The Monitor and the Virginia The U.S.S Monitor and the C. S. S. Virginia were the first ironclads to grace the waters of the American Civil War. Their battle in 1862 at Newport News Point is still considered one of the best and most exciting naval engagements of all times. The reason people think of it as the battle of the "Monitor and the Merrimack" is because the Merrimack had been the Virginia's name when she was still a union ship. Since the Union won the war, they wrote the history with their name for her. When rebel forces were about to invade the port at Norfolk, the U.S.S. Merrimack along with every other ship in the yard was set afire so not to b