Brown Water.

This is coolbert:

Yet once more an extract with my commentary from those presentations as seen at the Civil War Museum, Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA.

"Transports, Tinclads and Rams"

"The Union's use of rivers as a major means of transport and access to Southern territory led to development of a strange flotilla of low-draft vessels known as the 'brown water navy.'"

A list of river-boat with a military purpose to include:

* Transports and Packets.

* Hospital Ships.

* Cottonclads.

* Tinclads

* Ironclads

* Casemate Ironclads.

* Monitors

* Mortar Rafts and Boats.

* Rams.

"A 'Ram' is a ship whose principal weapon is its own bow, hardened and reinforced to penetrate the hull of an enemy ship, and usually strengthened internally to avoid or reduce self-inflicted damage from the collision" This particular ram was originally a CSS warship the General Sterling Price. Captured by the Yankee and from that point forward the USS Price.

A bewildering array of naval vessels, specialized warships used almost exclusively for riverine [brown water] warfare. Ships their usefulness limited to rivers but that limitation hardly a drawback. Union forces putting their riverine warships to good use, with much advantage, an ability to rapidly move manpower, supplies, firepower a big plus.

coolbert.