The USS Cairo may be one of the most important battleships in the entire history of the United States and even the world. The very first warship built in the US that was ironclad, it was the original City Class gunboat and was named for the city of Cairo, Illinois. The USS Cairo was essential in the capture of the Confederate garrison at Fort Pillow, which was a major Union victory in the Civil War. Today, the ship stands as the centrepiece of a museum that commemorates that battle and the war in general.