Union gunboats didn't just attack rebel military sites – they went after civilian property, too
- Written by Robert Gudmestad, Professor and Chair of History Department, Colorado State University
The USS Cairo pulls up to the banks of the Mississippi River in 1862.U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command
During the American Civil War, huge metal monsters roamed the Mississippi River. Called ironclads, these boats were about 50 yards long, carried 75 tons of armor on their hulls and decks, sported up to 13 guns, and had crews numbering up to...