March 9 1862, the day after the CSS Virginia had handed the US Navy their worst defeat until Pearl Harbor, Virginia came back to finish off what was left of the Union fleet and especially the USS Minnesota which was grounded. When the CSS Virginia showed up, the USS Monitor was there guarding the Minnesota. The first battle of ironclads took place. They fought for about 4 hours and neither ship could sink the other one. Virginia's gunners hit the pilot house of the Monitor blinding the ships commanding officer John L. Worden.
After that the Monitor would never again come out to fight the Virginia despite the fact that the Virginia several times went back to Hampton Roads and challenged the Monitor to fight.
The CSS Virginia and her escort ships even sortied out and right in plain view of the entire Union fleet, captured three merchant ships, the brigs Marcus and Sabout and the schooner Catherine T. Dix. The Monitor cowered in place and could do nothing.