USS De Soto-- Part 5: Service On Mississippi River and Off Texas

In early July 1862, the USS De Soto made a run up the Mississippi River carrying letters and passengers to the Union ships participating in the Siege of Vicksburg.  Then, it was back to  the Gulf and patrolling off Texas between Sabine Pass, the Brazos River and Brazos Santiago at the mouth of the Rio Grande River.

In early October, it returned to New Orleans for temporary repairs to its boilers.  But a backlog of work and lack of funds there caused Farragut to have to send the De Soto to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for extensive repairs.  The ship arrived there 18 November and the repairs lasted two months.

During this time William M. Walker was promoted from commander to captain.  The De Soto's battery was altered and now mounted one 11-inch Dahlgren, one 30-pdr. Parrot rifle, six 32-pdrs and two 12-pdr. smoothbores.

It left Philadelphia 3 February 1863 and stopped at Havana and Santo Domingo before arriving in key West 15 February.

--Old B-Runner