Editing USS Monitor (section)

===Repairs and refit===
[[File:Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries- Volume 19, page 91, March 29, 1862.jpg|thumb|left|[Top photo] picture of the ''Monitor''{{'}}s crew; [Bottom Picture] Lieutenant Jeffers, second commander of the ''Monitor'' four months after the fight at Hampton Roads in 1862]]
In September Captain [[John P. Bankhead]] received orders to take command of ''Monitor'', relieving Stevens, and was sent to Hampton Roads to take charge of the vessel.<ref name=Bankhead>[[#Mariner2013|Mariener's Museum, 2013: ''John P. Bankhead'']]</ref> Shortly after Bankhead assumed command, ''Monitor''{{'}}s engines and boilers were condemned by a board of survey which recommended that they be overhauled completely.<ref>[[#Still|Still, 1988]], p. 67</ref> On 30 September the ironclad was sent to the [[Washington Navy Yard]] for repairs<ref>[[#Quarstein06|Quarstein, 2006]], p. 140</ref><ref>[[#Thulesius|Thulesius, 2007]], p. 131</ref> arriving there on 3 October.<ref>[[#Quarstein10|Quarstein, 2006]], p. 241</ref>

Upon arrival at Washington ''Monitor'' and her crew were greeted by a crowd of thousands of cheering admirers who came to see the ship that "saved the nation". ''Monitor'' was now a premier tourist attraction and the crowd was soon allowed on board to tour the vessel.<ref>[[#Quarsstein10|Quarstein, 2010]], pp. 155–156</ref> During this time the vessel was picked clean of artifacts for souvenirs by the touring civilians that came aboard. When Stodder and others came to close up the dock and ship one evening Stodder noted, "When we came up to clean that night there was not a key, doorknob, [[Escutcheon (furniture)|escutcheon]] – there wasn't a thing that hadn't been carried away."<ref>[[#Quarstein06|Quarstein, 2006]], p. 241</ref>

Before ''Monitor'' was put into [[dry dock]] for repairs, Lincoln, Fox, various officials and a few of Worden's close friends arrived to ceremoniously review the vessel and pay respect to the crew and former commander Worden, who after a long and partial recovery arrived for the occasion. Entire army regiments were also directed to come by the navy yard and review the ship and honor the crew. ''Monitor''{{'}}s crew assembled on deck in formation with their officers in front, while Lincoln, Fox and other guests stood near the turret. When Worden, with part of his face blackened from the wounds he received at Hampton Roads, came aboard, the heavy guns in the navy yard were fired in [[Salute#Heavy arms: gun salutes|salute]]. Lincoln came forward and greeted Worden and then introduced him to some of the others. After his formal greeting the crew swarmed around Worden and embraced and shook hands with their former commander and thanked God for his recovery and return. Worden called each of them by name and spoke friendly to and complimented each of them personally. When order was restored the President gave a short speech about Worden's career. At Fox's request, Worden gave a speech to the gathering about his voyage from New York to Hampton Roads, the trials they were faced with along the way and of the great battle between ''Monitor'' and ''Virginia'', while paying [[tribute]] to many of the officers and men involved. In closing he gave special thanks to Ericsson, Lincoln, Welles and all who made construction of ''Monitor'' possible.<ref name=Nelson323>[[#Nelson2009|Nelson, 2009]], p. 323</ref><ref>[[#Worden|Worden, Greene, 1912]], pp. 1–6, 21–22</ref>

While ''Monitor'' was undergoing repairs her crew was put aboard {{USS|King Philip|1845|6}} and were eventually granted a furlough by Bankhead who himself went on leave.<ref>[[#Quarstein10|Quarstein, 2010]], p. 156</ref> For approximately six weeks the vessel remained in dry dock while her bottom was scraped clean, the engines and boilers were overhauled, the entire vessel was cleaned and painted, and a number of improvements made, including an iron shield around the top of the turret.<ref name=Bankhead/> To make the vessel more seaworthy, a {{convert|30|ft|m|0|adj=on}} funnel-shaped [[smokestack]] was placed over the smoke outlet while taller fresh air vents were installed. The [[berth deck]] below was also enlarged and raised by removing some of the side storerooms and placing them below, thus reducing the height of the interior which now barely allowed the crew to stand upright. Several cranes were also added while interior improvements were made making the confining environment more livable. A large blower that operated with its own engine was installed which drew fresh air down through the pilothouse. During this time the two Dahlgren guns were each engraved with large letters, ''MONITOR & MERRIMAC – WORDEN'' and ''MONITOR & MERRIMAC – ERICSSON'', respectively.{{efn|In the actual engravings the men's names are inscribed below those of the ships' names. e.g. MONITOR & MERRIMA WORDEN}} Additional iron plates were installed covering the dents from the previous battles. Each plate was inscribed with the name of the source from where the shell causing the dent was made. i.e. ''Merrimack, Fort Darling'', etc.<ref name=Nelson323/><ref>[[#Quarstein10|Quarstein, 2010]], pp. 156–157</ref> [[Stanchions]] were also installed around the perimeter of the freeboard with a rope strung through each making it safer to walk about the deck amid stormy weather and rough seas.<ref name=Nelson323/> ''Monitor'' was finally taken out of dry dock on 26 October. By November the ship was fully repaired and ready to return to service.<ref name=Bankhead/><ref>[[#Still88|Still, 1988]], p. 67</ref>