"Admiral Porter's Fleet Running the Rebel Blockade of the Mississippi at Vicksburg
April 16th 1863."
Colored lithograph published by Currier & Ives, New York, 1863.
Ships depicted are (from the front to the rear, all USS except as noted)):
Benton (Flagship); Lafayette with General Price alongside; Louisville ; Mound City ; Pittsburg ; Carondelet ; transports Silver Wave , Forest Queen & Henry Clay ; and Tuscumbia .
Text under the print's title reads: "At half past ten P.M. the boats left their moorings & steamed down the river, the Benton, Admiral Porter, taking the lead -- as they approached the point opposite the town, a terrible concentrated fire of the centre, upper and lower batteries, both water and bluff, was directed upon the channel, which here ran within one hundred yards of the shore. At the same moment innumerable floats of turpentine and other combustible materials were set ablaze. In the face of all this fire, the boats made their way with but little loss except the transport Henry Clay which was set on fire & sunk."
Life in Mr. Lincoln's Navy
A tantalizing glimpse into the hardships endured by the naval leadership to build and recruit a fighting force. The seaman endured periods of boredom, punctuated by happy social times and terrifying bouts of battle horror
Confederate Phoenix: The CSS Virginia
The CSS Virginia of the Confederate States Navy destroyed two of the most formidable warships in the U.S. Navy. Suddenly, with this event, every wooden warship in every navy in the world became totally obsolete
