Editing CSS Richmond (section)

==Construction and career==
Named for the [[Richmond, Virginia|capitol of the Confederacy]],<ref>Silverstone 1984, p. 52</ref> ''Richmond'' was begun at Gosport Navy Yard in March 1862, [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on May 6 and towed up to her namesake that very night to escape Federal forces threatening the yard and the lower [[James River (Virginia)|James River]]. She was sometimes referred to as ''Virginia II'', ''Virginia No. 2'' or ''Young Virginia'' in the South and as ''Merrimack No. 2'', ''New Merrimack'' or ''Young Merrimack'' by [[United States|Union]] writers, months before the actual {{ship|CSS|Virginia II}} was ever laid down. The ironclad was thus finished at Richmond, Virginia, in July 1862 and placed in commission by [[Commander]] [[Robert B. Pegram]], as part of the [[James River Squadron]].

During 1863 and early 1864 the James front was quiet, but from May 1864 momentous events followed in quick succession. The Confederate Navy had three new ironclads in [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[French Forrest]]'s James River Squadron there, and minor actions were frequent.

During 1864 ''Richmond'', under [[Lieutenant]] [[William Harwar Parker]], CSN, took part in engagements at [[Dutch Gap]] on August 13, [[Fort Harrison]] on September 29 – October 1, and [[Chaffin's Bluff]] on October 22. On January 23–24, 1865, she was under heavy fire while aground with ''Virginia II'' above the obstructions at [[Trent's Reach]] — at an angle that caused Federal projectiles to ricochet harmlessly off their casemates. But ''Richmond''{{'}}s unarmored tender, {{ship|CSS|Scorpion}}, being lashed alongside ''Richmond'', was severely damaged by the explosion of {{ship|CSS|Drewry}}{{'}}s magazine. The ironclads were forced to withdraw under the Confederate batteries at Chaffin's Bluff. A few weeks later, however, ''Richmond'' had to be destroyed to avoid capture by order of [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Raphael Semmes]], squadron commander, prior to the evacuation of the Confederate capital on April 3.