The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Monitors Built at Cincinnati, Ohio

While looking for the monitor built by Greenwood's company, I came across two Canonicus class monitors built by the Alexander Swift & Co.

One was the USS Catawba, a harbor and river monitor, launched 13 April 1864 and delivered to the Navy 7 June 1865, too late to see action in the war. It mounted two 15-inch Dahlgren cannons. It was placed in ordinary in Mound City, Illinois, and then sold back to the builder.

It was then sold to the Peruvian Navy, but legal problems kept it from delivery for awhile. Once in the Peruvian navy, it was renamed the Atahualpa and later scuttled in 1881 to prevent capture by Chile.

The other monitor built by Swift & Company shared a similar fate. The USS Oneota, also a Canonicus class monitor arrived too late to be of service in the war. It was at New Orleans until 1869 when it was sold to Peru and renamed the Manco Capoc. It was later scuttled in 1880 to prevent capture by Chile.

The wreck is still intact about two and a half miles offshore in 200 feet of water.

Three other Canonicus monitors participate against Fort Fisher: Canonicus, Saugus, and Mahopac.

Next, Greenwood's Monitor. --Old B-Runner