Good for you David. I wonder if the one guy was talking about Porter (big help to Grant) but another thought it was the builder. Either way, it comes down to access to the Mississippi. The 'other guys' got it and kept it. Was the Cairo one of those gunboats they're talking about? It's been more than 20 years since I saw it and it seems to me it was. I remember being surprised at how small it was but maybe it's because I'm used to seeing larger military vessels.

Just my opinion but I can't fault Davis too much for his lack of fast support for the gunboats. The Union was way too fast and too effective at taking ports and patroling any other possible spots for ship to shore operations. As with the Army, the Confederate Navy was short on supplies and access. If they'd had the resources the Union had, we could have told a different story for the entire war.

Pam