"De Soto" was powered by a bore, stroke single-cylinder vertical beam engine, built by the Morgan Iron Works of New York.The engine, which drove a pair of 30-foot sidewheels, was capable of delivering up to 14 mph (12 knots)—a good speed for the time, which would soon make "De Soto" a favorite with the travelling public and which would later prove invaluable for pursuing blockade runners during the Civil War.