Vicksburg: "The Yazoo Was Full of Torpedoes"

George Yost was a fourteen year old sailor aboard the USS Cairo and he kept a diary of his experiences. On December 12, 1862—as part of operations around Vicksburg, Mississippi—the Cairo and other riverboats started up the Yazoo River. Then disaster struck, and Yost recorded the event in his journal.

These transcribed excerpts contain original spelling and punctuation.

Note: a "torpedo" was a Civil War term for a mine in the water or land. 

Thursday, December 11th, 1862.

put out fires and blow our steam at 4 a.m. draining out the boilers. I went up...at 8 a.m. to get some fresh beef. bear to quarters for inspection at 9.30 a.m.... at 9 a.m. or 9.30 am the "Signal" and "Marmora" (Mosquito Fleet) started up the Yazoo river, returned at 3 p.m. with report that the Yazoo was full of Torpedos and that two of the Torpedos exploded near them they were pulled off by means of a line going ashore where some person was stationed to pull them off which they could do without any danger to themselves as they had pits dug on purpose to protect and conceal them. The "Cairo" rec'd orders at 5 p.m. to go up the Yazoo river as Flagship. the "Pittsburg" "Signal" "Marmora" & "Queen of the West" to go with us. we are to go tomorrow morning weather clear wind North west.

Friday Dec. 12th, 1862.

At 7.30 a.m. we weighed anchor and accompanied by the U.S. Gun boats "Signal" "Marmora" "Pittsburg" & Ram "Queen of the West" started up the Yazoo river at 10 a.m. we commenced shelling the woods the "Marmora" "Signal" & Ram "Queen of the West" going ahead of us the "Pittsburg" coming up astern of us keeping slowly up the river. at 10.30 a.m. the foremost boat was fired into by Guerillas who were in the woods near the bank of the river. we all returned the fire, and then the foremost boats dropped back with the "Cairo" came on ahead. at 11.30 a.m. just as we were training on the battery (which was about 2 1/2 miles further up the river) we were struck by a Torpedo which exploded under the Forward part of our boat crashing in the bottom of the boat so that in 5 minutes after the explosion took place the whole forward part of the Hold was full of water and it was running over the deck forward. the explosion dismounted one of our heaviest guns which was in the Port bow, severely injuring 3 men one of whom was an engineer... the boat was run ashore as soon as possible to prevent her sinking in deep water. the water was all over the Gun decks when the Ram "Queen of the West" came alongside to take us off we were then told to leave quarters and take all the small arms we could and go on board the Ran which we did in double quick time I can tell you. [emphasis original] we fired our gun at the Fort just as she was sinking I saved 2 Revolvers and most all of us saved something—some of us saved our bags some Hammocks some all and several severed nothing except theirselves. the way that this explosion took place was thins. we sent out our small boat to take up a buoy which was about 100 yds ahead of us. they brought the buoy aboard and commenced hauling in the line that was made fast to it. while hauling in this line they hauled in a couple of Rocks.... after they had hauled in  in the line they started to go ahead and coming in contact with the Torpedo it exploded and the "Cairo" went down with her Colors flying; several of the officers and men took to the small boats; after destroying all traces of the lost boat by pulling down the Flagstaffs and smoke stacks, we started down the river. we arrived at the mouth at 4.30 p.m.—the "Pittsburg" kept firing all the time we stopped up then to keep the Guerillas from coming down on us. we were sent on board the "Signal" at 7 p.n. I saved my Journal and part of my clothes. 

Source:

George Robert Yost papers, Diary - December 11-12, 1862: MS-SC3043, Box: 233. Manuscript Collection. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.