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CSS Missouri

History

Ironclad battleships proved to be an important part of the warring sides of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Just as the Confederates built their own military, they also built a naval force to control the vital Mississippi River and its many branch waterways.

These routes are important for the movement of goods, personnel, and supplies for commercial and land armies, through New Orleans, Louisiana, into the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

The Confederate Navy managed its own construction program, which produced a number of newly designed ships and refurbished warships captured or purchased at home and abroad. CSS Missouri was commissioned by the Confederate government on November 1, 1862, and formed in Shreveport (northwest Louisiana) in December of that year.

She was launched on April 14, 1863, and officially commissioned on September 12, 1863.

The CSS Missouri was planned to have a paddle wheel at the stern for propulsion and an underwater rudder for steering. Her hull was made of untreated wood, while her turrets were constructed from sloping surfaces covered with rails.

Laid vertically in two interlocking layers to avoid cutting as much as possible, the strips cover most of her surface exposed to enemy fire and extend approximately 6 feet below the waterline. Armor protection is 4.5 inches at its thickest point. A smoke funnel is located above the front for venting the machine inside.

The shape of the paddle wheel protrudes slightly from the rear of the turret, but it is also armored. Four boilers power two poppet-valve steam engines from an abandoned riverboat. The original design called for six heavy guns on the eight available muzzles, although the scarcity of such guns meant that different batteries were installed - an 11" (279mm) Dahlgren and a 9" (228mm) ) Dahlgren sourced guns for the ship, which were sourced from the captured USS Indianola, and the Army saved a 32-pounder smoothbore gun to complete CSS Missouri's weapons suite.

She has a crew of about 100 people and reaches a top speed of 6 knots. Dimensions include a length of 183 feet, a beam of 53.7 feet, and a draft of 8.5 feetthe latter key qualities required for inland watercraft.

After construction, CSS Missouri was handed over to the Federal Navy for official service on September 12, 1863. Since then, due to water levels, their service has been limited to the Red River - a tributary of the mighty Mississippi River.

In the area, she served as transportation for mining operations along the southern part of the line until water levels allowed her to leave Shreveport. She then moved downstream to the town of Alexandria (central Louisiana) at the crossroads on April 8, 1865.

As a defensive measure, she spent the rest of her wartime career moored near the city. A month later, on May 9, 1965, the war was declared surrender, and the last shots were taken on June 22, 1865.

The CSS Missouri ended up playing a minor role in the war, not a battleship to be remembered. Their unfinished wood and poor and hasty construction caused many leaks. Her single-paddle wheel drive was weak and steering was difficult.

Due to their limited weapon batteries, their designs could never be fully realized on the battlefield - even when supporting ground forces.

As a result, CSS Missouri surrendered to federal naval authorities on June 3, 1865, and was the last Confederate navy armoured warship to surrender to the enemy in its own waters. Once stripped of useful material, the Missouri was auctioned and scrapped on November 29 in Mound, Illinois.