Vicksburg National Military Park in Warren County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Plenty of Firepower - Armor Plated
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017
1. Plenty of Firepower - Armor Plated Marker
Plenty of Firepower
Ironclads like the USS Cairo came equipped with 13 heavy cannon. It took a crew of six men to position and fire each gun. As Cairo prowled the rivers north of Vicksburg, it could use its cannon to pound Confederate forts, battle enemy gunboats, and sink shipments of supplies headed to Confederate armies.
Armor Plated
Interlocking iron plates, like the ones you can see to the left of the cannon, protected the pilothouse and sloping casemates from enemy fire. Behind the 2-1/2 inch thick plates were white oak planks 12 to 25 inches thick. When the iron plates took a hit, their wooden backing kept them from shattering.
More Iron Needed
Look to your right beyond the walkway. Cairo's crew added those iron railroad rails to protect the boat's exposed forward casemate.
Erected by National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 32° 22.551′ N, 90° 52.012′ W. Marker is in Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi, in Warren County. It can be reached from
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Natchez Trace Corridor and in Greater Jackson. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hog Chains - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); Pilothouse - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); Capstan - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); A Ton an Hour - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); A Crew of Immigrants (a few steps from this marker); Chimneys - USS Cairo (within shouting distance of this marker); The Sinking of Cairo (within shouting distance of this marker); Torpedoed & Sunk (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vicksburg National Military Park.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017
2. View of marker and the U.S.S. Cairo with a 32-pounder smoothbore cannon.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017
3. Closeup of the armor plating on the Cairo.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 399 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 1, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
