USS Cairo

The U.S.S. Cairo was one of seven ironclad gunboats named to pay tribute to towns along the upper Mississippi and Ohio streams. These intense ironclads were impressive vessels, each mounting thirteen major firearms gun. On them rested in substantial part, Northern plans to recover control of the lower Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two. The "city class" gunboats were outlined by Samuel M. Pook and worked by stream build James B. Eads. Cairo was developed at Mound City, Illinois, and charged in January 1862. The Cairo was bound to see just restricted activity in the engagement at Plum Point in May and in the skirmish of Memphis in June. Her most critical activity came a half year later when she kept a meet with fate.