USS Louisville ( 1861 ) USS " Louisville " ( 1861 ) was a City class ironclad gunboat constructed for the U . S . Army by James B . Eads during the American Civil War . [ While initially owned by the Army , the City Class gunboats were commanded by U . S . Navy officers , and were eventually transferred to the Navy . ] " Louisville " was built at St . Louis , Missouri , by James B . Eads in 1861 , under contract with the War Department for the price of $ 89 , 000 . Designed by U . S . Navy " Constructor " ( Naval Engineer ) Samuel M . Pook , she was accepted 15 January 1862 ; and commissioned 16 January 1862 , Commander Benjamin M . Dove , USN , in command . Despite being designed by naval personnel , budgetary concerns led the War Department to fund construction of the " Louisville " with Army funds . As such , she was turned over to Army command upon completion and joined the Army ' s Mississippi River Squadron . Eventually the entire western river flotilla would be transferred to Navy command . Operational history . " Louisville " assisted the Army in the capture of Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River 14 to 16 February 1862 . From 1 to 5 March , she aided in the occupation of Columbus , Kentucky , the " Gibraltar of the West . " Departing Cairo , Illinois , 14 March , she served in the capture of Island No . 10 and New Madrid , Missouri , through 7 April , and helped to prevent southern ships from ascending the river . In May , " Louisville " was ordered to Fort Pillow and participated in the Battle of Memphis 6 June . Commanded by Rear Admiral Charles Henry Davis , her squadron captured and sank the Confederate Mississippi flotilla . On 15 June , she attacked the upper batteries at Vicksburg , before shifting efforts to the White River , departing Helena , Arkansas , 5 August . Escorting and to the mouth of the river , she met little resistance . In late September 1862 she was transferred to the Navy and assigned a new commanding officer , Lieutenant Commander Richard W . Mead . After escorting transport " Meteor " , disembarking troops at Bledsoe ' s and Hamblen ' s landings 21 October , " Louisville " returned to Helena to join the gunboat fleet , Mississippi Squadron . She joined , , , , , , , and later in the month on an expedition up the White River in support of Major General William T . Sherman ' s army . " Louisville " captured the steamer " Evansville " near Island No . 36 on 1 November . Now under the command of Lieutenant Elias K . Owen , " Louisville " aided in the capture of Fort Hindman , Arkansas Post , 4 to 11 January 1863 , and formed part of the expedition through Steele ' s Bayou , 14 to 28 January . She was ordered to the Yazoo River the 31st and moved to stop Confederates felling trees across the bayou on 21 March . She then turned her attention to the batteries on the river , running past those at Vicksburg on 16 April , and engaging the lower ones on the 29th . She joined , and on that date , silencing the guns of the fort on Grand Gulf and helping to establish the siege which forced Vicksburg ' s surrender 4 July 1863 . From 12 March to 22 May 1864 , " Louisville " joined in the expedition up the Red River . On 2 June she engaged Confederate batteries seven miles below Columbia , Arkansas , silencing the guns . She landed Union troops at Sunnyside 6 June and anchored off Shipwith ' s Landing the 20th , to learn that Confederates were traveling upriver with a heavy force , and had crossed Cypress Creek and Bartholomew ' s Bayou 20 June with cavalry , infantry , and artillery . On learning that Parsson ' s brigade was 10 miles back of Gaines ' Landing , providing reinforcements , " Louisville " departed immediately for that point , and helped break up the Confederate attack . " Louisville " continued service on the Mississippi River until decommissioning 21 July 1865 . She was sold at public auction at Mound City , Illinois 29 November 1865 . Four of her sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for their service in the war : Boatswain ' s Mate Charles Bradley , Boatswain ' s Mate James Byrnes , Coxswain Timothy Sullivan , and Captain of the Forecastle William Talbott . Armament . Like many of the Mississippi theatre ironclads , the " Louisville " had its armament changed multiple times over life of the vessel . To expedite the entrance of " Louisville " into service , she and the other " City " - class ships were fitted with whatever weapons were available ; then had their weapons upgraded as new pieces became available . Though the 8 - inch Dahlgren smoothbore cannons were fairly modern most of the other original armaments were antiquated ; such as the 32 - pounders , or modified ; such as the 42 - pounder " rifles " which were in fact , old smoothbores that had been gouged out to give them rifling . These 42 - pounder weapons were of particular concern to military commanders because they were structurally weaker and more prone to exploding than purpose built rifled cannons . Additionally , the close confines of riverine combat greatly increased the threat of boarding parties . The 12 - pounder howitzer was equipped to address that concern and was not used in regular combat .