View source for USS Cairo

{{Use American English|date=August 2025}}{{short description|American Civil War ironclad warship}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:U.S. gunboat Cairo (a.k.a. USS Cairo) - Mississippi River Fleet - Original.tiff
|Ship caption=USS ''Cairo'' at anchor
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1862}}
|Ship name=''Cairo''
|Ship namesake= [[Cairo, Illinois|City of Cairo, Illinois]]
|Ship operator={{shipboxflag|United States|army}} [[US Army]]
|Ship ordered=August(?) 1861
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[James Eads]] and Company, [[Mound City, Illinois]]
|Ship laid down=1861
|Ship launched=1861
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship commissioned=25 January 1862
|Ship fate=Transferred to the [[US Navy]]
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1862}}
|Ship name=''Cairo''
|Ship commissioned=1 October 1862
|Ship fate=Sunk by mine, 12 December 1862
|Ship status=Raised, 1964, [[museum ship]]
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass2|City|ironclad}}
|Ship tonnage=512
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length={{cvt|175|ft|m|1}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|51|ft|2|in|m|1}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{cvt|6|ft|m|1}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship power=5 [[fire-tube boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=* 1 [[Marine steam engine|Steam engine]]
*[[Paddle wheel]]
|Ship speed={{convert|4|kn|lk=on}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship complement=251 officers and [[enlisted men]]
|Ship crew=
|Ship armament=(see [[USS Cairo (1861)#Armament|section below]])
|Ship armor=*Forward [[casemate#Naval|casemate]]: {{convert|2.5|in|mm}}
*[[Pilot-house|Pilot house]]: {{convert|2.5|in|mm}}
*{{convert|60|ft|m}} of the side covering the machinery: {{convert|2.5|in|mm}}.
*Forward part of casemate sides: {{convert|3.5|in|mm}} railroad iron
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
|embed=yes
|name=USS ''Cairo''
|nrhp_type=
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|caption=
|locmapin=Mississippi#USA
|map_width=150
|map_alt=
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|coordinates = {{coord|32|22|33|N|90|52|0|W|display=inline,title}}
|location=
|built=1861
|architect=
|architecture=
|added=3 September 1971
|designated_nrhp_type=
|visitation_num=
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|refnum=71000068
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|}
'''USS ''Cairo''''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|eɪ|r|oʊ}} is the [[lead ship]] of the [[City-class ironclad|City-class]] [[casemate ironclad]]s built at the beginning of the [[American Civil War]] to serve as [[river gunboat]]s.

''Cairo'' is named for [[Cairo, Illinois]]. In June 1862, she captured the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] garrison of [[Fort Pillow, Tennessee|Fort Pillow]] on the [[Mississippi River]], enabling [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] forces to occupy [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]. As part of the [[Yazoo Pass Expedition]], she was sunk on 12 December 1862, while clearing mines for the attack on [[Haines Bluff]]. ''Cairo'' was the first ship ever to be sunk by a [[Controlled mines|mine]] remotely detonated by hand.

The remains of ''Cairo'' can be viewed at [[Vicksburg National Military Park]] with a museum of its weapons and naval stores.

==Service in the American Civil War==

''Cairo'' was built by [[James Eads]] and Co., [[Mound City, Illinois]], in 1861, under contract to the [[United States Department of War]]. She was commissioned as part of the [[Union Army]]'s [[Western Gunboat Flotilla]],<ref>The Western Gunboat Flotilla was a unique "joint service" organization. The gunboats were built using funds from the [[War Department (US)|War Department]], were manned by Navy personnel, and were under the ultimate command of the US Army theater commander.</ref> which had [[Union Navy|US Navy]] [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] [[James M. Prichett]] in command.{{sfn|DANFS}}

''Cairo'' served with the Army's Western Gunboat Flotilla on the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] and [[Ohio River]]s, and their tributaries until she was transferred to the Navy on 1 October 1862, with the other river gunboats. She was commanded by [[Flag Officer]] [[Andrew Hull Foote]].{{sfn|DANFS}}

Active in the occupation of [[Clarksville, Tennessee]], 17 February 1862, and of [[Nashville, Tennessee]], 25 February, ''Cairo'' stood down the river on 12 April, escorting [[Bomb vessel|mortar boats]] to begin the lengthy operations against Fort Pillow. An engagement with Confederate gunboats at [[Battle of Plum Point Bend|Plum Point Bend]] on 11 May, marked a series of blockading and bombardment activities which culminated into the abandonment of the fort by its defenders on 4 June.{{sfn|DANFS}}

On 6 June 1862, two days later, ''Cairo'' joined in the triumph of seven Union ships and a tug over eight Confederate gunboats off Memphis. Five of the opposing gunboats were sunk or run ashore during this action; two were seriously damaged, and one managed to escape. That night, Union forces occupied the city. ''Cairo'' returned to patrol on the Mississippi until 21 November, when she joined the [[Yazoo Pass Expedition]].{{sfn|DANFS}}

On 12 December 1862, while clearing mines from the river, preparatory to the attack on [[Chickasaw Bluff|Haines Bluff]], ''Cairo'' struck a "torpedo"{{sfn|DANFS}} (or [[Controlled mines|naval mine]]) detonated by volunteers hidden behind the river bank and sank in 12&nbsp;minutes. There were no casualties.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061015145800/http://www.nps.gov/vick/forteachers/upload/Gunboats.pdf Gunboats on the Mississippi<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Armament==
Like many of the Mississippi theatre ironclads, ''Cairo'' had her [[Weapon|armament]] changed over the life of the vessel. To speed up her entrance into the service, ''Cairo'' and the other City-class ships were fitted with whatever weapons were on hand, then had their weapons upgraded as new pieces were made available. Though the {{convert|8|inch|mm|abbr=on|0}} smoothbore [[Dahlgren gun]]s were fairly modern, most of the other original weapons were antiquated, such as the 32-pounders, or modified, such as the 42-pounder "rifles". These were old smoothbores that had been made into [[rifle]]s. The 42-pounder weapons were of particular concern to military commanders because they were structurally weaker and more prone to exploding than purpose-built rifled cannons. Additionally, the close confines of combat on the rivers greatly increased the threat of boarding parties. The 12-pounder [[howitzer]] was equipped to address that concern and was not used in regular combat.<ref>Calibres of 32 pdr gun and 12 pdr howitzer taken from: Tucker, Spencer, ''Arming the Fleet, US Naval Ordnance in the Muzzle-Loading Era'', pub US Naval Institute, 1989, {{ISBN|0-87021-007-6}}<br>Calibres of rifled guns taken from [https://web.archive.org/web/20070504163609/http://www.nps.gov/archive/vick/visctr/sitebltn/grtguns.htm GREAT GUNS! The Armament of the U.S.S. CAIRO]<br>Calibres quoted are for the bore, not the shot, and are quoted to the nearest millimetre.</ref><ref>Angus Konstam (2002), ''Union River Ironclad 1861–65'', Osprey Publishing, New Vanguard 56, {{ISBN|978-1-84176-444-3}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
|+ Ordnance characteristics
|-
|January 1862
|November 1862
|-
| valign=top | • 3 × 8-inch smoothbores<br />• 6 × 42-pounder rifle<br />• 6 × 32-pounder rifles<br />• 1 × 12-pounder rifle<br />
| valign=top | • 3 × 8-inch smoothbores<br />• 3 × 42-pounder rifles<br />• 6 × 32-pounder rifle<br />• 1 × 30-pounder rifle<br />• 1 × 12-pounder rifle<br />
|-
|}

==Discovery of the wreck==
Over the years, the gunboat was forgotten and slowly covered by silt and sand. Impacted in mud, ''Cairo'' became a time capsule in which her unique, historical artifacts were preserved against corrosion and biological degradation. Her whereabouts became a matter of speculation, as members of the crew had died and local residents were unsure of the location.

Studying Civil War maps, [[Ed Bearss|Edwin C. Bearss]] of [[Vicksburg National Military Park]] set out to search for the lost ship using a simple magnetic compass. With the assistance of Don Jacks and Warren Grabau, the ship was found in 1956. In 1960, numerous artifacts were recovered from the ship, including the pilothouse and an 8-inch cannon, both preserved by the [[Yazoo River]] mud.

With support from the State of [[Mississippi]], State Senator [[Homer Vernon Cooper|H.V. Cooper]] and local authorities, the gunboat was salvaged from the bottom of the river.<ref>{{cite web|title=USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum|url=https://www.nps.gov/vick/u-s-s-cairo-gunboat.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=28 May 2013}}</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31512602/clarion-ledger/ Chambers, Elsie May. "A Slow Job: Cairo Will Surfacing Soon". Clarion-Ledger, Jackson MS. September 28, 1964]</ref>

==Salvage and museum==

{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2017}}
Hopes of lifting the ironclad and her cargo of artifacts intact were crushed in October 1964, when the 3-inch cables being used to lift ''Cairo'' cut deeply into its wooden hull. It then became a question of saving as much of the vessel as possible. A decision was made to cut ''Cairo'' into three sections. By the end of December, the battered remains were put on barges and towed to [[Vicksburg, Mississippi]]. In the summer of 1965, the barges carrying ''Cairo'' were towed to [[Ingalls Shipyard]] on the Gulf Coast in [[Pascagoula, 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 [[witk:warp|warping]] and [[wikt:checking|checking]]. On 3 September 1971, ''Cairo'' was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

In 1972, the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] enacted legislation authorizing the [[National Park Service]] to accept the title to ''Cairo'' and restore the gunboat for display in [[Vicksburg National Military Park]]. Delays in funding the project halted progress until June 1977, when the vessel was transported to the park and partially reconstructed on a concrete foundation near the [[Vicksburg National Cemetery]]. A shelter to cover the vessel was completed in October 1980, with the museum opening in November. The original space-frame shelter has since been replaced by a tension-fabric system to provide better cover.

The recovery of artifacts from ''Cairo'' revealed a treasure trove of weapons, ammunition, 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 '''USS ''Cairo'' Museum'''. These include a sailor's rope knife in good condition.<ref>''Knives and their values, 4th edition'' by Bernard Levine.</ref>

Since salvage, ''Cairo'' has suffered degradation due to exposure to the elements, bird droppings, and vandalism.<ref>{{cite web|title=Man Indicted For Damaging The U.S.S. 'Cairo' |author=Ballam, Ed |url=http://www.civilwarnews.com/archive/articles/cairo_ballam.htm |publisher=Civil War News |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022183512/http://www.civilwarnews.com/archive/articles/cairo_ballam.htm |archive-date=22 October 2015 }}</ref> There are only three other surviving Civil War-era ironclads in existence in addition to the ''Cairo'': {{USS|Monitor}}, {{ship|CSS|Neuse}}, and [[CSS Muscogee|CSS ''Muscogee'']].

==Gallery==
{{Gallery
|title=Images of USS Cairo
|width=160 | height=170
|align=center
|footer=
|Image:USSCairo2010.JPG|USS ''Cairo'' in her final resting place at Vicksburg National Military Park. A wooden framework has been built to support what remains of the ship.
 |alt1=SUSS ''Cairo'' in her final resting place at Vicksburg
|Image:cairo2.jpg|One of the cannons on the side of the ''Cairo''. The framework for the paddlewheels is in the background.
 |alt2=the cannons on the side of the ''Cairo''.
|File:22-27-032-cairo.jpg|Capstan of the Cairo, used to lift the anchor, and to pull hawsers taut.
 |alt3=Capstan of the Cairo 
|File:George R. Yost, 1st Class Boy, Union Navy.jpg|George R. Yost, aged 14, served as 1st Class Boy aboard the ''Cairo''.
 |alt4=George Yost Cabin Boy
}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|American Civil War}}
*[[Anaconda Plan]]
*[[Mississippi Squadron]]
*[[Union Navy]]
*[[List of United States Navy ships]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite web
|url={{NRHP url|id=71000068}}
|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form / USS Cairo
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|last=Bagley
|first=Clinton I
|date=11 December 1970
|access-date=2013-01-02
}}
**{{cite web
|url={{NRHP url|id=71000068|photos=y}}
|title=Accompanying Photos
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|access-date=2013-01-02
}} ''This article includes information from the National Park Service and is in the public domain.''
*{{cite book|last=Bearss|first=Edwin C.|author-link=Edwin Bearss|year=1980|orig-year=1966|edition=Revised|title=Hardluck Ironclad: The Sinking and Salvage of the ''Cairo''|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RTXjnKDmCCMC&pg=PP1|publisher=Louisiana State University Press|location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana|isbn=978-0-8071-0684-6}}
*{{cite book |last=Canney| first=Donald L. |title=The Old Steam Navy|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=1993 |volume=2: The Ironclads, 1842–1885 |isbn=0-87021-586-8}}
* {{cite DANFS 
  | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/cairo.html
  | title = Cairo
  | publisher = Naval History and Heritage Command 
  | access-date = 20 December 2016
  | ref = {{sfnRef|DANFS}}
  }}{{PD-notice}}
*{{cite book
|last=Joyner
|first=Elizabeth Hoxie
|year=2006
|title=The USS ''Cairo'': History and Artifacts of a Civil War Gunboat
|publisher=McFarland & Co.
|location=Jefferson, N.C.
|isbn=978-0-7864-2257-9
}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Koehler |first1=R. B. |title=Question 33/51: Engines of USS ''Cairo'' and ''Queen of the West'' |journal=Warship International |date=2017 |volume=LIV |issue=4 |page=288 |issn=0043-0374}}

==External links==
{{external media
|video1= [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTaTIHzl2H4 HAER Fly-through of Historic U.S.S. Cairo.] ''Vicksburg National Military Park'', Vicksburg, MS
}}
*{{Commons category-inline|USS Cairo (ship, 1861)}}
*[https://www.nps.gov/vick/u-s-s-cairo-gunboat.htm USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000920015639/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/cairo.htm USS Cairo (DANFS photos)]
*{{hnsa|uss-cairo}}
*[https://home.nps.gov/vick/learn/historyculture/uss-cairo-museum-exhibits.htm National Park Service site]
*[https://www.createspace.com/351587 Drive On Documentary about James Eads building the City Class Ironclads]
*{{HAER |survey=MS-7 |id=ms0291 |title=U.S.S. Cairo Ironclad, Vicksburg, Warren County, MS |photos=60 |dwgs=21 |cap=4}}

{{Vicksburg, Mississippi}}
{{City class ironclad}}
{{Union ironclads}}
{{1862 shipwrecks}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919)}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cairo}}
[[Category:Ships of the Union Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Mound City, Illinois]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Gunboats of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:1861 ships]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Yazoo River]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Mississippi in the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Museum ships in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Museums in Warren County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:American Civil War museums in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Naval museums in the United States]]
[[Category:American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places]]
[[Category:Ships preserved in museums]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Vicksburg, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Ironclad warships of the Union Navy]]
[[Category:Vicksburg National Military Park]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Mississippi]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Warren County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in December 1862]]
[[Category:1956 archaeological discoveries]]