During the siege of Vicksburg many naval guns were loaned
to the Army to increase the Federal artillery fire. The cannon were usually manned by army
artillerymen. Battery Selfridge, however, was the only battery which contained cannon
manned exclusively by sailors. The battery was named after its commander. Lieutenant
Commander Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., the former commander of the U.S.S. Cairo, an ironclad
gunboat which was sunk by a mine in the Yazoo River in December 1862.
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Last update: Monday, January 22, 2001
http://www.nps.gov/vick/ts_7/ts_7.htm
Editor: G. Zeman
Vicksburg National
Military Park
3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS 39183
(601) 636-0583
Vick_Interpretation@nps.gov
