The USS Cairo

Photo by Jan

Hi! We're back...cause we   went on this trip too!  We don't know what all the fuss is about cause it's just some really old boat...but we're having fun meeting other people and making new friends!!  So, here's what our humans were looking at while we were being petted by really nice people!

 

Photo by Jan

 

 

The USS Cairo Museum is located in the Vicksburg National Military Park.  The Union ironclad commanded by Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. was named for Cairo, Illinois, and commissioned on January 16, 1862.  On December 12, 1862, in the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg the Cairo was torpedoed and sunk.

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It was struck by two underwater torpedoes - which today are called mines - sinking in less than twelve minutes with no loss of life.  Preserved by mud and silt, the Cairo sat on the bottom of the Yazoo River for one hundred and two years.  It was raised in 1964 and restored.  The ironclad, the last remaining of it's kind, is now on display for everyone to enjoy. (visitvicksburg.com)

 

 

Below is a model of the Cairo giving you an idea of what she looked like before her sinking.

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And here is what she looks like today.

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In the summer of 1965 the barges carrying the Cairo were towed to Ingalls Shipyard on the Gulf Coast in Pascagula, Mississippi. There the armor was removed, cleaned and stored. The two engines were taken apart, cleaned and reassembled. Sections of the hull were braced internally and a sprinkler system was operated continually to keep the white oak structural timbers from warping and checking.

In 1972, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation authorizing the National Park Service to accept title to the Cairo and restore the gunboat for display in Vicksburg National Military Park. Delays in funding the project halted progress until June of 1977, when the vessel was transported to the park and partially reconstructed on a concrete foundation near the Vicksburg National Cemetery. The recovery of artifacts from the Cairo revealed a treasure trove of weapons, munitions, naval stores and personal gear of the sailors who served on board. The gunboat and its artifacts can now be seen along the tour road at the U.S.S. Cairo Museum.  (National Park Service)

The following are several photos showing the Cairo today:

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The ironclads had plenty of power and fire power.

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The statistics of the USS CAIRO represent her sister boats as well. 

The seven sisters were identical except for their identifying chimney bands and their fates. As you look at the CAIRO, you will see the CARONDELET, the CINCINNATI, the MOUND CITY, the BARON DE KALB (formerly ST. LOUIS), the LOUISVILLE, and the PITTSBURG. The USS CAIRO is the sole survivor of the Mississippi Squadron. This boat is a monument to the vessels and crews on both sides who fought for the river that controlled America’s future.   The photos below show the Cairo's six sisters - it has a lot of reflection though so not sure how well you will be able to see them. (National Park Service)

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Items salvaged with the Cairo.

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Cairo's Bell

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 Parts of lamps

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Hardware used on board



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Kitchen items

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Medicine bottles - note some were found with liquid inside and a solid cork closure.  No one opened them during the salvage.

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Personal items: buttons, belt buckles, scarf, scissors for beard clipping etc.



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Additional personal items: canteen, watch chain, wallet, insignia for a uniform.



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Shoes, pipes, snuff bottles, pitcher and bowl, comb and brush soap dishes, etc.

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Below is a model of canon that was on the Cairo.

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All though no one died when the Cairo went down remembering the men that served on the Cairo is part of it's history.

A river gunboat's crew was remarkably diverse -- boys and men, dark-skinned and light, from Ireland, Illinois, Russia, and elsewhere. Once strangers, these enlisted men served together for almost a year aboard the USS CAIRO. (National Park Service)

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Well, again - amazing American History! Hope you all enjoyed this.  Coming up next ... The Old Court House!

More soon :)