Editing CSS Richmond (section)

==Background and description==
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 about {{cvt|11|ft|m|1}}.<ref>Canney, pp. 34, 40–41</ref> The consensus figure for the ship's [[draft (hull)|draft]] is {{convert|12|to|13|ft|m|1}}<ref name="DANFS">Marcello</ref><ref>Bisbee, p. 87; Holcombe, p. 16</ref><ref name=s2>Silverstone 2006, p. 152</ref> She was fitted with a [[pilothouse]] at the forward end of the casemate roof.<ref name=c9>Canney, p. 39</ref>

The propulsion systems of the ''Richmond''-class ironclads were different for each of the ships, often depending on what could be sourced locally. ''Richmond''{{'}}s single-cylinder, 80-[[horsepower]] [[marine steam engine#Direct acting|direct-acting steam engine]] had been stored in the [[Gosport Navy Yard]] when the [[brig]] {{USS|Arctic|1855|2}} was converted to a [[Lightvessel|lightship]] in 1859. Seized when the Confederates captured the Navy Yard, the engine used steam provided by a pair of horizontal [[fire-tube boiler]]s built by either the [[Tredegar Iron Works]] or the Shockoe Foundry in Richmond to drive a three-bladed, {{convert|9|ft|adj=on|m|1}} propeller. The boilers were {{convert|11|ft|m|1}} tall, {{convert|10|ft|m|1}} long, and {{convert|6|ft|9|in|m|1}} wide.<ref>Canney, p. 41, Bisbee, p. 189</ref>{{refn|Luraghi states that the ironclad's machinery was built by Tredegar.<ref>Luraghi, p. 48, footnote 147</ref>|group=Note}} ''Richmond'' had a speed of {{convert|6|kn|lk=in}} and a crew of 150.<ref name="DANFS" /> She also carried about 20 to 25 [[Confederate States Marines]] in case of a battle that required [[naval boarding]].<ref>Coski, p. 113</ref>

''Richmond'' was armed with four {{convert|7|in|0|adj=on}} [[Brooke rifle]]s, one of which was two banded (reinforced at the [[breech (firearms)|breech]]) and the others were single-banded guns.<ref>Coski, p. 80</ref> Two of the guns were on [[pivot gun|pivot mounts]] at the [[bow (ship)|bow]] and [[stern]] and the others were positioned on each [[broadside (naval)|broadside]].<ref name=c1>Canney, p. 41</ref> The ship was also equipped with a [[spar torpedo]] at her bow.<ref name=DANFS/><ref name=h7>Holcombe, p. 17</ref> Other sources concur with the total of four guns, but state that they consisted of one 7-inch Brooke rifle in the bow, two {{convert|6.4|in|0|adj=on}} Brooke rifles on the broadsides, and a {{convert|10|in|cm|adj=on|1}} [[Muzzleloader|muzzle-loading]] [[smoothbore]] gun on a pivot mounting in the stern.<ref name=s2/><ref name=h7/> Naval historian Raimondo Luraghi states that the ship was armed with four 7-inch Brooke rifles and two smoothbores,<ref name=l8>Luraghi, p. 208</ref> while official historian Paul Marcello simply notes that the ship was equipped with four rifled guns and two smoothbore shell guns.<ref name=DANFS/>

Sources agree that ''Richmond''{{'}}s {{convert|100|ft|m|adj=mid|-long|1}} casemate was protected by {{convert|4|in|0}} of [[wrought-iron]] armor in two layers of plates. The casemate structure consisted of {{convert|21|in}},<ref name=h7/> {{convert|22|in}}<ref name=s2/><ref name=l8/> or {{convert|23|in}} of oak and [[yellow pine]]. The roof of the casemate was covered by {{convert|1|in|adj=on}} iron plates, backed by {{convert|15|in}} of wood.<ref name=c1/> One layer of two-inch plates protected the fore and aft [[main deck]]s and extended below the [[waterline]] for several feet.<ref name=h7/> A 10-inch iron casting supposedly defended the pilothouse.<ref name=c9/>