The USS Kickapoo was a Milwaukee-class river monitor built for the Union Navy during the American Civil War, serving as the lead ship of her class. Laid down by G. B. Allen & Co. of St. Louis in 1862, she was launched on March 12, 1864, and commissioned on July 8, 1864, under Lieutenant David C. Woods. The vessel measured 229 feet (69.8 meters) in overall length and had a beam of 56 feet (17.1 meters). Her draft was 6 feet (1.8 meters), with a depth of hold of 8 feet 6 inches (2.6 meters), and she displaced approximately 1,300 long tons (1,322 metric tons). The ship's tonnage was 970 tons burthen, and her crew numbered 138 officers and enlisted men. Power was provided by two horizontal non-condensing steam engines, each driving two propellers, powered by seven tubular boilers. These engines could reach a top speed of about 9 knots (17 km/h). Coal capacity was 156 long tons (159 metric tons). Her main armament comprised four 11-inch Dahlgren smoothbore muzzle-loading guns mounted in two twin turrets—one designed by James Eads and the other by John Ericsson—each gun weighing around 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg) and capable of firing shells up to 3,650 yards (3,340 meters). The ship’s armor included eight layers of 1-inch wrought iron plates on the turrets, and three layers of 1-inch hull plates backed by 15 inches (380 mm) of pine. The deck was heavily cambered, with a single .75-inch (19 mm) iron plate, and the pilothouse was protected by 3 inches (76 mm) of armor. The heavily armored turrets and hull made her suitable for riverine combat and coastal operations. During her service, USS Kickapoo supported Union efforts in the Mobile Campaign, operating primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River regions. Notably, she participated in rescue operations after her sister ships Milwaukee and Osage struck mines in 1865. After the Civil War, she was placed in reserve, decommissioned in July 1865, renamed twice (Cyclops in 1869 and Kewaydin in 1870), and eventually sold in 1874. Her design and service highlight the Union Navy’s efforts to control critical waterways and her role in riverine warfare during the Civil War.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.