USS Lexington on the Red River

Based on the Duke University photograph showing a part of the Mississippi Squadron on the Red River, it is possible to determine that two other photographs from different sources show the Lexington on the Red.

Photograph #1 is an enlargement from the Duke University “Squadron” photograph. Note the two City Class ironclads in the left background. The dim shape in the right background is the Chillicothe with its stern facing the camera. (Click on this link from the Louisiana Digital Libraries titled “Red River above dam” to see a closer view of the Chillicothe. From left to right: USS Ozark, a tug, USS Chillicothe and USS Fort Hindman.)

Photograph #2 is from the US Navy Historical Center. The caption identifies this as the Tyler. If we look at the previous photographs compared to this one, it appears to be the same ship on the same river with the same city class ironclads in the background. This is in fact Lexington on the Red River. Notice that the wooden shield for the upper deck doesn’t have any gun ports.

Photograph #3 is also from Duke University Special Collections Library. Duke refers to this photograph as the Tyler however it appears to be a photograph of the same ship from the previous two photographs. (Louisiana Digital Libraries Marshall Dunham Photograph Album has this exact same photograph and on the reverse side of the CDV the word “Lexington” is written. http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/LSU_MDP,552 http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/LSU_MDP,551)

Based on the fact that the Tyler was not part of the Red River Expedition and the “Squadron” photograph shows Porter’s fleet on the Red above Alexandria in 1864, it is safe to assume that all three of these photographs are of the Lexington on the Red River.