Fairview Satellite: Into the Breach: The Union Timberclads on the Mississippi River in 1861 During the Civil War
At the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, The Union Navy had no warships on the Mississippi River. The War Department bought three civilian paddlewheelers and converted them into gunboats. These boats were sheathed in 5 inches of oak and provided with heavy cannons; they were called "The Timberclads." Brian Graff, retired geographer/cartographer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will cover the decision to create the timberclads and the trials and tribulations of their first few months in service when they were the only Union naval presence on the Mississippi River.
Location: Lincoln Community Center Library – 1255 Manchester Road, Erie, PA 16505
Date/Time: Monday, July 14, 6-7:30PM
Admission: FREE
*If you do NOT receive a letter from gerlock@jeserie.org within 24-48 hours regarding your registration, please check your spam or junk folder. Thank you!
Brian Graff is a retired federal employee who moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, from Washington, D.C. in 2016. As a geographer for the government, he had a varied career with service at the Defense Mapping Agency, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Graff earned an M.A. in Geography at the University of Illinois in 1983 and an M.S. in Strategic Science from the Joint Military Intelligence College in 2006. His Master’s thesis earned the 2005-2006 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award for Excellence in Archival Research. Since coming to Erie, Mr. Graff has volunteered at various organizations, such as the Hagen History Center (Erie County Historical Society), the Erie Cemetery, and Hooked on Books. He has had a lifetime interest in the Civil War, and is a frequent speaker at the Erie County Civil War Roundtable and the Crawford County Civil War Roundtable.
