| Louisiana was designed for four engines, two paddlewheels
in a center-well and two propellers, with twin rudders. Her casemate -- all
four sides sloping sharply at nearly a 45° angle -- extended her full
length, less 25 feet at each end, and was covered by "T" railroad iron in
two courses, while its top was encompassed by sheet iron bulwarks nearly
four feet high. |
| CSS Louisiana was begun by E. C. Murray at New Orleans
in mid-October 1861, but lack of materials impeded her completion. On 20
April 1862, after Union mortar boats under Comdr. D. D. Porter, USN, had
been shelling Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson incessantly for two days,
Louisiana, although unfinished and unready for action, was towed to
Fort St. Philip. There, in anticipation of a Federal drive past the forts,
up the lower Mississippi and into New Orleans, she was to participate with
the Confederate naval force, in conjunction with the River Defense Fleet
and the forts, in defending the passage to the city. |
| Louisiana, still incomplete, had insufficient power to
maneuver as a warship in any naval action. Capt. J. K. Mitchell, CSN, commanding
the naval forces in the lower Mississippi, decided that she should be operated
as a floating battery. Accordingly, he had her tied to the eastern bank of
the Mississippi a half-mile above Fort St. Philip. With mechanics on board
working furiously night and day to prepare her batteries for action,
Louisiana lay just clear of the line of fire of Commander Porter's
mortar boats, which continued bombarding the forts. |
| On 24 April 1862, Flag Officer D. G. Farragut, USN, ran his fleet
past the forts on his way to capture New Orleans. Almost all of the Confederate
ships were destroyed in the action. Louisiana, under Comdr. C. F.
McIntosh, CSN, might have posed a serious threat to the Union fleet, but
her lack of maneuverability and the inadequacy of some of her gun mountings
which limited the direction of her fire made it impossible for the Confederates
to make use of her full potential. Yet, for the most part the ironclad remained
impregnable, and posed a constant danger to any Federal ship coming within
her range and line of fire. USS Iroquois, which came against her,
delivered a full broadside at a distance of a few feet, but did her little
serious damage, while she herself was riddled by Louisiana's
fire. |
| After Farragut's fleet passed the forts on 24 April, Commander
Porter remained in the lower Mississippi with his mortar boats, completely
isolating the Confederate force. Meanwhile Captain Mitchell worked frantically
to get Louisiana's propellers ready for service so that she might
sail effectively against the Federals. On 28 April 1862 just before this
work was completed, the forts, with their communications cut off, surrendered
to Commander Porter. Captain Mitchell, realizing that the defeat of his force
was now inevitable, and not considering himself bound by the surrender of
the military garrison, set fire to Louisiana and retired on her two
tenders to the opposite bank, where he was later captured. Meanwhile, as
the articles of capitulation of the forts were being drawn up under
flags-of-truce on board Commander Porter's flagship, the burning
Louisiana broke loose and drifted downstream. Her guns fired as the
flames reached their charges, and then the whole ship exploded violently
in front of Fort St. Philip, and was seen and heard for many miles. |
Tonnage, 1,400; Length, 264'; Beam 62'; Complement, about 300;
Armament, two 7-inch rifles, three 9-inch shell guns, four 8-inch shell guns
and 7 32-pdr. rifles |
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