Ericsson was a Swedish-born mechanical and naval engineer who received early international recognition for several of his designs. He immigrated to the United States in 1839 and became partners with American engineer Robert F. Stockton. In 1861 the U.S. Navy called for ironclad ship designs. Ericsson submitted a design that was at first rejected but later accepted on condition that the ship be constructed in 100 days and cost no more than $275,000. Ericsson's ship was given the name he suggested, the Monitor. The success of the Monitor encouraged Ericsson to modify and refine his ironclad designs.

Gustavus Vasa Fox (1821-1883)

Fox was a member of the USNA class of 1838 and was made a passed midshipman in 1845. In 1856, Fox resigned his commission and began a career in the textile business. He later was asked by his brother-in-law, Montgomery Blair, to offer assistance in the mounting crisis at Fort Sumter. President Lincoln, impressed with his ideas, asked Fox to go to Charleston. He arrived too late to resolve the situation but was soon appointed chief clerk in the navy department. Lincoln created the position of assistant navy secretary for Fox, serving under Gideon Welles. Fox was a man of considerable tact, ability, and skill. During his time as assistant secretary, Fox persuaded Welles to use ironclads in battle. Fox resigned as assistant secretary in 1866.

Samuel Dana Greene (1840-1884)

Greene was an 1859 graduate of the USNA at Annapolis. One of his first assignments was as executive officer of the Monitor. During the battle of Hampton Roads, Greene commanded the turret guns and, following the injury of Lt. Worden, was placed in command of the vessel. He was soon replaced as commanding officer with Lt. Thomas Selfridge, Jr. Greene continued to serve as executive officer of the Monitor until the ship was lost off the coast of North Carolina in December 1862. Greene committed suicide in 1884, possibly over doubts about his performance in the famous battle.

John Augustus Griswold (1818-1872)

Griswold was an industrialist from Troy, New York. He financially backed Ericsson's efforts with monitor-type vessels while assisting in the construction of the ironclad USS Galena. Iron foundries at Troy, including Griswold's Rensselaer Ironworks, forged various parts of the Monitor that were, in turn, shipped to Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

William Nicholson Jeffers (1824-1883)

Jeffers became a midshipman at the age of sixteen and was a member of the 1846 class of the USNA. Early in his career, he developed an interest in gunnery and ordnance and published two books on the subject. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Jeffers requested to be placed on active duty. His service included command of the Norfolk Navy Yard's ordnance facility and blockade duty that included coastal Virginia and the Carolinas. Following the wounding of Capt. Worden, Jeffers was ordered by Flag Officer Goldsborough to take command of the Monitor. Goldsborough chose Jeffers because of his naval experience and extensive knowledge of ordnance and gunnery. His command of the Monitor lasted only four months. During this period the Monitor remained near Hampton Roads, but Jeffers never engaged the Virginia in battle. The Virginia was scuttled by her crew following the abandonment of Norfolk, and the Monitor was ordered with a flotilla of other vessels to move up the James River to Richmond, VA. The flotilla was attacked by Confederate installations on the river banks and returned to Hampton Roads. Jeffers was later relieved of his command. No reason is known, although ill health may have been the cause.

Catesby ap Roger Jones (1821-1877)

Jones entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1836. He resigned his commission following the secession of Virginia and entered the Confederate Navy as a captain. Confederate Navy Secretary Stephen Mallory urged the construction of an ironclad warship, and Jones worked with John Brooke on testing iron plating for the Virginia, the Confederate ironclad. In 1861, Jones helped prepare the battery of guns for the ship, and his knowledge of ordnance was important in his selection as executive officer of the Virginia. He served well during the battle of Hampton Roads and was placed in command of the vessel after Capt. Franklin Buchanan was wounded. Jones remained as executive officer under Capt. Josiah Tattnall, Franklin's successor, until the Virginia was scuttled to prevent her capture by the Union.

William Fredrick Keeler (1821-1886)

Keeler was a successful businessman who, through the efforts of his congressman, was appointed "Acting Assistant Paymaster and Clerk" in 1861. His first assignment was to the Monitor, where he served as paymaster. Keeler remained assigned to the Monitor during her brief commission and attempted to settle her accounts following her loss. He remained with the navy until the end of the war. Keeler's letters to his wife during the war are a pivotal primary source of information on the Monitor.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States and is widely regarded as one of America's finest presidents. He was a strong supporter of John Ericsson and the ironclad program. He visited the Monitor while the ship was in Hampton Roads and was personally involved in the invasion of Norfolk because of his desire to neutralize the Virginia.

John Garland Newton (1932-1984)

Newton was employed by Western Electric as a planning engineer before starting work in 1963 at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. In 1973, he led an interdisciplinary team of scientists interested in the application of geological survey equipment to the field of maritime archaeology. The team discovered the wreck of the Monitor off Cape Hatteras, NC. On July 1, 1975, Newton resigned his position as marine superintendent of the oceanographic program at Duke to become cofounder, president, and spokesman for the MRRF. Subsequently the foundation moved its headquarters from Beaufort, NC, to Norfolk, VA.

Isaac Newton (1837-1884)

Newton was the son of a well-known marine engineer with the same name. The younger Newton was an engineer charged with the care of Hudson river steamers and the transatlantic steamships of the Collins Line. In 1861 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served ably as a first assistant engineer aboard the USS Roanoke and later assisted Ericsson with the design and construction of the Monitor. He served courageously as the first assistant engineer on the Monitor throughout her brief history. In 1865 he resigned from the navy, most recently having served as supervisor for the construction of ironclads. Following the war the navy engaged him as an advisor. In his native New York City, he used his considerable talents for public works projects such as the elevated railroad system, harbor improvements, and the Croton Aqueduct. Like his fellow officer Dana Greene, Newton took his own life. The motivations may have been long bouts of illness and pressures from his many ongoing engineering projects.

Hiram Paulding (1797-1878)

Paulding was appointed as a midshipman in 1811. By the outbreak of the Civil War, he was recognized as one of the U.S. Navy's best captains. In August 1861, Paulding, with two other officers, was appointed to the ironclad board. The board was authorized by the U.S. Congress to review all designs submitted for a new ironclad warship. Eventually, the design submitted by John Ericsson for the Monitor was selected.

Ernest W. Peterkin (d.1995)

Peterkin retired from the U.S. Navy and was employed by the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. He was widely recognized for his research in American military history, particularly for his work with Civil War monitors. Peterkin served as an advisor to the Smithsonian Institution in the investigation of the Tecumseh, a monitor that sank in Mobile Bay, AL, and he also participated in "Project Cheesebox." Peterkin participated in the planning and carrying out of expeditions to the Monitor in 1979, 1983, and 1987. He was considered the foremost authority on the construction of the Monitor.

Thomas Fitch Rowland (1831-1907)

Rowland apprenticed as a machinist and engineer before establishing a company for the construction of wooden and iron steamships and structural iron works in 1859. Rowland ended a partnership with Samuel Sneden in 1860 but continued to build ships under the name of the Continental Iron Works. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he received several contracts to manufacture equipment for the navy department. In 1861 the Continental Iron Works produced the Monitor's hull. Rowland later was involved in the construction of other ironclads for the U.S. Navy.

Thomas Oliver Selfridge, Jr. (1836-1924)

Selfridge was the first officer to be graduated under the new USNA system in 1854. He was aboard the Cumberland when the Civil War began. The Cumberland served as flagship of the Home Squadron and was involved in the blockade of the James and Elizabeth rivers. On March 8, 1862, the Virginia engaged the Cumberland and the Congress and destroyed both vessels. Selfridge had been in charge of the Cumberland's forward battery of guns, and he narrowly escaped the vessel before it sank. The following day the Monitor clashed with the Virginia in the battle of Hampton Roads, which resulted in the wounding of Capt. Worden. Selfridge was asked by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Fox to replace Worden as commander of the Monitor. However, Selfridge would only remain in this post for four days. Flag Officer Louis Goldsborough, unaware of Fox's appointment, placed Lt. William Jeffers in command of the Monitor. During his short time as commander of the Monitor, it is believed that Selfridge replaced the box- shaped pilothouse with a sloping pilothouse.

Thomas Holdup Stevens, II (1819-1896)

Stevens entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1836. He was perhaps involved in more naval combat than any other commander during the Civil War. Stevens was detached from the USS Maratanza to replace Capt. William Jeffers on the Monitor. He served for less than two months as commander of the Monitor, and the vessel was not involved in any major action during his command. Stevens was placed in command of a new side-wheel gunboat, the USS Sonoma, part of a squadron that was to attack Confederate raiders.

Alban C. Stimers (1827-1876)

Stimers enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1849 as an engineer. By 1858 he had earned the rank of chief engineer and served in that capacity on the USS Monitor. His letters provide information about the mechanical and day-to-day operations of the Monitor. Following the war, Stimers retired from the navy to become a civil engineer.

Theodore Riggles Timby (1818 or 1822-1909)

Timby was an inventor born in Dutchess County, NY, who later resided in Brooklyn and in Worcester, MA. In 1843, he filed a caveat with the federal government for a revolving turret. Following the success of the Monitor, Timby received a patent for the turret. The Monitor consortium paid Timby royalties for his invention. Nevertheless, controversy arose between Timby and Ericsson supporters. Ericsson claimed the turret concept was not a new idea. Backers of Timby point to the earlier caveat and the royalty paid to Timby by the consortium.

Gideon Welles (1802-1878)

President Abraham Lincoln appointed Welles as secretary of the navy, a post he held from 1860 to 1869. Welles's record as secretary is viewed favorably by most historians. Welles had no previous naval experience, but he was well assisted by G. V. Fox. He was effective in organizing a naval blockade during the Civil War and, although slow in realizing the potential of ironclad warships, he soon pushed for their construction.

John Flack Winslow (1810-1892)

Winslow was an industrialist associated with the production of the Monitor. He was linked to firms and capitalists such as Corning, Horner & Co.; Erastus Corning & Co.; Corning & Winslow; C. S. Bushnell; and Thomas F. Rowland.

John Lorimer Worden (1818-1897)

Worden entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman at age fifteen. His various assignments during his first twenty-six years of service were undistinguished. However, in 1861, while carrying a message to the USS Sabine, Worden was captured and imprisoned for several months by Confederate authorities. Soon after his release, Worden was placed in command of the Monitor, then under construction in New York. He was in command of the vessel during the Battle of Hampton Roads, where the Monitor encountered the Virginia. He was wounded during the battle and had to surrender his command to executive officer Samuel D. Greene. Congress gave Worden a vote of appreciation and promoted him to the rank of captain in recognition of his role in the battle.