The Benton was converted from a double hulled snag boat by Eads,(A snag boat was used to remove trees, stumps and other "snags" from the river channels. Hitting a snag could rip the bottom out of the river steamships) and was commissioned February 1861. She was the most powerful of the early river ironclads, and took part in most of the actions on the Mississippi river system including; Island No. 10, Ft Pillow, Battle of Memphis, Battle with the CSS Arkansas, Yazoo River expeditions, Vicksburg, Grand Gulf and the Red River expedition.

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