Meals on Board
The men on board the ironclad were usually served meals three times a day. Enlisted men were divided into, and ate in messes or groups of about 13 men who ate together regularly. The messes were assigned a wooden chest in which to store their eating utensils, including tin plates, cups, spoons, and mustard and pepper. Each sailor was responsible for his own eating gear, so those who could write would inscribe their names or initials on their items. The illiterate men marked theirs with particular symbols to indicate ownership. One of the spoon's inscribed with POH, belonged to Peter O. Hill. According to the Cairo's Final Muster Roll, Hill was one of the Norwegians on board. Another Cairo Sailor etched the veins of a leaf into the bowl of a mess spoon. The identity of this spoon’s owner is unknown.

Mess Place Setting
Mess Plate
c 1862
Metal. H 5.9, Dia bottom 15.9, top 20.8 cm
Vicksburg National Military Park , U.S.S. Cairo Museum, VICKC 606, 604

Mess Cup
Tinned iron. Top Dia 10.8, 12.1 cm
Vicksburg National Military Park, U.S.S. Cairo Museum , VICKC 1187

Knife
c 1862
Ferrous Metal, wood. L 22.9 mm, Handle L 7.3 cm, Handle W 1.75 cm
Vicksburg National Military Park, U.S.S. Cairo Museum, VICKC 723

Fork
c 1862
Metal. L 19.1 cm; Max W 2.86 cm
Vicksburg National Military Park, U.S.S. Cairo Museum, VICKC 720

Tablespoon with Leaf Design [bottom, lower right]
c 1862
Metal. L 18.4 cm, Max width of bowl 4.1 cm
Vicksburg National Military Park, U.S.S. Cairo Museum, VICKC 702

Spoon Bearing POH Initials [bottom, far right]
c 1862

Tinned iron. L 18.7 cm
Vicksburg National Military Park , VICKC 1928