I'd never heard of the USS Wissahickon before, especially as an ironclad. I am somewhat familiar with many of the Union ironclads names, but not this one, so I went to good old Wipkipedia for some more information.
It turns out that the Wissahickon was not an ironclad, but a 691-ton Unadilla Class screw steamer gunboat built in Philadelphia and commissioned in November, 1861. It took part in the campaign to capture New Orleans that year, in the bombardment of Grand Gulf, and made two runs past Vicksburg.
Later, it was transferred to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and took parts in bombardments of Fort McAllister three times in 1862 and 1863 and participated in the destruction of the Rattlesnake/CSS Nashville on February 28, 1863, along with the Monitor USS Montauk, USS Seneca and USS Dawn.
It mounted an 11-inch Dahlgren gun, a 20-pdr. and 2 X 24 pdrs. It was 158.4 feet long and had a 28-foot beam.
A Ship By Another Name. --Old B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
