Seeking info on pre-ironclad USS Essex

[heimdall]

Anyone have any images/plans/info on the USS Essex (ex New Era), circa December, 1861-January, 1862, about the time of the battle of Fort Henry when it was only partially armored, and before it was converted into the larger ironclad? I have the two sketches by Simplot showing the initial conversion(s), circa October, 1861, but little for early 1862. Thanks for any assistance.

[Kazziga]

Where did you find these Simplot's sketches of the Essex? Is it this one http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/i...00/h59002.jpg?

[heimdall]

That is one etching made from one of his sketches; the Essex is at the left in the distance. The two conversion sketches were found at the Wisconsin Historical Society site:
Wisconsin Historical Images Search Results

[Kazziga]

Thank you! I've completely forgotten about the Wisconsin Historical Society site. I have some of their sketches of the Confederate rams (I received them them from a good friend).

[Kazziga]

Heimdall, you may have read this, but here is the description of the initial conversion of the Essex from D. L. Canney's "The Old Steam Navy", vol. 1, pp. 38-39:

USS Essex

One of the most unusual riverboat conversions re-
sulted in the ironclad USS Essex. Before the war,
she had been the New Era, a river ferry operating
out of Saint Louis. Her small (18-inch by 6-foot)
cylinders drove a recessed stern paddle wheel,
mounted below her centrally located cabin area,
leaving a wide open deck aft in addition to the
spacious decks on the three other sides of the cabin,
usually used for vehicles and cargo. She measured
159 feet by 47 feet in her original form. The poten-
tial for the vessel to carry heavy ordnance was ob-
vious.
New Era was taken in hand and became a tim-
berclad by the simple expedient of constructing
wooden bulwarks high on the perimeter of the
cargo deck. Fore and aft, the bulwarks were some
6 1/2 feet high between gun positions and at least a
foot thick, with openings for nine guns. The fore
and aft decks were not roofed over, but the side
bulwarks were extended upward and angled to join
with the central cabin, and timber protection was
built over the paddle-wheel opening. At this stage
she retained her original engines, boilers, and single
stack. Her first battery was three 9-inch Dahlgren
smoothbores.
In this configuration she made a long sortie along
the Cumberland River, then returned to Saint Louis
to receive further modifications. Now under the
command of William D. (“Dirty Bill”) Porter, the
(p. 39)
brother of David Dixon Porter, she received plating
across her forward casemate, though apparently
not to full height, and possibly 3/4-inch plating on
her sides. The major change was the addition of a
light deck forward and aft over the gun deck and
the completion of the side bulwarks upward to the
new deck, enclosing the battery. The officers’ cabins
were exposed and not plated and the pilothouse
opened via trap-door to the gundeck.
At the battle of Fort Henry in February 1862,
the New Era, now named Essex and under navy
control, fought brilliantly but then took a shot
through the forward casemate immediately above
the armor line, thence into her center boiler, scald-
ing several, including the men in the pilothouse
above who had neglected to close the intervening
door between gundeck and pilothouse. She was
knocked out of the action. Porter, known for precip-
itate action, immediately instigated yet another re-
building of the vessel, which made her into one of
the most formidable in the river flotilla.

[heimdall]

That's great, Kazziga, thanks; it added some information and detail I did not have.

[Kazziga]

Heimdall, I have just found this:
Essex
Moreover, my friend informed me that the New Era was not converted into the Essex in just two stages. It was a gradual process. I think that the drawing above shows her as she looked when she was still named the New Era after her initial conversion into a timberclad.

[ct ertz]

Thats cool! Heimdall, are you going to build a model of the timberclad Essex? That would be awesome!
CT

[heimdall]

Kazziga: Thanks; I had that one. It is part of drawings done my Dana Wegner in the 70's, and is, I think, inaccurate in several key points.

It was a constant conversion. Porter wrote that he towed several barges with him, filled with woodworkers, painters, welders, etc. and made changes 'on the go.' At the Battle of Fort Henry (2/06/1862) the pilothouse was still unarmored. The complete makeover took place after that battle.

CT: Probably, in wood; however, I usually spend a lot of time researching, sketching, drawing up a list of supplies, etc., and never build anything! I have drawn up side, top, bow and stern views in 1/120 (10' - 1 inch), my preferred scale. I started with the idea of doing the purely timberclad version, @9/1862, when it was Army. Then decided to do the December/January version, after it went to the Navy and became the Essex, and when (likely) only the bow was armored.