Down She Goes, the Sinking of the USS Monitor-- Part 4: Praise For Greene and Stodder

Officers Greene and Stodder were among the last men to evacuate the Monitor and remained with Bankhead who was the last surviving man to abandon the sinking Monitor.

In his official report to the Navy, Bankhead praised Greene and Stodder for their heroic efforts and wrote:  "I would beg leave to call the attention of the Admiral and Department of the particularly good conduct of Lieutenant Greene and Acting Master Louis N. Stodder, who remained with me to the last, and by their example did much toward inspiring confidence and obedience on the part of the others."

After a frantic rescue attempt, the Monitor finally foundered and sank approximately sixteen miles southeast of Cape Hatteras with the loss of sixteen men, including four officers, some of whom had remained in the turret and went down with the ship.

Forty-seven men were rescued by boats from the Rhode Island.  Bankhead, Greene and Stodder just barely got off the ship but suffered in the icy water.

--Old B-Runner