Military
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On December 12, 1862, Cairo took part in a mine-clearing expedition on the Yazoo River. After her commander heard small arms fire from ahead, she steamed around the other boats and entered unexplored waters. Explosions suddenly tore holes in the boat, and it sank quickly in 36 feet of water about 16 miles up the Yazoo River. No lives were lost, and nearby vessels recovered the crew. Some historians believe Confederates waiting along the riverbank electrically detonated the mines, called torpedoes in the Civil War, while other experts think the underwater mines were strung across the channel and detonated when Cairo struck the line and pulled them against the boat.
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Vicksburg, Mississippi · United States
