The major significance of the battle Hostile_encounter is that it was the first meeting Come_together in combat of ironclad warships , i.e. , and .

The Confederate fleet consisted Cause_to_be_included of the ironclad ram `` Virginia '' ( built Building from the remnants of the under-construction steam frigate , newest warship for the United States Navy / Union Navy ) and several supporting vessels .

during the night , however , the ironclad `` monitor Scrutiny '' had arrived Arriving and had taken a position to defend Defending `` minnesota '' .

McClellan was not present Presence for the initial exchanges Exchange of the battle Hostile_encounter , having boarded Self_motion the ironclad USS `` Galena '' and sailed Self_motion down the James River to inspect Harrison 's Landing , where he intended to locate Placing the base for his army .

The battle Hostile_encounter was marked Recording by Farragut 's seemingly rash but successful run through Motion a minefield that had just claimed Statement one of his ironclad monitors Scrutiny , enabling Preventing_or_letting his fleet Military_operation to get Getting beyond the range of the shore-based guns .

This was followed by a reduction of the Confederate fleet to a single vessel , ironclad CSS `` Tennessee '' .

Admiral Beauchamp Seymour was in command Control of a fleet of fifteen Royal Navy ironclad ships which had previously sailed Self_motion to the harbor of Alexandria to support Supporting the khedive Tewfik Pasha amid Ahmed ‘ Urabi 's nationalist uprising Violence against his administration and its close ties to British and French financiers .