USS Cairo

This museum is within the Vicksburg National Military Park. It explains the history of the discovery of the USS Cairo buried in silt and its recovery. It was an Ironclad - the type of naval ship developed in the Civil War that changed naval war for the future. The Union had built many of them on the Mississippi north of Vicksburg and the Confederates had some south of Vicksburg. It was sunk by a torpedo (as mines were called) with no loss of life but all the crew had to abandon all their possessions. The museum has extensive displays of implements, personal possessions etc. There is even a champagne bottle that was owned by the officers.  You can see the paddle wheel mechanism which powered the iron clad at about 9 knots.