Plot: Set during the American Civil War, the film tells the story of two best friends and fellow U.S. Navy officers, Lieutenant Kenneth Reynolds and Raymond Jordan, who are divided by the conflict. Kenneth is engaged to Raymond's sister, Constance, but their relationship is strained when Raymond resigns from the Union Navy to join the Confederacy. The story tracks the real historical events of the war's naval side, including the Union's sinking of the USS Merrimack, the Confederacy's salvage and refitting of it as the ironclad CSS Virginia, and the Union's creation of the revolutionary ironclad USS Monitor. The personal conflict climaxes when Kenneth, now aboard the Monitor, finds himself commanding the vessel in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads against Raymond, who is aboard the CSS Virginia. After Raymond is killed in battle, Kenneth returns with an honorable discharge, and a chance meeting with President Lincoln helps to heal the rift between Kenneth and Constance, encouraging them to pursue a future of peace.
