April 1, 1863

The USS Queen City was commissioned. Converted for use as part of the so-called tinclad fleet and assigned identification number 26, the Queen City was one of the few tinclads actually to carry iron plating. Fitted with 1.25 inch iron plating, the Queen City weighed 212 tons and carried a crew of sixty-five sailors and officers. It saw extensive service along the Mississippi and White rivers prior to its 1864 capture and destruction by Confederate forces.