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A very hard to find CDV of the U.S.S. Mississippi. This sidewheeler was sunk by the Confederates at Port Hudson. In Edwin Cole Bearss "The Campaign for Vicksburg" Vol. 1, Page 683, 684 it states "Mississippi had passed the lower batteries and had entered the bend going fast, when she struck, heeling at once three streaks to port. Her engines were reversed, the giant sidewheels thrashed water, and the port battery was run in to bring the ship on an even keel. She lay there 35 minutes, replying to the enemy's fire with her starboard guns. But to no avail. Captain Smith now determined to lighten his ship - the port battery and the pivot gun were ordered thrown overboard. Before this was done, Captain Smith, observing that three batteries had registered on Mississippi and were hulling her, ordered his ship abandoned.
The sick and the wounded were brought up from sick bay, and three small boats-all that remained- were employed in sending them ashore. Mississippi's engines were damaged and a fire kindled in the forward stateroom, but, before the flames had made much headway, three shots struck the ship, letting in water and extinguishing the fire. She was then fired in four places aft, and as soon as he was certain that these fires were out of control, Captain Smith and his executive officer - Lt. George Dewey- joined the crew in an open boat and floated downriver to safety.
Mississippi remained aground until 3 a.m., on the 15th, when she floated free and came down the river burning fiercely. She passed through the fleet, and at 5:30 a.m. the flames reached the magazines and she was destroyed by a tremendous explosion. Of the 297-man crew, 64 were missing, of whon 25 were presumed to have lost their lives."
Just think if the Confederate gunners had shot a little more accurately thy would have killed one of our Spanish American War heros - Admiral George Dewey!
The U.S.S. Mississippi was also the ship that carried Commodore Perry to Japan in 1853 and opened the markets in Japan. The Mississippi was Perry's favorite vessel. She had been his flagship during the Mexican War. What a history! What a ship! What a CDV!
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