USS Benton

USS Benton
History
United States
NamesakeAmerican senator Thomas Hart Benton
BuilderJames B. Eads, St. Louis, Missouri
Acquiredearly November 1861 for $2,600 USD
CommissionedFebruary 24, 1862
DecommissionedJuly 20, 1865
FateSold November 29, 1865
General characteristics
Displacement633 long tons (643 t)
Length202 ft (62 m)
Beam72 ft (22 m)
Draft9 ft (2.7 m)
Propulsion
Speed5.5 knots
Complement176 officers and enlisted
Armament(see section below)
Armor
  • 2.5-inch (64 mm) forward casemate backed by 2.5-foot (76 cm) of wood
  • .625-inch (15.9 mm) lateral casemate backed by 2-foot (61 cm) of wood
  • 2.5-inch (64 mm) pilothouse

USS Benton was an ironclad river gunboat in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for American senator Thomas Hart Benton. Benton was a former center-wheel catamaran snagboat and was converted by James B. Eads, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1861 and commissioned February 24, 1862 as part of the Army's Western Gunboat Flotilla.

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