On December 12, 1862, Cairo was part of a
mine-clearing expedition on the Yazoo River.
Her commander, hearing small arms fire coming
from up ahead, steamed around the rest of the
boats and into unexplored waters. Suddenly,
explosions tore holes in the boat-including the
one you see in front of you. It sank quickly in 36
feet of water. No lives were lost and the crew was
recovered by nearby vessels.
What sank the USS Cairo? Some historians believe
Confederates, lying in wait along the riverbank,
detonated the mines (called torpedoes in the Civil
War) electrically. Other experts think the underwater
mines were strung on a line across the channel.
When the Cairo hit the line, her forward motion
pulled the torpedoes against the side of the boat
where they detonated.
Raised Map:
Cairo was 16 miles up the
Yazoo River when she hit
Confederate mines.
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