 The Civil War saw more ironclads built by both sides , and they played an increasing role in the naval war alongside the unarmored warships , commerce raiders and blockade runners . The Union built a large fleet of fifty monitors modeled on their namesake . The Confederacy built ships designed as smaller versions of the Virginia , many of which saw action , but their attempts to buy ironclads overseas were frustrated as European nations confiscated ships being built for the Confederacy — especially in Russia , the only country to openly support the Union through the war . Only CSS Stonewall was completed , and she arrived in American waters just in time for the end of the war . 
 The Civil War saw more ironclads built by both sides , and they played an increasing role in the naval war alongside the unarmored warships , commerce raiders and blockade runners . The Union built a large fleet of fifty monitors modeled on their namesake . The Confederacy built ships designed as smaller versions of the Virginia , many of which saw action , but their attempts to buy ironclads overseas <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> frustrated as European nations confiscated ships being built for the Confederacy — especially in Russia , the only country to openly support the Union through the war . Only CSS Stonewall was completed , and she arrived in American waters just in time for the end of the war . 
Da Civil War saw more ironclads built by both sides , and they played an increasing role in the naval war alongside the unarmored warships , commerce raiders and blockade runners . The Union built a large fleet of fifty monitors modeled on their namesake . The Confederacy built ships designed as smaller versions of the Virginia , many of which saw action , but their attempts to buy ironclads overseas was frustrated as European nations confiscated ships being built fir the Confederacy — especially in Russia , tdaonly country to openly support the Union through thdaar . Only CSS Stonewall was completed , and she arrived in American waters just in time fa thedad of the war .