Ron van Maanen
The used sources give quite different details dealing with this vessel.
The website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Chillicothe_(1862) supplied the next information. Build at Cincinnati, Ohio was she commissioned on 5 September 1862 at Jefferson, Indiana, and during an public auction on 29 November 1865 at Mound City, Illinois sold and since then sued as a merchant ship until she was burned in September 1872. With a displacement of 395 long tons/401 tons were her dimensions 49 x ? x 1,2 (draught) x 1,5 (hold) metres or 162’ x ? x 1.2’ x 1.5’. Her speed was 7 knots and she was armed with 2-11”smoothbore guns.
Paul H. Silverstone wrote in his book Civil War Navies 1855-1883 (Annapolis, 2001) that she was build in 1862 by Brown at Cincinnati using a design of Samuel Hartt while she was rebuild at New Albany, Ind. He also supplied the dimensions 162’ x 50’ x 4’ or 159’ x 46.5’ x 6’10” and the fact that she tended to hog and that her hull was weak. The latter was also remarked by Porter and others in 1863. Side wheeler also fitted out with two screws and two engines (20” x 8”) and 3 boilers allowing a speed of 7 knots. Her main armament were 2-11”smoothbore guns to which later a1-12pdr smoothbore gun was added. Burned at Cairo, Ill. In September 1872.
Colburn’s United Service Magazine and naval and military journal (London, 1869, part III) p. 8 reported that she was a casemated vessel of about 350 tons armed with 3 guns.
Frederick Martin. The Statesman’s Yearbook for1865 also reported a tonnage of 303 tons.
In the report titled Causes of the reduction of American tonnage and the decline of navigation interest being the report of a select committee made to the House of Representatives of the United States on the 17th of February 1880, page 252 was reported that she had a tonnage of 303 tons, 2 guns and that she was build at Cincinnati, Ohio in October 1862 by Joseph Brown in 6 months time.
The National Almanac and annual record for 1863 published a list dated 15 October 1862 that she measured 303 tons and was armed with 2 guns.
The photo above can be found via the url http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/chilcthe.htm and was published in Buffords’s Print Publishing House on 22 February in 1864, photo NH 264.
B.S. Osbon. Handbook of the United States navy: being a compilation of all the principal events in the history of every vessel of the United States Navy from April 1861, to May, 1864 (New York, 1864), page 27 reported also a displacement of 203 tons and that ironclad was built at the yard of McCord&Junger at New Albany, Indiana with as dimensions 155 x 50 x 5, fitted out with two screw engines and two paddle engines and one stationary turret with 2-11”guns.
Finally the Executive Documents printed by order of the House of Representatives during the First Session of the 38tth Congress 1863-1864 supplied notes dealing with the naval events in 1863 supplied some details dealing with her value as warship.
Rear admiral David D. Porter (page 453) commanding officer of the Mississippi Squadron wrote in his report dated Yazoo River 13 April 1863: “The department will observe that the Chillicothe has proved herself entirely unfit for a fighting vessel, as she now is; her backing of fine wood, twelve inches thick being inadequate to stand shot.”
Lieutenant commander Foster on board of her reported similar the same day (page 454): “The Chillicothe is a perfect failure as a fighting vessel, and will have to be repaired before going into action again.”
Porter (page 467) wrote earlier on 26 March “The Chillicothe, from all accounts, has proved herself unfit to engage a battery, the bolts confining the iron to the ship having been found very destructive to those on board. The Chillicothe has suffered a good deal in killed and wounded…’.
Lieutenant Commander Watson Smith (page 469) on board of the Rattler wrote on 11 March that she was strengthened with cotton before coming in action. “The Chillicothe’s turret is not well backed; neither she nor the Kalb can stand those rifled shot”. (2)
