USS Minnesota ( 1855 ) USS " Minnesota " was a wooden steam frigate in the United States Navy . Launched in 1855 and commissioned eighteen months later , the ship served in east Asia for two years before being decommissioned . She was recommissioned at the outbreak of the American Civil War and returned to service as the flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron . During the first day of the Battle of Hampton Roads on 8 March 1862 , " Minnesota " ran aground , and the following battle badly damaged her and inflicted many casualties . On the second day of the battle , engaged CSS " Virginia " , allowing tugs to free " Minnesota " on the morning of 10 March . " Minnesota " was repaired and returned to duty , and three years later she participated in the Second Battle of Fort Fisher . " Minnesota " served until 1898 , when she was stricken , beached and burnt to recover her metal fittings and to clear her name for a newly ordered battleship , . Construction and early duties . " Minnesota " was laid down in May 1854 by the Washington Navy Yard in Washington , D . C . . She was launched on 1 December 1855 , sponsored by Susan L . Mann , and commissioned on 21 May 1857 with Captain Samuel Francis Du Pont in command . " Minnesota " was named for the Minnesota River . her sister ships were also named for rivers : the ( first in class ) , , ( salvaged and renamed " Virginia " by the Confederate Navy ) , and the ( later converted to a monitor - type ) . " Minnesota " , carrying William B . Reed , U . S . Minister to China , departed from Norfolk , Virginia , on 1 July 1857 for East Asia . During her service with the East India Squadron , she visited many of the principal ports of China and Japan before departing Hong Kong to bring Reed home with a newly negotiated commerce treaty , the Treaty of Tianjin , with China . Upon arrival in Boston , Massachusetts , on 2 June 1859 , " Minnesota " was decommissioned at the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown , Massachusetts , the same day and remained in ordinary until the outbreak of the American Civil War in April 1861 . Civil War . " Minnesota " was recommissioned on 2 May 1861 , Captain G . J . Van Brunt in command , and became flagship of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron , commanded by Flag Officer Silas Stringham . She arrived at Hampton Roads , Virginia , on 13 May and the next day captured the schooner s " Mary Willis " , " Delaware Farmer " , and " Emily Ann " . " Minnesota " took the bark " Winfred " on the 25th and the bark " Sally McGee " on 26 June . Schooner " Sally Mears " became her prize 1 July and bark " Mary Warick " struck her colors to the steam frigate on the 10th . Minnesota led a joint Army - Navy expedition , known as the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries , against two important Confederate forts which had been erected at Hatteras Inlet , North Carolina . The squadron opened fire on Fort Clark on the morning of 28 August 1861 , forcing the Confederate gunners to abandon the fort at noon . The following day , the fire of the squadron was concentrated on Fort Hatteras . The bombardment was so effective the Confederates were compelled to seek cover in bomb shelters and surrendered . When Flag Officer Louis M . Goldsborough relieved Stringham in command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron on 23 September , he selected " Minnesota " as his flagship . Battle of Hampton Roads . While blockading off Hampton Roads , 8 March 1862 , " Minnesota " sighted three Confederate ships , " Jamestown " , " Patrick Henry " , and " Virginia " — the former " Merrimack " , rebuilt and protected by iron plates — rounding Sewell ' s Point and heading toward Newport News , Virginia . " Minnesota " slipped her cables and got underway to engage the southern warships in a fight that would come to be known as the Battle of Hampton Roads . When about 1 . 5 miles from Newport News , " Minnesota " grounded . Meanwhile " Virginia " passed frigate and rammed sloop - of - war . " Virginia " then engaged " Congress " compelling her to surrender . Then " Virginia " , " Jamestown " , and " Patrick Henry " bombarded " Minnesota " killing and wounding several of her crew before the Union warship ' s heavy guns drove them off . " Minnesota " also fired upon " Virginia " with her pivot gun . Toward twilight the southern iron - clad withdrew toward Norfolk . The recoil from her broadside guns forced " Minnesota " further upon the mud bank . All night tugs worked to haul her off , but to no avail . However , during the night arrived . “ All on board felt we had a friend that would stand by us in our hour of trial , ” wrote Captain Gershom Jacques Van Brunt , the vessel ’ s commander , in his official report the day after the engagement . Early the next morning " Virginia " reappeared . As the range closed , " Monitor " , steaming between " Minnesota " and the iron - clad , fired gun after gun , and " Virginia " returned fire with whole broadsides , neither with much apparent effect . " Virginia " , finding she could not hurt " Monitor " , turned her attention to " Minnesota " , who answered with all guns . " Virginia " fired from her rifled bow gun a shell which passed through the chief engineer ' s stateroom , through the engineers ' mess room , amidships , and burst in the boatswain ' s room , exploding two charges of powder , starting a fire which was promptly extinguished . At midday " Virginia " withdrew toward Norfolk and the Union Navy resumed its efforts to refloat " Minnesota " . Early the next morning steamer " S . R . Spaulding " and several tugs managed to refloat the frigate and she anchored opposite Fort Monroe for temporary repairs . Seven African - American sailors manned the forward gun of the vessel . This black crew mustered in at Boston , Mass . , and included William Brown , Charles Johnson , George Moore , George H . Roberts , George Sales , William H . White and Henry Williams . During the two - day engagement , " Minnesota " shot off 78 rounds of 10 - inch solid shot ; 67 rounds of 10 - inch solid shot with 15 - second fuse ; 169 rounds of 9 - inch solid shot ; 180 9 - inch shells with 15 - second fuse ; 35 8 - inch shells with 15 - second fuse and 5 , 567 . 5 pounds of service powder . Battles of Fort Fisher . For the next few years she served as flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron . During the Battle of Suffolk on 14 April 1863 , two of " Minnesota " ' s sailors , Coxswains Robert Jordan and Robert B . Wood , earned the Medal of Honor while temporarily assigned to the . While anchored off Newport News on 9 April 1864 , " Minnesota " was attacked by Confederate torpedo boat " Squib " who exploded a torpedo charge alongside without causing damage and escaped . On 24 and 25 December , " Minnesota " took part in amphibious operations at Fort Fisher which guarded Wilmington , North Carolina ( the First Battle of Fort Fisher ) . During the landings she took a position about a mile from the fort and laid down a devastating barrage on the Confederate stronghold . However , General Benjamin F . Butler withdrew his troops nullifying the gains won by the joint Army - Navy effort . Three weeks later the Union Navy returned Federal Troops , now commanded by the more vigorous General Alfred Terry , to Fort Fisher ( the Second Battle of Fort Fisher ) . A landing force of 240 men from " Minnesota " , covered by a barrage from their own ship , participated in the successful assault . This operation closed Wilmington , denying the Confederacy the use of this invaluable port . During the Second Battle of Fort Fisher , nine sailors and Marines from the " Minnesota " earned the Medal of Honor as part of the landing party which assaulted the fort . The nine men were : Later service . Ordered to Portsmouth , New Hampshire , " Minnesota " was decommissioned on 16 February 1865 . She was recommissioned on 3 June 1867 and made a cruise with midshipmen to Europe . She was placed in ordinary at the New York Navy Yard on 13 January 1868 . Recommissioned on 12 June 1875 , she remained at the New York Navy Yard as a gunnery and training ship for naval apprentices . In 1881 she was transferred to Newport , Rhode Island where she served as the flagship of the US Navy Training Squadron . From 1881 to 1884 she was commanded by Captain Stephen Luce who founded the Naval War College in 1884 . Three sailors assigned to " Minnesota " were awarded the Medal of Honor during this period : Captain of the Top William Lowell Hill and Ship ' s Cook Adam Weissel for rescuing fellow sailors from drowning in separate 1881 incidents , and Second Class Boy John Lucy for his actions during a fire at the Castle Garden immigration facility in 1876 . In October 1895 , " Minnesota " was loaned to the Massachusetts Naval Militia , continuing that duty until August 1901 when she was sold to Thomas Butler & Company of Boston . She eventually was burned to salvage her iron fittings at Eastport , Maine . References . • Silverstone , Paul H . " Warships of the Civil War Navies " Naval Institute Press , Annapolis , MD , 1989 , ISBN 0 - 87021 - 783 - 6 .