USS ''Peosta''

By Crusader1307

Riverboats were the norm for travel on the many inland Rivers and Estuaries found in America in the 19th Century. Steam Powered, Riverboats (or Steamships), were responsible for transporting not only passengers, but millions of tons of cargo and supplies. At The start of The American Civil War, many of them were pressed into Federal Service. Ideal for transportation of troops and munitions, they were refitted with 4 to 6-inch armor plating. The USS “Peosta” was one of the first of many. Retrofitted in 1861, she also featured 4-(12) pound cannons fitted onto her deck. Crewed by 15 Officers and men, the USS ''Peosta'' was 180-tons displaced and some 145-feet long. She carried over 3,000 troops in transport during her service and actively participated in the famous Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi (1862-1863). After the War, she was decommissioned and broken up for scrap.