Gentlemen:

It occurs to me that one important question about the gunboat's propulsion doesn't seem to appear in print. Was there a provision for a "lifting screw"? Even if the obstructions had been removed in the spring/summer of 1863, she would have to break out past the blockaders (probably not difficult), then fulfill a mission. She had a full sail rig before the boiler incident, but would have degraded sailing characteristics unless provided with a lifting screw or dog clutch. Without these features, she wouldn't make much of a cruiser. There is also the question of a condenser which would have a major impact on steaming radius or a fresh-water condenser. If she didn't have these features, I suspect she would have become a harbor queen or forced to run into Mobile and join Buchanan's squadron. I suppose there is also the possibility of reducing her sail rig, disarming her and using her as a runner. Has anyone seen any information on speed trials? It may be that she lacked long enough stretches in the river to conduct them safely.