Caiella

Caiella,

Attached is the most representative image of the anchors, generally referred to as an Admiralty Type,  that I believe, four of which, were carried on the "City Class  Ironclads" for use in the Mississippi river and its swampy back-waters during the Civil War. Its shank was about 5 feet long and probably weighed less than 500 pounds. The sliding "T" crossbar permitted the anchor to lay flat on the deck when not in use. There is no evidence of any type of davit to raise or drop the anchor but both fore and aft gunwales include roller guides for anchor chains or heavy hawsers attached to the anchor shank rings. The anchor itself was probably manhandled over the gunwales upon entry or retrieval and possibly deployed away from the ironclad via one of their small boats. The bow anchor chains fed thru tubes in bow casement armor to the steam powered capstan and then down to the floor of the hull for storage. The stern anchors probably were simply manhandled for deployment and retrieval.  These ironclads were not designed for peep water waters where anchor would be mandatory.  Most contemporary Civil War photos depict the ironclads secured by numerous small ropes to posts or trees along the shores of the rivers and I think the main purpose of the anchors and steam powered capstan may have been to help freeing the ironclad after being grounded on mud flats or by quick rise and fall of the rivers via thunderstorms  during the hot Summers of the lower Mississippi River area.

JOHNHOWARD