Existing comment:
Flag and Commission Pennant:
On the morning of March 8, 1862, the steam frigate Minnesota lay at anchor in Hampton Roads. Seeing three ships, including Virginia, heading for the Union anchorage, Minnesota slipped her cables and got underway. Just off Newport News, the frigate ran aground. After engaging Cumberland and Congress, Virginia turned her attention to Minnesota, but the frigate's big guns drove the ironclad off. The next morning, Monitor had arrived. While the frigate took some more shelling, she was eventually refloated and repaired.
The ensign and commission pennant were flown by Minnesota during the battle in Hampton Roads. |