The Sinking of the U.S.S. Cairo

The Sinking of the U.S.S. Cairo-December 12, 1862, the first in a series by McWilliams was painted in 1985 and hangs in the National Military Park at Vicksburg, Mississippi. It is also featured on several billboards in Mississippi and Louisiana. It depicts the story of the first gunboat ever sunk by an underwater mine. Lt. Commander Selfridge, Jr. knew the Yazoo River was "mined" but apparently thought his vessel was invincible. The Cairo hit the underwater mine and sank in less than 15 minutes with no loss of lives. If you look closely at the left bottom of the print you will observe a stump from which a cable leads toward the explosion. The Cairo can be seen in various Civil War related shows on the History Channel. Story tag included.