The Ironclad Missouri

This week I learned of the death of Civil War historian Raimondo Luraghi, the author of one of my favorite books A History Of The Confederate Navy (1996). Luraghi’s focus on Confederate naval strategy, leadership, and innovations made for a fascinating study. Before I read the book, I didn’t have a deep knowledge of Confederate naval history so there were many surprises for me in the book such as the story of the ironclad Missouri. Fittingly named for a trans-Mississippi state, the Missouri was constructed in 1863 in the naval yards of Shreveport, Louisiana, with rails from the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Texas Railroad and iron from a facility in Jefferson, Texas. It took quite some time to build the Missouri as the army sometimes absorbed necessary supplies. It doesn’t appear that the Missouri ever engaged in combat, but her presence, according to Dr. Gary D. Joiner, may explain why the huge Eastport led the advance of the Federal navy during the Red River campaign. Her commander, Jonathon Carter, surrendered the ironclad on June 3, 1865 at Alexandria.