Mike Werner
Private
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2009
- Location
- California
I've been trying to determine the timeline of when the timberclad armed ferry USS New Era was rebuilt as the casemated ironclad USS Essex. It is known that the USS New Era was part of an expedition up the Cumberland River in November 1861. Her name then appears to be changed to USS Essex. She was known to have been on an expedition down the Mississippi River and in a small battle at Lucas Bend on January 11, 1862. However, based upon the several months it took to strip down and rebuild the similarly sized Benson into an ironclad, there doesn't seem to have been enough time for the complete strip down and rebuild from ferry boat to large ironclad casemate between the Cumberland River expedition and the Mississippi River expedition. There then followed the expedition up the Tennessee River and attack on Fort Henry on February 6, 1862. Again, there doesn't seem to have been enough time for a complete strip down and rebuild between the Mississippi River expedition and Tennessee River expedition. The only significant equal time block for the rebuild of the New Era would have been in late February to May, 1862 - after the attack on Fort Henry - which is also when there appears to be a lapse of deployment activity of the Essex. This would be contrary to the "popular" history of the Essex.
Anybody have any factual information on this?
Anybody have any factual information on this?