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USS Mound City (1862)

History of USS Mound City (1862)

USS Mound City is part of the City class of armored gunships. These ships were built during the American Civil War (1861-1865) to serve in the U.S. Army's Western Gunboat Fleet in the early stages of the conflict.

Since control of the Mississippi River and all associated waterways is critical to the North, it is desirable to use a fleet of river-capable warships to claim ownership of these routes (as well as oversee them in future operations). These gunboats are also known as "Pook Turtles" after one of their creators, Samuel M. Pook.

These boats are specially designed to operate on the meandering Mississippi River, where the waterways are both shallow and deep, as well as narrow and wide. This will require a boat with a sufficiently shallow draft, and a boat with inherent agility. Combined with the level of protection required for crew, machinery and ammunition storage, this requirement becomes a challenge.

The ships were designed by engineer/inventor James Buchanan Eads with the assistance of Joint Commanders John Rodgers and Samuel M. Pook. Given that Pook served in the Department of the Navy in Cairo, Illinois, his experience in riverboat design and development is notable.

With this basic design, the Army authorized the construction of 7 ships, built to Pook standards, with rather ambitious delivery dates - the last ship did not finally enter the Army until late January 1862. The ships of the class were named Cairo, Carrodright, Cincinnati, Louisville, Mound City, Pittsburgh, and St.

Louis.

USS Mound City was constructed at the Mound City Marine Railway & Shipyard site and officially opened on January 16, 1862.

The gunboat design included a heavily armored turret mounted on a wooden hull - the standard for iron construction at the time. The hull line is slightly above the waterline, which is acceptable for boats sailing along rivers, and the front, rear and side fairings are angled to provide basic ballistic protection. The armor (iron structure) reaches 2.5 inches thick at the turret and 1.25 inches at the wheelhouse, with more armor on the bow than on the stern, as it was published when she finally became "back heavy".

The propulsion unit is mounted near the midship and drives a wheel in the stern. A pair of chimneys protrude from the roofline of the superstructure.

In her January 1862 form, USS Mount City was armed with 3 x 8-inch smoothbore, 4 x 42-pounder, 6 x 32-pounder, and an infantry 12-pounder. Ranges come at the expense of accuracy, but their overall design is unreliable.

While it was originally intended to equip the ship with more guns, the weight of the balloons caused by the extra armor prevented further installations.

As the war progressed, the armament scheme changed: mid-1863 it was modified to 3 x 8 inch smoothbore, 1 x 50 pounder, 2 x 42 pounder, 6 x 32 pounder, 1 x 30lb Rifled and 1 x 12lb Rifled In early 1864 their weapons were resolved again, this time 3 x 8" smoothbore, 4 x 9" smoothbore, 1 x 100lb rifled, 1 x 50lb rifle, 3 x 32lb Rifle, 1 x 30lb Rifle and 1 x 12lb Rifle.

Displacement reached 520 tons (short), her length was 175 feet, the beam was 51 feet, and the draft was only 6 feet. The propulsion scheme includes a steam-powered wheel in the stern, and the speed of the boat is 9 knots. There are 251 employees on board.

USS Mound City was assigned to the Western Gunboat Fleet as her first engagement where she participated in the Battle of Island 1. 10 (28 February-8 April 1862) and the Battle of Fort Pillow (10 May 1862). The Alliance claimed victory in the former, but lost the engagement in the latter (USS Mound City also suffered crash damage and nearly sank in the latter). At the Battle of St.

Charles (June 17, 1862), a Confederate shot penetrated the hull and hit a steam drum, killing 105 sailors and wounding dozens more. In October 1862, she was transferred to the Admiralty and became a member of the Mississippi River Squadron, where she would remain until the conflict was over.

Under her new owner, the ship participated in Grant's Battle of Vicksburg, which lasted from December 1862 to January 1863, and resulted in a Union victory. Her gun was provoked to be used in Great Bay, Mississippi, and she ended her wartime career at the Battle of the Red River (March 10-May 22, 1864), which was captured by the Confederates.

With the end of the Civil War in April 1865, the Mississippi River Squadron was disbanded, and on November 9, 1865, USS Mound City was sold for scrap.