The Monitor Boys: The Crew of the Union’s First Ironclad

The USS Monitor, the United States Navy's first ironclad warship, gained prominence during the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862. Historian John V Quarstein presents a comprehensive account of the officers and crew who served aboard this unprecedented vessel, drawing on years of historical research. The crew called themselves "the Monitor Boys"—a name reflecting how roughly a hundred men were bound together through storms, battles, boredom, and disaster. Life aboard the ironclad demanded uncommon effort and fortitude; the heat, stress, and unseaworthiness of the ship tested those who served on it. Many crew members recognized they were part of a pivotal moment in history, as the Monitor Boys played a role in transforming naval warfare. Beyond the narrative, the book includes a detailed chronology and appendices with crew member biographies, casualty lists, ship statistics, and dimensions. Readers encounter figures like William Flye and George Geer—men who risked their lives aboard the vessel nicknamed the "cheesebox on a raft" during a nation at war.