Mike Werner
Private
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2009
- Location
- California
Most "modern" publications that discuss CSS Manassas give her a speed of 4 or 5 knots. This just doesn't seem credible for a boat using higher powered engines of a tug, which was intended as a privateer and therefore had to chase down an enemy ship, which was also intended as a ram that required use of mass X speed to penetrate an enemy ship, and which was sent all the way up against the current of the Mississippi River to Columbus, Kentucky to assist in defenses. Perhaps the stated speed in these "modern" publication misstated or misinterpreted older records and that the speed was actually 4 or 5 knots against the current of the Mississippi River?