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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --
USS Keokuk (1863-1863).
Originally named Moodna
USS Keokuk, a 677-ton ironclad, was built at New York
City. Originally named Moodna (sometimes incorrectly spelled "Woodna"), she was renamed prior to
her December 1862 launching, and was commissioned in early March
1863. Keokuk arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina, later
in that month to take up her duties with the South Atlantic Blockading
Squadron.
On 7 April, she joined USS New
Ironsides and seven monitors in an attack on Fort Sumter,
centerpiece of the formidible defenses of Charleston, South Carolina.
Under the fire of heavy Confederate guns for more than half an
hour, Keokuk was struck by about ninety projectiles, many
of which hit at or below her waterline. Her experimental armor,
featuring alternating rows of wood and iron, was completely inadequate
to protect her from this onslaught and she was "completely
riddled". Though Keokuk was able to withdraw and anchor
out of range, she sank on the morning of 8 April 1863, after about
one month of commissioned service.
This page features all our views of USS Keokuk and provides
links to views related to her activities.
For additional pictures related to USS Keokuk, see:
USS Keokuk -- Activities
and Relics.
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 59546
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Watercolor by Oscar Parkes.
Courtesy of Dr. Oscar Parkes, London, England, 1936.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 455 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 61998
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Engraved reproduction of an artwork by R.G. Skerrett, 1901.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 67KB; 740 x 385 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 74555
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Drawing by Fred S. Cozzens, published in "Our Navy -- Its
Growth and Achievements", 1897, depicting the ship at sea
during the Civil War.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 55KB; 740 x 270 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 52050
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Lithograph by T. Bonar, New York, depicting the ship while she
was under construction at the Jeronemus S. Underhill Dry Dock
& Iron Works, New York City, shortly before her 6 December 1862
launching.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 116KB; 740 x 585 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 82386-KN (color)
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Hand-tinted copy of a line engraving published in "Harper's
Weekly", 1863, depicting the ship on the building ways at
the J.S. Underhill shipyard, New York City, at about the time
of her 6 December 1862 launching.
Courtesy of the U.S. Navy Art Collection, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 73KB; 900 x 285 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 58750
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1863,
depicting the ship on the building ways at the J.S. Underhill
shipyard, New York City, at about the time of her 6 December
1862 launching.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 82KB; 900 x 300 pixels |
 |
The following views are relatively inaccurate depictions
of Keokuk's appearance:
Photo #: NH 58748
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 23 August
1862, roughly depicting the ship's intended appearance. Designed
by Charles W. Whitney, she was then under construction at New
York City.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 93KB; 740 x 370 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 58749
USS Keokuk (1863-1863)
Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862,
giving a very rough depiction of the ship's intended appearance.
She was originally named Moodna, but was renamed Keokuk
while under construction.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 96KB; 740 x 485 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 58752
U.S. Navy Warships, 1862
Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862,
depicting several contemporary U.S. Navy ironclad and conventional
warships. They are (from left to right: Puritan (in the
original twin-turret design); Catskill; Montauk,
Keokuk (citing her original name, "Woodna");
Passaic; Galena (behind Roanoke, with name
not cited); Roanoke; Winona; New Ironsides;
Naugatuck; Brooklyn and Monitor.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 250 pixels |
 |
The following pictures feature a small image of Keokuk
within a view of another subject:
Photo #: NH 464-KN (Color)
Civil War Ironclads at Sea
Chromolithograph by Armstrong & Company, after an 1893 watercolor
by Fred S. Cozzens, published in "Our Navy -- Its Growth
and Achievements", 1897.
Ships depicted are (from left to right):
Monadnock class twin-turret monitor;
Passaic class single-turret monitor (in foreground);
USS Naugatuck;
USS Keokuk
USS New Ironsides and
USS Nantucket.
Collection of Captain Glenn Howell, USN, 1974.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 71KB; 740 x 485 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 59260
"New Map of Charleston Harbor"
"Showing the Scene of the Great Naval Contest between the
Iron Clad Monitors and the Rebel Batteries, also the Lines of
Fire, Forts, Obstructions, Princ'l. Plantations, & E.t.c."
Lithograph by J. Mayer & Co., published in 1863 by G.W. Tomlinson,
Boston, Massachusetts. The print features, in its lower right,
small drawings of a monitor (labeled "The Ericsson Devil"),
USS Keokuk, Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie and Castle Pinckney.
Along its right side are descriptions of Charleston's defenses.
Copied from The Library of Congress: "Civil War Maps Annotated",
N.R. 376.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Online Image: 344KB; 945 x 1225
pixels |
 |
For additional pictures related to USS Keokuk, see:
USS Keokuk -- Activities
and Relics.
Return to Naval
Historical Center home page.
Page made 8 September 2001
Minor text corrections made 20 September 2001