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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Lafayette |
| Laid down | 1848 |
| Acquired | by purchase, 18 May 1862 |
| Commissioned | 27 February 1863 |
| Decommissioned | 23 July 1865 |
| Fate | Sold, 28 March 1866 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ironclad ram |
| Displacement | 1,193 long tons (1,212 t) |
| Length | 280 ft (85 m) |
| Beam | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Draft | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam engine |
| Speed | 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) |
| Armament |
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The first USS Lafayette was a side wheel steamer, converted to an ironclad ram, in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
Lafayette was built at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1848 as Aleck Scott (often spelled Alick Scott). She was purchased by the War Department as Fort Henry on 18 May 1862 for use in the western flotilla. She was converted to an ironclad ram at St. Louis by Edward Hartt. Renamed Lafayette on 8 September 1862, she was transferred to the Navy with the entire western flotilla by executive order on 1 October 1862. She was commissioned at Cairo, Illinois, 27 February 1863, with Captain Henry A. Walke in command.