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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS Mississippi (I)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal

Sidewheel steamer:

Laid down in 1839 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard

Commissioned USS Mississippi, 22 December 1841, CAPT. W. D. Salter in command

Launched several weeks later

USS Mississippi was initially assigned to the Home Squadron

Assigned to the West Indian Squadron in 1845 as flagship

During the Mexican War she took part in expeditions against Alvarado, Tampico, Panuco, and Laguna do los Terminos, Vera Cruz and Tabasco

Reassigned to the Mediterranean in 1849

Assigned as Commodore Perry's flagship in 1852 for his voyage to Japan

Placed in ordinary at Boston in 1860

During the Civil War USS Mississippi participated in the following campaigns/actions

Reactivated in 1861 for blockade duty off Key West (8 June 1861)

Assault on New Orleans in the spring of 1862 (7 April 1862)

Engagement at Forts Jackson and St. Philip (24 April 1862)

Operations against Port Hudson, Mississippi, grounded under enemy fire (14 March 1863)

Final Disposition, with machinery destroyed her battery was spiked and she was fired to prevent Confederate capture, her magazines exploded and she sank with the loss of 64 KIA

Specifications:
Displacement 3,220 t.
Length 229'
Beam 40'
Draft 19'
Speed unknown
Complement unknown

Armament (1841)

two 10" guns

eight 8" guns

Propulsion steam and sail

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
098697603	79k	Wash Drawing by R.G. Skerritt, 1903, depicting a steam paddle frigate which is one of two virtually identical ships, either USS Mississippi (1842-1843), or USS Missouri (1841-1863). Courtesy of R.C. Byron US Naval History and Heritage Command Catalog #: NH 85238	John Spivey
098611207	196k	USS Mississippi, commanded by M.C. Perry, going out to the relief of the American steamer *Hunter, a French bark [her prize] and an American pilot boat wrecked on Green Island reef near Vera Cruz, 21 March 1847, during the war with Mexico. Naval Portfolio No. 1. Naval scenes in the Mexican War by H. Walke LT. U.S. Navy. United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division digital ID pga.04094, ©Sarony & Major.*	Robert Hurst
098611211	140k	USS Mississippi on her lone voyage to the Orient as flagship of COMO. M.C. Perry in 1852. *Mississippi* is depicted passing Punta Tristao, northwest point of Maderia. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 46038. From "The Great Commodore" by Edward M. Barrows, page 226. Original creators Heine and Brown, lithographers.	Robert Hurst
	294k	US Navy ships of the Japanese Squadron, established to promote free trade with Japan in 1852. From left to right: USS Susquehanna, USS Saratoga, USS St. Mary's, USS Supply, USS Plymouth, USS Perry, USS Mississippi and USS Princeton. From ~ The Archive of the Old Print Man ~ "Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion", Boston, 1852.	Tommy Trampp
098603808	163k	"Napha From the Sea" (Japan). Lithograph by J. Queen, after W. Heine and H. Walke, published by P.C. Duval and Company, circa the later 1850s. It shows ships of Commodore M.C. Perry's Squadron at Naha, Okinawa, circa 1853-1854. Steamers are (center) USS Mississippi and (right) either USS Powhatan or USS Susquehanna, circa later 1850s. Courtesy of and copied from the Collection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 1936. This print was exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery in April 1963. Catalog #131. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 42760.	Robert Hurst
	235k	Print of USS Mississippi under way while part of COMO Perry's Squadron during the opening of Japan and a First Day Cover honoring Mississippi admission to the Union in February 1817.	Tommy Trampp
	33k	Print of USS Mississippi under way while part of COMO Perry's Squadron during the opening of Japan, as seen through Japanese eyes. Courtesy naval-history.net web site	Robert Hurst
098611210	278k	A Japanese print relating to Commodore Perry's visit. 1 January 1854. The paddlewheel steamer depicted would be either USS Mississippi (Commodore Perry's flagship), or USS Susquehanna - the only two paddlewheels on Perry's first visit to Japan. English Wikipedia	Robert Hurst
	134k	Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862, based on a sketch by an officer of USS Mississippi depicting Commodore Farragut's Squadron and Captain Porter's Mortar Fleet entering the Mississippi River at the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi, circa 7 April 1862. Features identified in the engraving's title lines include (from left to right): Light-house on Southwest Pass; USS Colorado (in left foreground); USS Pensacola on the bar; USS Westfield (seen nearly stern-on); Porter's mortar fleet, heading up the river; USS Mississippi on the bar; USS Harriet Lane (side-wheel steamer at the rear of the mortar fleet); USS Connecticut (in right foreground); USS Clifton; town of Banona. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 59059	Robert Hurst
	79k	"Panoramic View of the United States Fleet passing the Forts on the Mississippi, on its way to New Orleans, April 19th, 1862." Contemporary line engraving published in "The Soldier in our Civil War", Volume I. It depicts the Federal ships shortly before they began the passage of the forts, with the Confederate gunboats waiting upstream. Individual U.S. Navy ships (as identified in text below the engraving) are: USS John P. Jackson; USS Mississippi; USS Pensacola; USS Hartford (Flagship); USS Iroquois; USS Westfield; USS Cayuga; and USS Varuna; US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 59063	Robert Hurst
	158k	"The Splendid Naval Triumph on the Mississippi, April 24th, 1862" Colored lithograph, published by Currier & Ives, 1862. The original print bears the following descriptive text: "Destruction of the Rebel gunboats, rams and iron clad batteries by the Union Fleet under Flag Officer Farragut. The attack was commenced on the 18th of April and continued until the 25th resulting in the capture of Forts Jackson, St. Phillip, Livingston, Pike and the city of New Orleans, as well as the destruction of all the enemy gunboats, rams, floating batteries (iron clad), fire rafts, booms and chains. The enemy with their own hands destroying cotton and shipping valued at from eight to ten millions of dollars. 'The sight of this night attack was awfully grand, the river was lit up with blazing rafts filled with pine knots and the ships seemed to be fighting literally amidst flames and smoke.'" In this view, ships are identified as (starting at top left center, up the river, running down to the right, then across toward the left): Confederate steamers; USS Cayuga (leading the Union column), USS Pensacola, burning confederate steamer, USS Varuna, USS Oneida, USS Mississippi (engaging the ram CSS Manassas), USS Richmond, USS Kineo, USS Hartford (flagship, in collision with a fire raft), USS Brooklyn and USS Winona. A Confederate fire raft is in the lower right. Fort St. Phillip is shown at right and Fort Jackson at left. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C.	Tommy Trampp
098611208	203k	A hand-colored lithograph of COMO. Farragut's fleet, passing the forts on the Mississippi, 24 April 1862.USS frigate Mississippi destroying the rebel ram CSS Manassas. United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division digital ID pga.06574.	Robert Hurst
	137k	Line engraving published in "Virtue", depicting the battle, which took place on the lower Mississippi River during the night of 24 April 1862. A key to the forts and specific U.S. and Confederate ships is given at the bottom of the view. The ships include USS Varuna (in action with Confederate gunboats), USS Brooklyn, USS Pawnee (not shown), USS Hartford (Farragut's flagship, with a fire raft alongside), USS Pensacola, USS Mississippi, CSS Louisiana (exploding), CSS Manassas and Federal mortar vessels. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 59071	Robert Hurst
	382k	The Union frigate USS Mississippi attempts to ram the Confederate ironclad CSS Manassas, during the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers, based upon “the Century War Series", Vol. 2., pg. 71., 1887.	Robert Hurst
098675301	74k	USS Mississippi and USS Kingfisher at Passe a L'Outre New Orleans, 1 January 1863. Sketch print from a 1863 Frank Leslie's Illustrated Magazine.	Tommy Trampp
098611209	162k	Sketch of "SHIP ISLAND NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI —UNITED STATES WAR STEAMER MISSISSIPPI FIRING ON A CONFEDERATE STEAMER". "Frank Leslie's scenes and portraits of the Civil War" by Leslie, Frank, (1821-1880), Pub: Mrs. F. Leslie: New York. 1 January 1894.	Robert Hurst
	2196k	Print of USS Mississippi at sea, date and location unknown. US Navy print.	Darryl Baker
	306k	Print of USS Mississippi at anchor, date and location unknown..Photo from the LSU Library Suydam Collection	Tommy Trampp
	77k	Print of USS Mississippi underway, date and location unknown. Courtesy naval-history.net web site	Robert Hurst
	169k	USS Mississippi 20¢ Stamp, Marshall Islands, 1997. Great Fighting Ships of the 50 States appear on a sheet of stamps issued by the Marshall Islands to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the US Department of the Navy in 1798.	Tommy Trampp