Unknown Reunion

Albumen of an unknown reunion of soldiers.

Post-Civil War group photograph, circa 1890, of either a Grand Army of the Republic encampment or a reunion of the 6th Missouri Cavalry (US). “T. Hodge Jones” is written on the back of the photograph, and Hodge probably appears in this image. Thomas Hodge Jones enlisted in Company A, 6th Missouri Cavalry on August 12, ...

Unknown Soldier in Pulaski Battery

This tintype photograph depicts an unknown private in the Pulaski Light Artillery Battery. Organized in December 1860 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, the Pulaski Light Artillery Battery was originally known as the Totten Light Artillery Battery. It was named after William Totten, a prominent physician in Little Rock, and his son, Captain James Totten, the ...

Unknown USS Benton Sailor

Tintype of Unknown USS Benton Sailor seated in uniform.

This photograph shows an unidentified sailor from the USS Benton, a Union ironclad gunboat. A sailor’s flat hat often bore a ribbon with the name of the ship to which he was assigned; note the name of the Benton on this sailor’s hat. The USS Benton was converted by St. Louis engineer James B. Eads ...

USS Benton

Albumen of the USS Benton.

The USS Benton was converted by St. Louis engineer James B. Eads from a catamaran snagboat and commissioned in February 1862. The Benton saw action at Island No. 10, Memphis and Grand Gulf, and bombarded the city of Vicksburg during the 1863 Union siege. After participating in the Red River Expedition, USS Benton was decommissioned ...

USS Black Hawk

Albumen of the USS Black Hawk.

The USS Black Hawk was built as a large side-wheel steamer in 1848 as the Uncle Sam in New Albany, Indiana; purchased by the Union Navy at Cairo, Illinois, on November 24, 1862, the ship was commissioned on December 6, 1862, and renamed the USS Black Hawk a week later. During most of her service, the ...

USS Carondelet

Albumen of the USS Carondelet.

The USS Carondelet, a 175-foot ironclad river gunboat built in 1861 by James Eads, St. Louis, Missouri, was commissioned on January 15, 1862, at Cairo, Illinois and assigned to the Western Flotilla. Under the command of Captain Henry A. Walke, Carondelet had a crew of 251 officers and men. Between January and October 1862, the Carondelet ...

USS Cincinnati

Photograph of the USS Cincinnati.

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 ...

USS Covington

Albumen of the USS Covington

Covington was a 126-foot-long side wheel steamer purchased by the U.S. government in February 1863 from Samuel Wiggins in Cincinnati, Ohio for use as a simple gunboat. Covington was equipped with powerful rifled guns to intercept Confederate blockade runners. On April 27, 1864, while protecting army transports near Alexandria, Louisiana, the Covington was heavily damaged by ...

USS Essex

Photograph of the USS Essex

USS Essex was an ironclad river gunboat that was converted in stages from the steam ferry New Era. Originally constructed at New Albany, Indiana, in 1856, the ship was purchased by the United States Army in September 1861 for its Western Gunboat Flotilla. Modified into a 355-ton “timberclad” gunboat, USS Essex was heavily damaged by enemy ...

USS Indianola

Albumen of the USS Indianola.

Built in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Joseph Brown in 1862 and commissioned in January 1863, the USS Indianola was an ironclad river gunboat propelled by both side wheels and screw propellers. Indianola enjoyed a brief career with the Union Navy. On the evening of February 24, 1863, while attempting to blockade the Red River, Indianola was engaged ...

USS Lafayette

Photograph of the USS Lafayette.

Built in 1848 at St. Louis, Missouri, as the side wheel steamer Aleck Scott, the ship was purchased on May 18, 1862 by the War Department and named the Fort Henry. Converted to an ironclad ram and renamed USS Lafayette on September 8, 1862, Lafayette was assigned to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter’s Mississippi Squadron in ...

USS Linden

Photograph of the USS Linden.

The Linden was a wooden side wheel steamer built in 1860 at Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, purchased by the navy on November 20, 1862, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and commissioned on January 3, 1863, at Cairo, Illinois. Throughout the spring of 1863, the Linden was involved in supporting operations against Vicksburg, Mississippi, including escorting transports and bombarding Confederate ...

USS Louisville

Photograph of the USS Louisville.

The USS Louisville was a City Class ironclad gunboat built by James B. Eads in 1861 in St. Louis, Missouri; commissioned on January 16, 1862, the Louisville was assigned to the Mississippi River Squadron under the command of Commander Benjamin H. Dove. During the remainder of 1862, the Louisville assisted in the capture of Fort Donelson, ...

USS Neosho

Albumen of the  USS Neosho.

The USS Neosho, named after the Neosho River that ran through Kansas and Oklahoma, was an ironclad river monitor built by James B. Eads at the Union Iron Works, Carondelet, Missouri, and commissioned on May 13, 1863. It was one of the “Turtleback design” ironclads, measuring 180 feet long and weighing 523 tons with a draft ...