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U.S.S. Cairo Virtual Tour

The U.S.S. Cairo is located in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Built by James B. Eads for use on western rivers, the U.S.S. Cairo was commissioned in January 1862. It was one of seven City Class ironclad gunboats, all of a uniform design, employed the U.S. Navy. Propelled by a recessed paddle wheel, Cairo was designed with a shallow draft that enabled it to maneuver effectively in the changing conditions of the Mississippi River system. After participating in attacks on Fort Pillow and aiding in the defeat of Confederate gunboats off Memphis, Cairo took part in the Yazoo River Expedition. On December 12, 1862, the ironclad struck an underwater mine near Blake's Levee and sank in twelve minutes. Cairo's remains were raised and salvaged in 1964, repaired and preserved by the National Park Service in 1970s. They are on display at Vicksburg National Military Park.

Project Information

Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) undertook Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation of the U.S.S. Cairo in 2011-12. The project was cosponsored by Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK), Michael Madell, Superintendent; and the Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC), Thomas McGrath, Superintendent. Tom Vitanza, Senior Historical Architect, HPTC, coordinated the project. Cairo Curator Elizabeth Joyner, VICK, coordinated support within the park. The HAER field team was led by Todd A. Croteau, Project Architect and Photographer. The team included architects Ashley Walker and Ryan Pierce. The drawings were created from LIDAR scans prepared by architect Paul Davidson. The scans were produced using a Leica ScanStation 2 and a Leica C10 machine. The point data was processed into drawings using AutoCAD software with Cloudworks add-on. Additional data was collected by hand measurements and digital photographs.

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Vicksburg National Military Park

Last updated: October 31, 2023