| The military submarine USS LOUISIANA (SSBN | | | | |
| 743) is the 4th United States Naval vessel to | | | | The second ship named LOUISIANA, a side wheel |
| be named in honor of the 18th state admitted | | | | steamship, was commissioned in August of |
| to the union, and is the 18th and last of the | | | | 1861. It was originally posted to the Union's |
| Trident Submarines to be commissioned into | | | | North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and the |
| the United States Navy. | | | | LOUISIANA operated along the Coast of |
| | | | Virginia against Confederate blockades. The |
| The first ship named LOUISIANA, a sloop built | | | | steamship LOUISIANA was integral in the |
| in the shipyards of New Orleans in 1812, | | | | defense of Washington, D.C. in Dec. of 1862, |
| played a key role in the defense of the city | | | | where Maj. Gen. John J. Foster noted in his |
| of New Orleans during the War of 1812. From | | | | cruise journal that LOUISIANA "had rendered |
| Dec. 23, 1814 to Jan. 8, 1815, the sloop ship | | | | most efficient aid, throwing their shells |
| LOUISIANA pounded the advancing redcoats, | | | | with great precision, and clearing the |
| providing essential naval gunfire for General | | | | streets, through which her guns had range." |
| Jackson's troops. When the British troops | | | | The ship was later was involved in many |
| advanced far up river and beyond the range of | | | | engagements off the coast and in the rivers |
| the very effective cannon fire of the sloop | | | | of the State of North Carolina. The second |
| LOUISIANA, the ship's crew did not let the | | | | LOUISIANA was sacrificed to the sea on |
| reduction of wind slow down their support of | | | | Christmas Eve, 1864, when she was towed, |
| their fellow countrymen. Crew members went | | | | stripped of essentials, and packed with |
| ashore with long mooring lines and pulled | | | | explosives, to the base of Ft. Fisher in |
| their sloop up the river against the currents | | | | Wilmington, North Carolina, and detonated in |
| of the raging Mississippi to re-engage the | | | | an effort to completely destroy the fort |
| enemy. The LOUISIANA was credited with | | | | without much loss of life. The huge explosion |
| playing a key role in the victory over the | | | | had little effect, and it required Union |
| British and keeping the valuable seaport of | | | | forces many more weeks to capture this |
| New Orleans in American control. | | | | essential Confederate stronghold. |