Written by: Jeff Rent Case Filed: 11/26/03 - Vicksburg, Mississippi Executive Producer: Rick Garner One of the highlights of any trip to the Vicksburg National Military Park is a chance to explore the legendary ironclad Cairo. Commissioned in 1862, the Cairo was a state-of-the-art warship. Cairo Museum Curator Elizabeth Joyner says, "She could float in as little as six feet of water." Sent south to help with the siege against Vicksburg by Union troops, the Cairo met a quick demise while on patrol in the Yazoo River.