Page 788-780 (Photos and reproduced plans) Page 781 RIVER MONITORS NEOSHO class (2); NEOSHO, OSAGE NEOSHO and OSAGE were the first river monitors designed by James B. Eads for St. Louis, Mo. Noted for their shallow draft, the single-turreted NEOSHOs were also unusual in that they were the only monitors to be propelled by stern wheels. The "turtleback" which was to become the hallmark of Eads' designs first appeared in these ships. Contracts or the two ships of the NEOSHO class were let in mid-1862 and, launched within a month of each other in early 1863, NEOSHO and OSAGE commissioned on 13 May 1863 and 10 July 1863 respectively. Rear Admiral Porter, while commanding the Mississippi Squadron, noted that the NEOSHOs, ". . . do very well for light work, but are not at all suitable for rough weather or heavy service...." Nevertheless, the class was successful from the aspect of riverine warfare. The actual cost o each ship was approximately $200,000. Statistics: Length overall: 180' [25] Extreme beam: 45' Draft: 4' 6" (full load) Depth of hold: 9' Designed speed: Not found Displacement: Not found; 523 tons (old tonnage) Engines: 2 (probably noncondensing horizontal engines of the type found in the WINNEBAGO class) Horsepower: 400 Boilers: 4 (probably horizontal tubular) Bunker capacity: 50 tons coal Screws: Stern wheel; diameter 19', width 17' Complement: 100 Armament: 2 XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbores Turret diameter: 20' inside Armor: Turret, 6"; side, 2 1/2" [25] The written specifications for the NEOSHO class, found in RG45. National Archives, called or a ship 165' x 45' x 8'. However, it was not uncommon for design changes to be made after the specifications were drawn up and in this case the 180' length overall figure is given strong support by a reliable newspaper account in the Missouri Democrat of 14 January 1863. NEOSHO (15 June 1869 VIXEN, 10 August 1869 OSCEOLA): Date of contract: 21 May 1862 Launched :18 February 1863 Commissioned: 13 May 1863, Comdr. J. C. Febiger Builder: Hull: James B. Eads at his Union Iron Works Carondelet, Mo. Machinery: Probably subcontracted to the Fulton Iron Works, St. Louis, Mo. Service speed: 7.5 mph. OSAGE: Date of contract: 21 May 1862 Launched :13 January 1863 Commissioned: 10 July 1863, Acting Volunteer Lt. Joseph P. Couthouy Builder: Hull: James B. Eads at his Union Iron Works, Carondelet. Mo. Machinery: Probably subcontracted to the Fulton Iron Works, St. Louis, Mo. Service speed: 7.5 mph. OZARK class (1); OZARK A single-turreted river monitor, OZARK, like the never commissioned MARIETTA and SANDUSKY, carried a substantial deckhouse art (built along traditional Mississippi steamboat lines) which provided additional quarters for the crew. In addition to her two XI-inch guns mounted in the turret, OZARK carried one X-inch and three IX-inch pivot guns which had to be fought in the open, a virtual impossibility in a war where the river banks were thickly populated by Confederate sharpshooters. Like her eastern counterparts, but unlike NEOSHO and OSAGE, OZARK carried an armored pilothouse atop her turret. Begun in 1862 OZARK was launched 18 February 1863 and was then towed to St. Louis for installation of her turret and machinery, arriving there 27 February. She did not commission until 18 February 18g4. The actual cost of OZARK was about $215,000. Statistics: Length overall: 180' Extreme beam: 50' Draft: 5' Depth of hold: 7'4" Designed speed: 9 mph. in still water Displacement: Not found; 578 tons (old tonnage) Engines: 4 (type not found) Horsepower: Not found Boilers: boilers (probably horizontal tubular) Bunker capacity: 100 tons coal Screws: Quadruple screws, 7' diameter Complement: 120 Armament: 2 XV-inch Dahlgren smoothbores; 1 X-inch, 3 IX-inch Dahlgren smoothbores mounted in early summer 1864 Turret diameter: 20' inside diameter Armor: Turret, 6"; side, 2 1/2" OZARK: Date of contract: 14 May 1862 Launched: 18 February 1863 Commissioned: 18 February 1864, Acting Volunteer Lt. George W. Brown Builder: Hull: Contract for ship awarded to George C. Bestor, Peoria, Ill.; hull subcontracted to Hambleton, Collier Co. at their Mound City Marine Ways, Mound City, Ill. Machinery: Charles W. McCord at his Franklin Foundry, St. Louis, Mo. Service speed: 2 1/2 knots MARIETTA class (2); MARIETTA, SANDUSKY Although MARIETTA and SANDUSKY were laid down during the summer of 1862 neither was completed until late 1865, too late to be of service in the Civil War. The reports of the hull and machinery inspectors often mentioned that more men could or should be employed. Letters were sent to the contractors stressing the need or haste, and Commander Hull himself made several visits to Pittsburgh, but nothing seemed to substantially alter the continued slow pace of construction. Although the MARIETTAs were designed by the contractors numerous changes were incorporated during construction at the insistence of Navy inspectors. Since neither plans nor representations of the vessels as completed are extant it is impossible to be sure what they actually looked like. It is probable, however that they had a deckhouse aft and a single turret forward like OZARK in this respect. If the original drawings were followed MARIETTA and SANDUSKY had the towering twin smokestacks associated with Mississippi River steamboats, Page 782 (Photos) Page 783 and a low pyramidal pilot house mounted on the main deck, somewhat similar in concept to that placed on the original MONITOR. However, there are indications that the pilothouse was eventually placed on top of the turret as in the other later types of monitors. The contract price for each ship was $188,000. Statistics: Length overall :170' Extreme beam: 50' Draft: 5' Depth of hold: 6' 6" Designed speed: 9 mph. in still water Displacement: Not found; 479 tons (old tonnage) Engines: 2 (western steamboat type) Horsepower: not found Boilers: 4 (probably horizontal tubular) Bunker capacity :144 tons coal Screws: Quadruple screw, 6'6 " diameter; triple rudders Complement: 100 Armament: 2 XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbores Turret diameter: 20' inside Armor: Turret, 6": side, 1 1/4" [26] An armored shield projecting from the stern and designed to protect the propellers and rudders from a chance hit added an additional 7 feet to the length overall MARIETTA (15 June 1869, CIRCE; 10 August 1869, MARIETTA): Date of contract: 16 May 1862 Launched: Probably between 1 and 6 December 1864 Commissioned: Never; but completed 16 December 1865 and accepted by the U.S. Navy 25 April 1866 Builder: Hull: Joseph Tomlinson, Andrew Hartupee, and Samuel Morrow [27] Machinery: Joseph Tomlinson, Andrew Hartupee, and Samuel Morrow Service speed: No service [27] Contrary to some accounts these three men were not all business partners. Hartupee and Morrow did business as Hartupee & Co. Pittsburgh business directories for the Civil War period indicate that Tomlinson and Hartupee Co had entirely different places of business. Thus, the contract could best be characterized as a joint effort by two businesses. SANDUSKY (15 June 1869, MINERVA; 10 August 1869, SANDUSKY): Date of contract :16 May 1862 Launched: Between 13 and 17 January 1865 Commissioned: Never; but completed 26 December 1865 and accepted by the U.S. Navy 25 April 1866 Builder: Hull: Joseph Tomlinson, Andrew Hartupee, and Samuel Morrow Machinery: Joseph Tomlinson, Andrew Hartupee and Samuel Morrow Service speed: No service MILWAUKEE class (4); CHICKASAW, KICKAPOO, MILWAUKEE, WINNEBAGO The MILWAUKEEs, designed primarily for river warfare spent most of their commissioned service during the Civil War serving with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. [28] Admiral Farragut who had CHICKASAW and WINNEBAGO under his command at the Battle of Mobile Bay noted that "... no vessels in his fleet performed more efficient service." The double- turreted quadruple screw MILWAUKEEs were perhaps the most sophisticated successful monitors of the Civil War. Designed by James B. Eads, the ships had the "turtleback" deck characteristics of an Eads' design. Perhaps the greatest single improvement over other classes of monitors was the mounting of an Eads turret forward on each ship of the class. [29] Eads had prepared the drawings for OSAGE and NEOSHO but Secretary of the Navy Welles was unwilling to replace the proven Ericsson design without previous testing. The WINNEBAGO also had an armored conning tower which doubled to some extent as a fire control center. [28] The steam log of KICKAPOO contains a peevish comment written during the ship's passage from the mouth of the Mississippi to Mobile Bay. After reporting on the satisfactory state of the engineering plant the author added that the ship had no compass, no barometer, no log line, and no instruments for determining latitude or longitude. Apparently neither KICKAPOO's builder nor the Navy foresaw that she would be needed for service in the Gulf of Mexico. [29] The Scientific American of 28 November 1863 described the Eads turret on WINNEBAGO in the following terms: "She has two turrets, one Ericsson and the other Eads' patent. The latter turret differs from Ericsson's, among other things, in having a portion of the shell entered down to, and the whole weight of the turret resting on spheres at the bottom of the vessel. The guns are placed on a huge platform, loaded in the hold, and raised in the turret by steam power. They are also run out by steam; the recoil is received on steam cylinders, and the whole apparatus, guns and all, is operated by one man (an engineer)...." Statistics: Length overall: 229' Extreme beam: 56' Draft: 6' Depth of hold: 8' 6" Designed speed: 9 knots Displacement :1,300 tons; 970 tons (old tonnage) Engines: 4 noncondensing horizontal engines Horsepower: Not found Boilers: 7 horizontal tubular Bunker capacity: 150 tons coal (approx.) [30] Screws: Quadruple screw, 7' 6" diameter; triple rudders Complement: 120 (approx.) Armament: 4 XI-inch Dahlgren smoothbores Turret diameter: Double-turreted, 21' inside Armor: Turret, 8"; side, 3" [31] [30] On 17 November 1864 CHICKASAW's bunkers contained 148 tons of coal and after coaling on 29 March 1865, 156 tons. KICKAPOO's maximum coal load was 156 tons, after coaling on 15 February 1865. [31] The side armor of the WINNEBAGO was unique in that it was made up o heavy 3-inch thick iron plates. The armor on most other monitors was laminated, being build up on 1-inch thick plates to the desired thickness. This was not done because laminated armor was superior (on the contrary, it was decidedly inferior) but because until relatively late in the Civil War there were very few rolling mills which could roll plate thicker than 1 inch. CHICKASAW (15 June 1869 SAMSON, 10 August 189 CHICKASAW): Date of contract: 2 Mar 1862 Launched :10 February 1864 Commissioned: 14 May 1864, Acting Master James Fitzpatrick Builder: Hull: Contract for ship awarded to Thomas Gaylord of Gaylord, Son & Co., Cincinnati Ohio; hull built at the Union Iron Works Carondelet, Mo. [32] Machinery: Probably built at the Fulton Iron Works, St Louis, Mo. [33] Service speed: plus knots on trial [32] The Union Iron Works, at which NEOSHO and OSAGE were also built. was situated several miles below the center of St. Louis, on the Mississippi River. Eads described the process of establishing the yard in a letter dated 19 June 1862 to Naval Constructor John Lenthall, Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair: "The construction of iron boats being quite a novel thing with us I am necessarily delayed at the start in making preparation to do the work well and quickly. I have erected a large machine shop (200 x 6O ft.) expressly for the purpose and are [sic] erecting 4 large ship houses under which to build the boats. I believe they will be the first boats ever built in the West under shelter. One house will be about 340 ft. by 64 ft. It is nearly finished and the others are underway." The Missouri Democrat of 26 January 1863 reported that work was going on day and night, at night under gaslight and on 6 April 18 remarked that as early as November 1862 Eads had between 500 and 600 men .employed at the Union Iron Works. Commander Joseph B. Hull, USN, then superintending construction of gunboats for the Mississippi Squadron, wrote on 6 July 1864 to Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles and Chief Engineer James W. King describing the yard: Saint Louis, Mo., July 6th 1864 "Sir, In obedience to your order of the [5]th inst received this day by telegram we have examined the Union Iron Works of James B. Eads, situated at Carondelet, 7 miles below this city and have to report as follows. The lot enclosed by plank fences is about 600 feet front on the river by 400 feet on the street. Through this street the Iron Mountain Rail Road passes having a side track into the Yard. There is also an adjoining lot on the north side not enclosed. Within the enclosure there are our Shiphouses built in Pairs. One Machine and Smithery building. Two Storehouses. Two houses in which turret were erected. One small Saw mill or light work. Two ranges of Coal & Iron sheds. One small building for generating gas and one Office and Drawing room. The Ship houses are about the following general dimensions "Viz. No. 1-300 feet long by 60 feet wide No. 2-225 feet long by 60 feet wide No. 3-230 feet long by 60 feet wide No. 4-225 feet long by 60 feet wide "They are of the ordinary [frame] wood construction lighted from the roofs sides. In two of them the launching ways are complete, and in the other two they are laid only from the river to the high water mark. In all however the foundations are laid. The Machine and Smithery building is also temporary frame wood and [is] one story high, lighted from the roof. It is about 300 feet long by 85 feet wide and contains machinery and forges etc. as follows. Viz.: 22 small forges. Two ordinary heating furnaces. One small [trip] hammer and all the necessary blacksmiths. tools and appliances. 5 Lathes from smallest up to medium 5 Planing machines from smallest up to 24 feet bed. 8 Drilling Machines, assorted sizes 7 Punching Machines, assorted sizes 3 Shearing Machines ,assorted sizes 2 Bolt Cutting Machines 1 Gas Pipe Machine 1 Slotting Machine 1 Large armor plate planing machine 1 Large Facing Lathe 1 Large Set Rolls 10 feet long by 16 inches diameter 1 Set Rolls small size "Also all the attachments . . . "There is no foundry for making casting of either Iron or Brass attached to the establishment. With this exception the facilities are sufficient for repairing any vessels or machinery of the Mississippi Squadron or building Iron or Wood vessels for the Rivers. It is proper to state that there are several Foundries in the City and a Dry Dock near the Works. As regards the value of the Works for rent per annum we can only base our opinion on a comparison with similar Works under Case and have to state that in as much as the buildings will require some repairs and both buildings and Machinery require to be kept in order we think $7500.00/100 per annum a fair valuation. Respectfully Your Obdt Servt J. B. Hull Commander USN G. W. King Chf. Engr. USN "Hon. Gideon Wells, Secty. of the Navy" [33] Gerard B. Allen, who with Oliver B. Filley operated the Fulton Iron Works, was the Allen of Allen & Co. which contracted for KICKAPOO. The close business relationships among Eads, Gaylord, Filley, and Allen which were obvious during the construction or the City class gunboats during the fall and winter of 186-62 apparently culminated in this "sharing of the pie" of the WINNEBAGO class contracts. Page 784 (Photos) Page 785 KICKAPOO (15 June 1869 CYCLOPS, 1O August 1869 KEWAYDIN): Date of contract: 27 May 1862 Launched: 12 March 1864 Commissioned: 8 July 1864 Acting Volunteer Lt. D. C. Woods Builder: Hull: Contract for ship awarded to G. B. Allen and Oliver B. Filley doing business as G. B. Allen & Co., St. Louis, Mo.; hull built at the Union Iron Works, Carondelet, Mo. Machinery: Probably built at the Fulton Iron Works, St. Louis, Mo. Service speed: 9 knots MILWAUKEE: Date of contract: 27 May 1862 Launched: 4 February 1864 Commissioned: 27 August 1864, Acting Volunteer Lt James W. Magune Builder: Hull: Contract or ship awarded to James B. Eads, St Louis, Mo.; hull built at the Union Iron Works, Carondelet Mo. Machinery: Probably built at the Fulton Iron Works, St. Louis, Mo. Service speed: 9 knots WINNEBAGO (16 June 1869 TORNADO, 10 August 1869 WINNEBAGO): Date of contract: 27 May 1862 Launched: 4 July 1863 Commissioned: 27 April 1864 Acting Master A. S. Megathlin Builder: Hull: Contract or ship awarded to James B. Eads, St. Louis, Mo.; hull built at the Union Iron Works, Carondelet, Mo. Machinery: Probably built at the Fulton Iron Works, St Louis, Mo. Service speed: 9 knots