The James Eads design for a riverine ironclad was called the City Class
because they were all named after Federal river cities. Displacing 888 tons,
mounting thirteen guns, and armored with 2 ½-inches of armor on the casemate
and 1 ½-inches on the pilot house, these gunboats were distinguished by their
very long casemate ending in an armored turtle back hump, which protected the
centerline paddle wheel. The casemates were much wider than the common
Confederate casemate design. The seven Eads ironclads became the heart and soul
of the Union naval effort on the rivers of the western Confederacy. No blue
water Union warship ever experienced even a quarter of the action into which
these ironclads became involved. Eads set up two yards to produce his design.
Hambleton, Collier & Company of