ɪt hæd tˈuː fˈeɪzᵻz: ˈɜːli wˈɔːɹ, wˌɛn ɪt kənsˈɪstᵻd mˈoʊstli ʌv wˈʊdən ʃˈɪps bᵻsˌaɪdz ðə fˈeɪməs sˌiːˌɛsˈɛs vɜːdʒˈɪniə wˌɪtʃ ˈɛndᵻd wɪððə bˈæɾəl ʌv dɹˈuːɹiz blˈʌf ˌɔn mˈeɪ fˈɪftiːn, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː; ænd ɪts lˈeɪɾɚɹ ˈaɪɚŋklæd kˌɑːmpəzˈɪʃən wɪððə flˈæɡʃɪp sˌiːˌɛsˈɛs vɜːdʒˈɪniə ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː.
It had two phases: early war, when it consisted mostly of wooden ships (besides the famous CSS Virginia) which ended with the  Battle of Drewry's Bluff on May 15, 1862; and its later ironclad composition with the flagship CSS Virginia II.