In Search of the USS Cumberland

The Merrimack being converted into the Virginia, a life-sized model at the Monitor Center at the Mariners Museum.

In Clive Cussler's book, The Sea Hunters, he made his search for both the USS Cumberland and the CSS Florida at the same time, because they had sunk within a mile of each other in Hampton Roads.

In April 1980, Cussler decided to make his search. There was no point in searching for the Congress, she had been raised in September 1865, towed to the Norfolk Navy Yard, and from there, sold and broken up.

Cussler worked with researchers Bob Fleming and Dr Chester Bradley, who was an authority on the sinking of the Cumberland, Florida and Congress. "Salvage accounts, eyewitness reports, correspomdence and newspaper articles were assembled and studied."

John Sands, then curator of the Newport News Mariners' Museum, provided Cussler's team with copies of watercolors and sketches by contemoprary artists showing Cumberland's masts protruding from the river between two piers, about 300 yards from shore.

Cussler had his ballpark. He applied to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for a permit to investigate underwater historic property. John Broadwater, head of the Underwater Archaeology Section, provided a team of state archeologists to participate in the dive. A British Advanced Underwater Team assisted also.

Their workboat was the Sakonit, her skipper, Danny Wilson.

This first expedition ended shortly. The recruited divers had expected a full-scale expedition, which Cussler had never intented. He was just "scouting" areas to be searched at a later time.

Cussler and his regular team (Walt Schob and Bill Shea) returned to the area in July 1982.

Four of the archeologists from the Commonwealth of Virginia, James Knickerbocker, Sam Margolin, Dick Swete and Mike Warner, had recently resigned and formed their own organization: Underwater Archaeological Joint Ventures. (UAJV).

Once again permits were obtained. The two ships were found.

But Cussler and his team did not rejoice for long.

They had brought up artifacts from both sites, which they worked to preserve. Then, the Navy and the Norfolk Navy Museum demanded that the artifacts be turned over to them. Cussler wanted to fight them in court, but ultimately did not do so.

According to Cussler, the artifacts are now at the Naval Museum, where it is claimed that a Navy Seal team recovered them.


The life-size replica of the EXTERIOR of the Monitor. You can't go inside it!