Joe: You may be just the latest victim of an old local myth regarding the Mound City. Some of the older residents still claim that the Union ironclad was sunk during the engagement at St. Charles. However, the Navy Official Records are full of reports both from and regarding the Mound City, dated throughout the remainder of the war.

Some have suggested that the Union "covered up" the loss, but this theory doesn't hold up in light of the fact that the US Navy didn't hesitate to report the losses of the Cairo, Indianola and Baron de Kalb.

Regarding the names of these vessels, the Mound City was named for the Union Naval base on the Ohio river in Illinois and the Pittsburg was, in fact, named for the Pennsylvania city.

As for the name "Mound City," there is also a town by that name in Kansas -- all appear to have been named for their proximity to Native American burial mounds.

Gary