Editing CSS Palmetto State (section)

==Background and description==
[[File:Confederate ironclads Chicora and Palmetto State in Charleston harbor.png|thumb|Confederate ironclads ''Chicora'' and ''Palmetto State'' in Charleston Harbor]]
The ship was built to a design by the Chief Naval Constructor, [[John L. Porter]], based on his earlier work on the ironclad {{ship|CSS|Virginia}}, retaining the traditional curving ship-type [[hull (watercraft)|hull]], but with flat ends to the [[casemate#Naval|casemate]]. As usual for Confederate ships, dimensions vary slightly between sources. The plan showed an [[long overall|overall length]] of {{convert|174|ft|m|1}} and a [[length between perpendiculars]] of {{convert|150|ft|m|1}} with a maximum [[beam (ship)|beam]] of {{convert|43|ft|1}}, a moulded beam of {{convert|32|ft|m|1}} and a [[depth of hold]] of {{cvt|12|ft|m|1}}.<ref>Canney, pp. 34, 40–42</ref> The ship's [[draft (hull)|draft]] was 12 feet,<ref name="DANFS">Palmetto State</ref><ref name=s2>Silverstone 2006, p. 152</ref> although Canney says that ''Palmetto State'' drew {{convert|14|ft|m|1}} of water. She was fitted with a hatch for the [[Maritime pilot|pilot]] above the [[steering wheel]] for ease in issuing orders to the [[helmsman]] and [[engine room]] [[abaft]] the [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] even though it blocked the pilot's forward vision.<ref name=c9>Canney, p. 42</ref>

The propulsion systems of the ''Richmond''-class ironclads were different for each of the ships, often depending on what could be sourced locally. ''Palmetto State''{{'}}s pair of single-cylinder, [[marine steam engine#Direct acting|direct-acting steam engines]] were taken from the gunboat {{ship|CSS|Lady Davis}} serving in Charleston. They used steam provided by a pair of horizontal [[fire-tube boiler]]s built by the locally based Cameron & Company to drive a {{convert|8|or|10|ft|adj=on|m|1}} propeller. The boilers were probably {{convert|11|ft|m|1}} tall, {{convert|10|ft|m|1}} long, and {{convert|6|ft|9|in|m|1}} wide. The ironclad had a speed of {{convert|6|-|7|kn|lk=in}}<ref>Bisbee, pp. 98–99, 189–190</ref><ref name=h7/> and a crew of 120.<ref name=c9/>

''Palmetto State'' was initially armed with one {{convert|7|in|0|adj=on}} [[Brooke rifle]] on a [[pivot gun|pivot mount]] at the [[bow (ship)|bow]], a {{convert|6.4|in|0|adj=on}} Brooke rifle on a pivot mount in the stern, with two {{convert|8|in|cm|adj=on|1}} [[Muzzleloader|muzzle-loading]] [[smoothbore]] guns on the [[broadside (naval)|broadside]].<ref name=c9/> The ship was later equipped with a [[spar torpedo]] on her bow in 1863.<ref name=h7>Holcombe, p. 17</ref> The [[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]] merely states that her armament consisted of two rifled guns and two smoothbore {{convert|9|in|adj=on|0}} guns.<ref name=DANFS/> Naval historian Raimondo Luraghi states that the ship was armed with two Brooke rifles and two smoothbores,<ref name=l8>Luraghi, p. 209</ref> Naval historian Donald Canney says that a January 1865 report shows the ship equipped with ten 7-inch Brooke rifles, four on each broadside and one each in the bow and stern. He does not believe that it is accurate because the addition of so many additional guns would require rebuilding the casemate and would strain the ship's hull with so much extra weight.<ref name=c9/>

Her casemate armor was {{convert|4|in|0}} thick, backed by {{convert|22|in|0}} of wood, while {{convert|2|in|0}} of iron armor was used everywhere else.