From Wikipedia.
These were a light draft monitor built for operation in shallow areas like along the Mississippi River. It was the largest and by far, most ambitious monitor-building program undertaken during the war.
Problems, delays and bureaucratic meddling plagued the Casco. During sea trials, the ship proved particularly unseaworthy which caused a public scandal.
After the success of the first Monitor, the Navy was enthusiastic and ordered several classes to be built. The Casco Class was specifically designed to operate in shallow bays, rivers and inlets.
Draft was not to exceed six feet and they were to have a very low freeboard. The Monitor's designer, John Ericsson worked on the design of this class. Each was to be 225 feet long with a single revolving turret mounting twin 11-inch guns. In addition, the upper deck was to be armored, and twin screws would provide an eight knot cruising speed.
They had armored hulls built around a large wooden raft for buoyancy. The design was intentionally kept simple so that they could be built in private shipyards with a 40-day target to completion.
Those Monitors Were a Real Problem for the Confederacy. --Old B-Runner
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