Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan aimed to starve the rebellious south of all necessities. The CSA sought to break the blockade of its ports in several ingenious ways. One way was to construct ironclads. On this day the CSS Virginia made history by eliminating the USS Cumberland and USS Congress and damaged the USS Minnesota. The next day the ironclad was fought to a draw by the Union’s ironclad, the USS Monitor. Confederates later burned the CSS Virginia to prevent its capture.

This captivating event has inspired film makers and even Belgian comic book authors. The comic book series The Bluecoats devotes an album to these events.

About the movie Ironclads: https://projectauthenticity.org/2017/12/30/civil-war-movies-ironclads-1991/