Powder Monkey August 2008
The War for Southern Independence's Naval Side.
A monthly scenario and/or information about the
naval side of the war.
A monthly scenario and/or information about the
naval side of the war.
A night firing of the the National Civil War Naval
Museum's original 7" Brooke cannon off the CSS
Jackson. Fired many times during the year. Click for
link.
Museum's original 7" Brooke cannon off the CSS
Jackson. Fired many times during the year. Click for
link.
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When war on the Mississippi became inevitable both sides began obtaining vessels. To
match the southern ironclads the north began constructing its own. The north was well aware
of the construction in Memphis of the CSS Arkansas and her never finished sister the
Tennessee I. The seven sisters of the City Class were the USN’s first group of ships build
alike. They were constructed for the north’s effort to control the Mississippi and thus divide
the Confederacy into two.
Designed by Samuel Pook the vessels have been given the nick name Pook’s Turtles:
slow and well armored. Despite being built in three different cities James Eads was in
charge of their construction. Each was named in honor of a town along the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers, not for the city where it was built. All were flat-bottomed and light-draft stern-
wheelers.
They were ordered by and assigned to duty with the U.S. Army in its Western Gunboat
Flotilla under the command of naval Flag Officer A. H. Foote. They remained under army
control until 1 Oct.1862 when they were transferred to the Navy.
In both photos noticed the bands around the stacks. These were color coded for
identification during battle. Ex. Cairo was Light Gray.
The right photo shows the standard view of the port forward quarter. This looks like a
staged photo, nice and clean. Noticed the line on the side below the stacks aft of the second
gunport. The vessels were only armored from that point forward. This was at Flag Officer
Foote’s orders. His reason: you need armor going into the battle. The enemy should never
reach a position where he could shoot at the rear. The poles supported the awnings in the left
photo.
The left photo shows the starboard aft quarter. The awnings were the norm during hot
periods. The black iron coating made the ships ovens. Black is a natural color for iron. Foote
had the entire vessel painted black in order that the enemy would think the entire vessel was
armored. The difference in color between the two ships is normal due to the effects of the
sun and photographic equipment. It was normal for the men to sleep out on the open deck
during summer. It was also normal to hang clothes out to dry.
At least one of the sisters took part in every campaign in the Mississippi theater. Yard
periods for repairs and torpedoes played havoc with their time in combat. Several were sunk
and raised. Each was pounded many times by southern guns.
The USS Cairo’s stats are typical of the class: Tonnage 512; Length 175'; Beam 51'2";
Draft 6'; Speed 8k.; Crew 251; Weapons: 4x42-pounder rifled. 3x8" smoothbore., 6x32-pdr.
sb. The three ship yards did not always follow instructions to the letter and the ships were
armed with whatever was available. This was typical for the north and south in the early
years. The city after the name is the yard where she was built. Then a list of battles that ship
was a part of.
Note the number of different campaigns conducted in the Mississippi theater. This does
not include the normal patrolling up and down the rivers to prevent Confederate couriers,
men and supplies from crossing. Vicksburg was just the last well known event on the river.
Action continued until May 1865.
The sisters of the Cairo Class, often referred to as the City Class:
USS Cairo: Mound City Ill. Commissioned 25 Jan, ‘62. Ft Henry Feb 62. Ft Pillow April 62.
Plum River May 62. Memphis 6 June ‘62. Yazoo River 12 Dec ‘62. Sunk 12 Dec ‘62. On
display Vicksburg National Military Park Mississippi.
USS St. Louis: Carondelet, Mo. Launched 12 Oct ‘61. Ft Henry 6 Feb ‘62. Ft Donelson 14
Feb ‘62. Ft Pillow April and June ‘62. Renamed Baron De Kalb 8 Sept ‘62. Yazoo River
21-28 Dec ‘62. Drumgould's Bluff 28 Dec ‘62. Arkansas Post 10 Jan ’63. White River 12
Jan ‘63. Yazoo Pass Expedition 20 Feb-5Apr ‘63. Ft Pemberton 11 Mar ‘63. Haines' Bluff
29Apr ‘63. Yazoo City 20 May ‘63. Yazoo River Expedition 24 May ‘63. Sunk 13 Jul ‘63.
USS Carondelet, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned 15 Jan ‘62. Fts Henry and Donelson Feb ‘62.
Island No. 10 April ‘62. Plum Point Bend, Ft Pillow, and Memphis April to June ‘62.
Steele's Bayou Expedition March ‘63. Grand Gulf 29 Apr ‘63 Vicksburg until July ‘63. Red
River Expedition 7 Mar to 15 May ‘63. Bell's Mill engagement Dec ‘64. Sold after war.
USS Cincinnati, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned 16 Jan ‘62. Ft Henry 6 Feb ‘62. Island No. 10
12 Mar-7 Apr ‘62. Plum Point Bend & Ft Pillow 10 May ‘62. Port Arkansas & White River
Jan ‘63. Steele's Bayou Expedition 14-27 March ‘63. Vicksburg 27 May ‘63. West Gulf
Blockading Squadron to Feb ‘65. Sold after the war.
USS Louisville, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned 16 Jan ‘62. Ft Donelson 14 Feb ‘62. Island
No. 10 7 Apr ‘62. Fort Pillow May ‘62. Memphis 6 Jun ‘63. Vicksburg 15 Jun ‘62, White
River 5 Aug ‘62, Bledsoe 21 Oct ‘62. White River Jan ‘63. Ft Hindman, Arkansas Post, 11
Jan ‘63. Steele’s Bayou, 14 Jan ‘63. Yazoo River 31 Jan ‘63. Vicksburg till 4 Jul ‘63. Red
River March to May ‘64. Columbia, Ark 6 Jun ‘64. Sold after war.
USS Mound City, St. Louis, Mo. Island No. 10, New Madrid. Captured CSS Red Rover,
Ft Pillow 1 Apr ‘62, Plum Point Bend 10 May ‘62. White River 6 Aug ‘62. Grand Gulf Mar
‘63. Yazoo Pass Expedition 14 Mar ‘63. Warrenton, Ms. 10 May ‘63. Cole’s Creek 81 Jun
‘63. Davis plantation Jan ‘64. Red River Expedition Mar to May ‘64. Black River May ‘65,
Sold after war.
USS Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned Jan ‘62. Ft Donelson 14 Feb’62. Island No.
10 3 Apr,’62. Plum Point Bend, Ft Pillow and Memphis in Apr, May and Jun ‘62. Steele’s
Bayou Expedition Mar ‘63. Vicksburg 16 Apr ‘63. Grand Gulf 29 April ‘63, Red River
Expedition Mar to May ‘64. Sold after the war.
match the southern ironclads the north began constructing its own. The north was well aware
of the construction in Memphis of the CSS Arkansas and her never finished sister the
Tennessee I. The seven sisters of the City Class were the USN’s first group of ships build
alike. They were constructed for the north’s effort to control the Mississippi and thus divide
the Confederacy into two.
Designed by Samuel Pook the vessels have been given the nick name Pook’s Turtles:
slow and well armored. Despite being built in three different cities James Eads was in
charge of their construction. Each was named in honor of a town along the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers, not for the city where it was built. All were flat-bottomed and light-draft stern-
wheelers.
They were ordered by and assigned to duty with the U.S. Army in its Western Gunboat
Flotilla under the command of naval Flag Officer A. H. Foote. They remained under army
control until 1 Oct.1862 when they were transferred to the Navy.
In both photos noticed the bands around the stacks. These were color coded for
identification during battle. Ex. Cairo was Light Gray.
The right photo shows the standard view of the port forward quarter. This looks like a
staged photo, nice and clean. Noticed the line on the side below the stacks aft of the second
gunport. The vessels were only armored from that point forward. This was at Flag Officer
Foote’s orders. His reason: you need armor going into the battle. The enemy should never
reach a position where he could shoot at the rear. The poles supported the awnings in the left
photo.
The left photo shows the starboard aft quarter. The awnings were the norm during hot
periods. The black iron coating made the ships ovens. Black is a natural color for iron. Foote
had the entire vessel painted black in order that the enemy would think the entire vessel was
armored. The difference in color between the two ships is normal due to the effects of the
sun and photographic equipment. It was normal for the men to sleep out on the open deck
during summer. It was also normal to hang clothes out to dry.
At least one of the sisters took part in every campaign in the Mississippi theater. Yard
periods for repairs and torpedoes played havoc with their time in combat. Several were sunk
and raised. Each was pounded many times by southern guns.
The USS Cairo’s stats are typical of the class: Tonnage 512; Length 175'; Beam 51'2";
Draft 6'; Speed 8k.; Crew 251; Weapons: 4x42-pounder rifled. 3x8" smoothbore., 6x32-pdr.
sb. The three ship yards did not always follow instructions to the letter and the ships were
armed with whatever was available. This was typical for the north and south in the early
years. The city after the name is the yard where she was built. Then a list of battles that ship
was a part of.
Note the number of different campaigns conducted in the Mississippi theater. This does
not include the normal patrolling up and down the rivers to prevent Confederate couriers,
men and supplies from crossing. Vicksburg was just the last well known event on the river.
Action continued until May 1865.
The sisters of the Cairo Class, often referred to as the City Class:
USS Cairo: Mound City Ill. Commissioned 25 Jan, ‘62. Ft Henry Feb 62. Ft Pillow April 62.
Plum River May 62. Memphis 6 June ‘62. Yazoo River 12 Dec ‘62. Sunk 12 Dec ‘62. On
display Vicksburg National Military Park Mississippi.
USS St. Louis: Carondelet, Mo. Launched 12 Oct ‘61. Ft Henry 6 Feb ‘62. Ft Donelson 14
Feb ‘62. Ft Pillow April and June ‘62. Renamed Baron De Kalb 8 Sept ‘62. Yazoo River
21-28 Dec ‘62. Drumgould's Bluff 28 Dec ‘62. Arkansas Post 10 Jan ’63. White River 12
Jan ‘63. Yazoo Pass Expedition 20 Feb-5Apr ‘63. Ft Pemberton 11 Mar ‘63. Haines' Bluff
29Apr ‘63. Yazoo City 20 May ‘63. Yazoo River Expedition 24 May ‘63. Sunk 13 Jul ‘63.
USS Carondelet, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned 15 Jan ‘62. Fts Henry and Donelson Feb ‘62.
Island No. 10 April ‘62. Plum Point Bend, Ft Pillow, and Memphis April to June ‘62.
Steele's Bayou Expedition March ‘63. Grand Gulf 29 Apr ‘63 Vicksburg until July ‘63. Red
River Expedition 7 Mar to 15 May ‘63. Bell's Mill engagement Dec ‘64. Sold after war.
USS Cincinnati, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned 16 Jan ‘62. Ft Henry 6 Feb ‘62. Island No. 10
12 Mar-7 Apr ‘62. Plum Point Bend & Ft Pillow 10 May ‘62. Port Arkansas & White River
Jan ‘63. Steele's Bayou Expedition 14-27 March ‘63. Vicksburg 27 May ‘63. West Gulf
Blockading Squadron to Feb ‘65. Sold after the war.
USS Louisville, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned 16 Jan ‘62. Ft Donelson 14 Feb ‘62. Island
No. 10 7 Apr ‘62. Fort Pillow May ‘62. Memphis 6 Jun ‘63. Vicksburg 15 Jun ‘62, White
River 5 Aug ‘62, Bledsoe 21 Oct ‘62. White River Jan ‘63. Ft Hindman, Arkansas Post, 11
Jan ‘63. Steele’s Bayou, 14 Jan ‘63. Yazoo River 31 Jan ‘63. Vicksburg till 4 Jul ‘63. Red
River March to May ‘64. Columbia, Ark 6 Jun ‘64. Sold after war.
USS Mound City, St. Louis, Mo. Island No. 10, New Madrid. Captured CSS Red Rover,
Ft Pillow 1 Apr ‘62, Plum Point Bend 10 May ‘62. White River 6 Aug ‘62. Grand Gulf Mar
‘63. Yazoo Pass Expedition 14 Mar ‘63. Warrenton, Ms. 10 May ‘63. Cole’s Creek 81 Jun
‘63. Davis plantation Jan ‘64. Red River Expedition Mar to May ‘64. Black River May ‘65,
Sold after war.
USS Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Mo. Commissioned Jan ‘62. Ft Donelson 14 Feb’62. Island No.
10 3 Apr,’62. Plum Point Bend, Ft Pillow and Memphis in Apr, May and Jun ‘62. Steele’s
Bayou Expedition Mar ‘63. Vicksburg 16 Apr ‘63. Grand Gulf 29 April ‘63, Red River
Expedition Mar to May ‘64. Sold after the war.
The Union’s City Class
by Roger Campbell
by Roger Campbell
B/W pictures courtesy of Dept of Navy. Color picture courtesy of Vicksburg National Park