the ironclads shown here are some of the more powerful USN ships on the Mississippi and it's tributaries during the War Between the States. first is the USS Eastport converted from a civilian vessel which when finally in service was the fastest and most powerful ironclad on the river. next is USS Benton a former snag boat converted to an armoured ship for naval use. third we have USS Essex another conversion from a civilian vessel. and finally two pictures of USS Cairo which was sunk by a torpedo and later raised and placed in a museum in Vicksburg. the last picture is of Cairo as she is today. Cairo was one of the City Class armored gunboats originally built as an ironclad. i've seen Cairo myself. these ships are very crude yet were quite effective in their day. i'd love to see one in operation.
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