Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/65



PON the secession of Louisiana strenuous efforts were made to construct and "convert" vessels for war purposes both at New Orleans and on the upper Mississippi. By April, 1862, we find the Mississippi, Louisiana, Manassas, Maurepas, Ponchartrain, McRae, Livingston, Polk, Calhoun, Jackson, Ivy, Mobile, Segur, St. Mary's and others; and, in addition, there were at New Orleans two iron-plated floating batteries.

The amount of work done at New Orleans was simply phenomenal, considering the facilities. The Louisiana was an ironclad vessel with armor sufficient to resist 10 and 11-inch shells, as subsequently demonstrated. She had a formidable battery of 7-inch rifled, and 8-inch and 9-inch shell guns; but her motive power was so insufficient in a stream like the Mississippi that she was simply a floating battery. The Manassas was a ram 128 feet long and 26 feet wide. She was what is called [a. "turtle-back," and was covered with railroad iron. Her resisting power seems to have been good, as she was never penetrated; but her offensive power was small, as appears from the fact that although, under the gallant Warley she several times rammed vessels, she never did them much damage. She mounted one gun. The Mississippi had not long been launched when New Orleans fell. She was an ironclad, and officers of both navies pronounced her the most formidable war vessel ever built. The other vessels were "converted." Some of them, however, carried heavy bat-