USS Choctaw (1856)

Type

Ironclad

Period

19th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: USS Choctaw (1856) was a Union Civil War ironclad ram, one of a handful of large Mississippi River steamers hastily converted into armored warships by the US Army before transfer to the Navy. She was notable as an unusually large and imposing-looking vessel among the Mississippi Squadron's ironclads. Specifications: Originally built as a 1,004-ton sidewheel merchant steamer, 260 ft long with a 45 ft beam and 8 ft draft, she was armored and armed with one 100-pounder rifle, two 30-pounder rifles, and three 9-inch smoothbore cannon. Propulsion was by steam engine driving independently-powered side wheels, which gave her a distinctive profile but a top speed of only about 2 knots upstream. Service History: Built at New Albany, Indiana, laid down in 1853 and launched in 1856 as a merchant vessel, she was purchased by the US Army in September 1862 and converted into an ironclad ram to a design begun by Commodore William D. Porter, then commissioned into the US Navy at St. Louis in March 1863. She operated on the Mississippi and its tributaries, taking 53 hits during a diversionary attack on Confederate positions at Haynes' Bluff in 1863, and later supported Union troops at the Battle of Milliken's Bend alongside USS Lexington. She was decommissioned at Algiers, Louisiana in July 1865 and sold in New Orleans in March 1866. Notable Facts: Despite her imposing appearance, Choctaw was criticized as being overweight and far too slow for effective use as a ram, and was only weakly armored. She was the first US Navy ship named for the Choctaw tribe.