The USS Cincinnati was a City Class ironclad gunboat built in 1861 by James Eads, St. Louis, Missouri, and commissioned and placed into service in January 1862, at Mound City, Illinois. Like the other City Class ironclads, Cincinnati was assigned to the Western Gunboat Flotilla, and participated in the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson and Island No. 10.

While engaged with the Confederate fleet at Fort Pillow on May 10, 1862, Cincinnati suffered heavy damage and was sunk. Raised and returned to service, the ship bombarded Fort Hindman (Arkansas Post) in January 1863. During the attack on Vicksburg on May 27, 1863, the Cincinnati suffered 40 casualties and was sunk a second time. Six of her crewmen received the Medal of Honor: Quartermaster Frank Bois, Landsman Thomas E. Corcoran, Boatswain’s Mate Henry Dow, Quartermaster Thomas W. Hamilton, Seaman Thomas Jenkins, and Seaman Martin McHugh. Each man was cited for “serving bravely during this action,” and being “conspicuously cool under the fire of the enemy, never ceasing to fight until this proud ship went down.”

Raised again in August 1863 the Cincinnati returned to patrol duty on the Mississippi River before being transferred to the West Gulf Blocking Squadron, where she continued to patrol off Mobile Bay until decommissioned on August 4, 1865.

Carte-de-Visite by Unknown Photographer

Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 31989