January 20, 1862: John Ericsson suggests a name for his ironclad

John Ericsson

On this day, 150 years ago, John Ericsson wrote to Gustavus V. Fox to suggest a name for the new ironclad warship Ericsson had designed.

New York - January 20, 1862

Sir:

In accordance with your request, I now submit for your approbation a name for the floating battery at Greenpoint. The impregnable and aggressive character of this structure will admonish the leaders of the Southern Rebellion that the batteries on the banks of their rivers will no longer present barriers to the entrance of the Union forces. The iron-clad intruder will thus prove a severe monitor to those leaders. But there are other leaders who will also be startled and admonished by the booming of the guns from the impregnable iron turret. "Downing Street" will hardly view with indifference this last "Yankee Notion," this monitor. To the Lords of the admiralty the new craft will be a monitor, suggesting doubts as to the propriety of completing those four steel clad ships at three and a half million apiece. On these and many similar grounds, I propose to name the new battery "Monitor."

Your obedient servant,
J. Ericsson

Gustavus V. Fox
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Washington, D.C.

Gustavus Vasa Fox