prevent Confederate capture. When the flames reached her magazines, she blew up and sank. Three of Mississippi's men, Seaman Andrew Brinn, Boatswain's Mate Peter Howard, and U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Pinkerton R. Vaughn, were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions during the abandonment. She lost 64 men, with the accompanying ships saving 223 of her crew. See also List of steam frigates of the United States Navy Bibliography of early American naval history References External links Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia The Philadelphia origins of U.S.S. Mississippi Journal of the U.S.S. Columbia and U.S.S. Mississippi, 1843-1846 MS 272 held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy Mexican–American War ships of the United States Ships of the Union Navy Ships built in Philadelphia Steamships of the United States Navy American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Gunboats of the United States Navy 1842 ships Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Shipwrecks of the Mississippi River Ship fires Naval magazine explosions Maritime incidents in August 1851 Maritime incidents in March 1863