Merrimac vs. Monitor

     Despite the setback with the Battle of Shiloh, the Union navy would contribute to the Union's desire to control the Mississippi. On April 26, Flag Officer David Farragut led a fleet up from the Gulf, sailed past many forts and captured the port of New Orleans (an important port, as it secured the mouth of the Mississippi, in addition to climaxing a series of naval and amphibious operations around the edges of the Confederacy).
     The final challenge to the North's naval supremacy was resolved on March 9, 1862, the Confederate's ironclad vessel, Virginia (originally the USS Merrimac), was repulsed by the turreted Union gunship, Monitor.