CSS Arkansas - history

Clive Cussler writes about the CSS Arkansas in his first Sea Hunters book, written with Craig Dirgo.

First - the history

July, 1862
The Confederate ironclad Arkansas heads down the Yazoo River, "prined and ready for battle."

Its Captain is Isaac Brown, who has served 27 years in the US Navy before resigning to take up the cause of the Confedracy. The chief engineer is George City.

The main problem with the Arkansas, and indeed, most Confederate ships, were that the engines were never very reliable. One or the other of the two engines stops, causing the craft to steam in circles.

The Arkansas steams down the Yazoo. First it meets a small fleet, consisting of the USS Carondelet, the ram Queen of the West, and a gunboat, the Tyler.

Crippling the Carondelet, the Arkansas continues on, running straight into the 37 warships of the Union Mississippi River Squadron.

The Arkansas passes through the ships, and the smoke from so many guns covers the water like a fog. The Union ceases firing, to let the smoke clear.

Badly damaged, the ironclad manages to steam past this fleet as well. It comes under the protection of the gun batteries above Vicksburg.

Nevertheless, below Vicksburg, Union batteries begin firing on the ship the next day. The Arkansas steams into the fray, does some damage, but is damaged in turn, with more men injured and killed.

After a few days, repairs made, the Arkansas sets out once more to attack the Union fleet, steaming down 300-miles to Baton Rouge. The captain is not on board, resting from his wounds. Lt. Stevens is in charge.

Although the ship reaches Baton Route, one of the engines quits. She is grounded and scuttled by her crew.

From launch to death, she lasted 23 days.