U.S. Warships Named Mississippi-- Part 1

Fromthe May 31, 2012, WJTV Jackson, Mississippi, "A glance at previous warships named Mississippi" by AP.

This article came about because of the commissioning of the USS Mississippi, SSN-782, a Virginia-class submarine commissioned in 2012.

***  First USS Mississippi was a steam-powered paddle wheeler launched in 1841, one of the Navy's earliest steamships.  Fought in the Mexican War and carried Commodore Matthew Perry on his famous 1853 opening of Japan cruise.

It helped capture New Orleans in 1862 during the Civil War and ram aground near Port Hudson, Louisiana and was destroyed by its crew to prevent capture.  The future hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War, George Dewey, was on board.

--Cooter