Navy O.R.-- Series II--Volume 1
Statistical Data Of Ships.
United States Vessels. "A"-"C"
U. S. S. CAIRO.
Acquisition.--Built at St. Louis, Mo., under contract, by James B. Eads & Co.
Description.--
Class: Steamer; gunboat; wood.
Rate, rig, etc.: 4th.
Tonnage.--512.
Battery.--January, 1862, 6 32-pdrs. 43 cwt., 3 VIII-inch 63 cwt., 4 army rifles 80 cwt., 1 12-pdr. howitzer; September 30, 1862, 6 32-pdrs. 43 cwt., 3 army rifles 80 cwt., 3 VIII-Inch 63 cwt., 1 30-pdr. Parrott rifle; December 1, 1862, 6 32-pdrs. 43 cwt., 3 army rifles 80 cwt., 8 VIII-inch 63 cwt., 1 30-pdr. Parrott rifle.
Disposition.--She sunk within less than five minutes after being struck by a torpedo, 18 miles up the Yazoo River, December 12, 1862.
Remarks.--Sunk 4 or 5 miles below Haynes' Bluff.
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Navy O.R.-- Series 1--Volume 22 [S# 22]
Naval Forces On Western Waters.
From May 8, 1861, To April 11, 1862. pp. 451-506
Order of Flag-Officer Foote, U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Prichett, U. S. Navy, to assume temporary command of the U. S. S. Cairo.
CAIRO, January 13, 1862.
SIR: You will take charge temporarily of the steam gunboat Cairo, and personally attend to receiving and storing her ordnance and other equipment and stores, preparatory to putting her in commission on Wednesday.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. H. FOOTE,
Flag-Officer.
Lieutenant PRICHETT.
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Navy O.R.-- Series 1--Volume 22 [S# 22]
Naval Forces On Western Waters.
From May 8, 1861, To April 11, 1862. pp. 451-506
Order o[ Flag-Officer Foote. U. S. Navy, to Lieutenant Phelps, U. S. Navy, in view of probable assignment to the command of the U. S. S. Cairo.
CAIRO, January 15, 1862.
SIR: I have several times requested of the Department to send officers junior to you, that you might have command of one of the armored gunboats. In place of commanders Winslow and Perry, Lieutenants Thompson and Gwin have been ordered. This entitles you to the command of one of the new boats, and I have reserved the Cairo for you. She is of a light draft of water and promises to be one of the fastest of the boats. I have ordered Lieutenant Prichett to her temporarily, who, when you relieve him or assume the command of the Cairo, I shall order to your vessel, the Conestoga. The officers and men will remain on board, as in the case of the Tyler and Lexington.
You will sign and approve all necessary muster and pay rolls and see that the accounts of the vessel are in such condition that they can be forwarded to Washington, and to this end you will direct your acting paymaster to make up his accounts up to 31st December, m-elusive, and show his balance due to the Government.
You will report to me as soon as convenient, and your accounts are ready, that I may order you to the Cairo.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. H. FOOTE,
Flag-Officer.
Lieutenant Commanding S. L. PHELPS,
Gunboat Conestoga.
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Navy O.R.-- Series 1--Volume 22 [S# 22]
Naval Forces On Western Waters.
From May 8, 1861, To April 11, 1862. pp. 507-569
Personal letter from Lieutenant Phelps, U. S. Navy, to Flag-Officer Foote, U. S. Navy, acknowledging assignment to the command of the U. S. S. Cairo.
Private.]
U. S. GUNBOAT CONESTOGA,
Paducah, January 18, 1862.
MY DEAR SIR: I have received your letter of the 15th instant and beg leave to thank you warmly for it. The kindly interest it displays for me personally and professionally is more gratifying than the information it conveys of my transfer to the Cairo. I do trust I may continue in my new command to merit your approbation and so to perform my duties as to approve your efforts in retaining the Cairo for me. There are some accounts to be arranged which will require but few days, depending upon whether at anchor or underway, when I shall be anxious to take the new vessel. It would be well if this boat could, at that time, have the crew on board a receiving boat long enough to have the berth deck painted and repaired. The canvas is much worn and it can not be done well with the people on board, as there is no "living place" except that one deck.
It would be very gratifying to me to have my brother, paymaster of this boat, with me on board the Cairo. I presume no paymaster has opened accounts on board of her vet.
Your telegraphic dispatch I answered at once. I have borne in mind your instructions in regard to making any demonstrations or attacks, and should certainly have corresponded with you before placing either boat under fire of a work like Fort Henry. Their guns must outrange ours, and an attack could only result in disaster to such craft as these. We simply carried out the views of General Smith, and determined to my satisfaction that if they ever had a masked battery, so often reported by spies, at the foot of the island below Fort Henry, it has been removed. We laid all night within range of its guns if they were there.
If you should not give the opportunity to repair the berth decking, could I not still run down to Cairo with the Conestoga when the transfer of command takes place?
I shall be diligent in preparation to join the new vessel.
I am, respectfully and truly, yours,
S. L. PHELPS.
Flag-Officer A. H. FOOTE, U. S. Navy,
Commanding Naval Forces, Western Waters, Cairo, Ill.
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