Very interesting article. Besides them being ironclads, both ships were limited by their gunnery from really hurting each other. The Monitor was limited to half-charge because the Navy authorities were worried that the new designs couldn’t handle more charge and the Virginia (Merrimack) because she came out to fight with wooden ships and carried shell and canister and not solid piercing shot.

I had not been aware that so many ships were involved.

https://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/battle-of-the-ironclads.html