USS Cairo

Armed with a simple pocket compass, a small boat, and an intense desire to find the USS Cairo, three men–Edwin C. Bearss, Warren Grabau, and Max Don Jacks–set out on the Yazoo River on a cool autumn afternoon in 1956 to locate the Civil War gunboat. What they found was the discovery of a lifetime. Images of Modern America: USS Cairo features a photographic account of the discovery, raising, restoration, and preservation efforts surrounding the Cairo. One can sense the excitement and awe felt by people who witnessed the raising. Today, people from all over the world are drawn to visit this Civil War time capsule now in permanent dry dock at Vicksburg National Military Park, where commemorative events have occurred since 1980; this collection highlights a variety of these events.