Changes

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| Length:

| Length:

| 209 ft

| 209 ft

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| Beam:

| Beam:

| 48 ft  

| 48 ft  

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| Draft:

| Draft:

| 14 ft

| 14 ft

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| Speed:

| Speed:

'''CSS ''Tennessee''''', a casemated, ironclad ram, was laid down at Selma, Alabama sometime in October 1862 by Henry D. Bassett, and she was launched late in February 1863. The ironclad was towed by steamboat ''Southern Republic'', whose calliope played "Dixie" as the two steamers tied up at a landing each night during the week-long, 150-mile trip down river. At Mobile, the ironclad's machinery, armament, and armor were installed. The ram was commissioned in the [[Confederate States Navy]] on 16 February 1864, Lt. James D. Johnston, CSN, in command.

'''CSS ''Tennessee''''', a casemated, ironclad ram, was laid down at Selma, Alabama sometime in October 1862 by Henry D. Bassett, and she was launched late in February 1863. The ironclad was towed by steamboat ''Southern Republic'', whose calliope played "Dixie" as the two steamers tied up at a landing each night during the week-long, 150-mile trip down river. At Mobile, the ironclad's machinery, armament, and armor were installed. The ram was commissioned in the [[Confederate States Navy]] on 16 February 1864, Lt. James D. Johnston, CSN, in command.

''Tennessee'' then became flagship for Admiral [[Franklin Buchanan]] and proved to be a potent deterrent to any attempts by the Federal Navy to enter Mobile Bay. Though he had wished to force the entrance two years earlier, Rear Admiral [[David Farragut]] could not seriously entertain such notions until May of 1864. On the 25th, he made a run inshore to reconnoiter the defense to the entrance and to get a good look at the South's newest ironclad. ''Tennessee'' impressed him so much that he concluded that his wooden ships would be no match for her—particularly in the narrow channel dominated by the guns of Fort Morgan. Consequently, he decided to wait for reinforcements in the form of Union ironclads, which did not arrive on the scene until late in July.

''Tennessee'' then became flagship for Admiral [[Franklin Buchanan]] and proved to be a potent deterrent to any attempts by the Federal Navy to enter Mobile Bay. Though he had wished to force the entrance two years earlier, Rear Admiral [[David Farragut]] could not seriously entertain such notions until May 1864. On the 25th, he made a run inshore to reconnoiter the defense to the entrance and to get a good look at the South's newest ironclad. ''Tennessee'' impressed him so much that he concluded that his wooden ships would be no match for her—particularly in the narrow channel dominated by the guns of Fort Morgan. Consequently, he decided to wait for reinforcements in the form of Union ironclads, which did not arrive on the scene until late in July.

On the morning of 5 August 1864, Farragut's fleet, strengthened by the recently arrived single-turret monitors ''Tecumseh'' and ''Manhattan'', and double-turret monitors, ''Chickasaw'' and ''Winnebago'', began its move toward the entrance to Mobile Bay. As the Union ships steamed past the guns of Fort Morgan, ''Tennessee'' and the gunboats ''Gaines'', ''Morgan'', and ''Selma'' moved forward to engage them. The ironclad ram's underpowered engines gave her insufficient speed to head the invaders off before they steamed into the bay. She exchanged shots with the Federal ships as they moved to a point some three or four miles up the bay, knocking the three Confederate gunboats out of the fight in the process.

On the morning of 5 August 1864, Farragut's fleet, strengthened by the recently arrived single-turret monitors ''Tecumseh'' and ''Manhattan'', and double-turret monitors, ''Chickasaw'' and ''Winnebago'', began its move toward the entrance to Mobile Bay. As the Union ships steamed past the guns of Fort Morgan, ''Tennessee'' and the gunboats ''Gaines'', ''Morgan'', and ''Selma'' moved forward to engage them. The ironclad ram's underpowered engines gave her insufficient speed to head the invaders off before they steamed into the bay. She exchanged shots with the Federal ships as they moved to a point some three or four miles up the bay, knocking the three Confederate gunboats out of the fight in the process.

[[Category:Confederate States Navy]]

[[Category:Confederate States Navy]]

[[Category:warships]]

[[Category:Warships]]