CSS Mississippi

CSS Mississippi History

The Confederacy developed a plan to destroy the numerically superior Union Navy (Northern Alliance) fleet with a smaller, well-armed and armored fleet of ironclads. New Orleans was an important operating base in the South, strategically located near the mouth of the Mississippi River, which proved to be a natural target for the North. In September 1861, Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory ordered the construction of two mighty ironclad ships in the Port of New Orleans - the CSS Louisiana and the CSS Mississippi.

They were supposed to be responsible for the final defense of New Orleans and secure control of the Mississippi River. Both will be built on one side to facilitate construction, the latter being led by the Tift brothers - Nelson and Asa.

The brothers lacked the necessary shipbuilding experience, but established the right political relationships within the government to secure the treaty. CSS Louisiana and CSS Mississippi are so important that these ships are nicknamed "monsters" in the north and "horrors of the sea" in the south.

The Tifts presented Mallory with plans for a new 1,400-ton ironclad with 18 guns, powered by three engines on two boilers. Overall dimensions include a length of 260 feet, a beam of 58 feet and a draft of 15 feet, which will help the vessel navigate the relatively deep waters of the U.S. coast and the shallower passages of rivers. Her upper body would be armored with a sloping superstructure fixed amidships. A flat cab was installed at the front and two funnels were retained at the rear (required for a dual boiler arrangement). Armor protection includes 2 feet thick on the sides of the hull and 3 feet on the bow.

Eighteen guns will be added and fired through covered hatches on the sides, bow and stern. The twin-boiler configuration will power a unique triple-propeller unit under the stern, with Tift Brothers claiming a maximum sailing speed of 14 knots in ideal conditions.

As the South lacked the proper industrial base enjoyed by the North, the Tift brothers sold their ironclad idea of ??building them using simple house building methods that didn't require expensive shipyards or specialized shipyards to accomplish. Interestingly, the project went ahead with no contractual restrictions and no actual delivery date for Mallory, while the Tiftes' relationship began before the Civil War.

After the design was approved, construction of the new ship began on October 14, 1861. Tifts quickly realized their boat needed a wider beam to accommodate the two intended boiler systems, so the boat dropped about 20 feet to widen the response. The extra space also led to the introduction of two more guns, for a total of twenty-four, which became the 7-inch (178 mm) type, with proper firing angles at the bow and stern.

Delays became commonplace, whether it was a change in design or a lack of proper shipbuilding facilities and access to the necessary resources. In addition, local bureaucracy and labor issues caused the construction phase of CSS Mississippi to be slow.

The Tift brothers initially persuaded Mallory that they could deliver their three-bolt armor cladding as early as December 15, although on April 20, 1862, Union Navy personnel took over the unfinished ship. At the time, the ship lacked the necessary engines, armor protection and weapons, essentially making her a rather useless "Kokill".

The situation in New Orleans became dangerous as ships under construction were in danger of approaching the Union Navy. United Admiral David Farragut has emerged from the Gulf of Mexico and has begun sailing down the Mississippi River, with New Orleans as his intended destination. The combined Western Artillery's threat to Memphis upstream forced CSS Louisiana to commit to her defense and intend to follow CSS Mississippi when she's ready.

However, Confederate Captain William Whittle, dispatched from Mallory to New Orleans and arriving in March, was ordered to move the CSS Mississippi upstream to complete her construction. He then handed over command to CSS Mississippi's commander, Arthur Sinclair, who tried to get the ship towed by two steamships. When that attempt failed, Sinclair ordered the ship to be burned and let it fall into the hands of the enemy - who were now within sight of New Orleans. CSS Mississippi was subsequently adopted by the advancing Union Navy, leading to her rather brief naval career in the American Civil War.

New Orleans fell to Admiral Farragut on April 25, 1862.

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