CSS Arkansas: Cussler's search

Cussler recounts his search for the Arkansas in his book, The Sea Hunters (1996).

In November 1981, Cussler set out to look for the CSS Arkansas.

Cussler says that he ran an ad in the Wall Street Journal: "Men wanted to fund search for historic shipwrecks. Some danger. Much frustration. Long, tedious hours at sea. Failure often possible. Return on investment unlikely. Great personal satisfaction when successful.

According to Cussler, he receieved only two replies - just curiosity seekers, - and no offers of funding.

How disappointing! I would have thought people would have jumped at the chance. I would have jumped at the chance. But perhaps they recognized the name and just thought it was a stunt for his book...

Cussler, Colonel Walt Schob, and a piece of equipment called the Schonstedt gradiometer, "hunted up and down the Nississippi River and discovered the Confederat ironclads Manassas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

"The best piece of advice I can give anyone who is looking for a historic site in a small town is to head directly to the sheriff or police chief's office. Explain what you are hoping to accomplish and ask for his help and blessing. By being straightforward and honest, I have yet to encounter problems, and have always received a warm welcome and friendly cooperation. Too often, strangers poking around a small town's river or fields are treated with undisguised suspicion by the local residents, but if you tell them the sheriff is behind your project, you're always greeted like an old friend."

In this case, Sheriff Bergeron loaned Cussler his search boat.

"We began our search above Free Negro Point at Mulatto Bend Landing, four miles north of Baton Rouge. This was recordec as the site where Arkansas was run aground by her crew before she was put to the torch. The only question was, how far did she drift around and below the bend before she actually sunk?"

Cussler read a book, A Confederate Girl's Diary, by Sarah Morgan Dawson, which mentioned the Arkansas.

"Her account put the ironclad precisely on the west bank at the river's bend when the crew set it on fire."

Dismmising other reports that seemed unreliable for a variety of reasons, Cussler started his search for the Arkansas ... and found it.

(He recounts that he started at the furthest possible point he thought the ship could have sunk, and worked backesrdf from there.

"It's called 'not knowing where it is, but knowing where it ain't."

Cussler turned their findings over to the Louisiana State archeologists, who confirmed their findings.

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.