CSS General Earl Van Dorn

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Engagement at Fort Pillow, Mississippi River, Between Federal and Confederate gun-boats, CSS General Earl Van Dorn is included.
History
Confederate States
NameGeneral Earl Van Dorn
NamesakeEarl Van Dorn
OperatorConfederate States Navy
Acquired1862
FateBurned to avoid capture, 26 June 1862
General characteristics
TypeSide-wheel River Steamer
Armament2 cannons placed in the bow and in the stern.
Service record
Part of: River Defense Fleet
Operations:

The CSS General Earl Van Dorn, a side-wheel river steamer, was fitted out in early 1862 at New Orleans, Louisiana as a River Defense Fleet "cottonclad" ram. It was named for Confederate general Earl Van Dorn, born and raised in Mississippi.

In late March, the ship steamed up the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee, where outfitting was completed. In the naval action off Fort Pillow on May 10, the Van Dorn attacked a Union mortar boat with gunfire and rammed the ironclad USS Mound City.

On June 1, the steamer was used to help cover the Confederate evacuation of Fort Pillow. It retreated to Memphis, where, on June 6 it was the only survivor of the River Defense Fleet's final battle. After escaping to Yazoo City, Mississippi, General Earl Van Dorn was burned by its Confederate crew on June 26, 1862, to avoid capture by Federal warships.

Service history[edit]

In 1862, the Confederate States of America purchased 14 civilian vessels for conversion into military ships. These constituted the River Defense Fleet, which was commanded by Captain James E. Montgomery.[1] The purchases occurred at New Orleans, Louisiana. The fleet was operated by the Confederate States Army. To emphasize that this force was distinct from the Confederate States Navy, many of the vessels were named after army officers.[2] Some Confederate naval officers believed that the purchase and conversion of these vessels was a waste of resources that should have been focused on ironclads or other existing vessels.[3] Some sources state that the vessel that became General Earl Van Dorn was previously known as Junius Beebe, while other sources state that Junius Beebe instead became CSS General Sumter. General Earl Van Dorn was a sidewheel steamer.[4] She was 182 feet (55 m) long, and had similar dimensions to General Sumter, with a beam of 28 feet 3 inches (8.61 m), and a 10-foot-7-inch (3.23 m) depth of hold.[5] She was named after Earl Van Dorn, the Confederate commander at the Battle of Pea Ridge.[6]

The conversion into warships for the River Defense Fleet vessels adding 1 inch (2.5 cm) of iron plating backed by 4 inches (10 cm) of oak planking, on a framework of one-foot-square timbers. The engines and boilers were protected by an inner bulkhead of one-foot-square timbers, with an outer bulkhead of six-by-twelve timbers. In between the bulkheads was cotton.[7] These ships were known as cottonclads.[8] The vessels were intended to be used as rams,[9] General Earl Van Dorn was placed under the command of Captain Isaac Fulkerson,[10] and left New Orleans for Memphis, Tennessee, on March 25.[6] Competing strategic goals had led to the split of the River Defense Fleet, with some of it remaining at New Orleans for the protection of that city, while others were sent up the Mississippi River to the Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri area.[11] General Earl Van Dorn reached Memphis on April 3.[12] A week later, her cottonclad conversion was completed by the finishing of the ironwork.[6] She was sent to Fort Pillow along with CSS General Sterling Price and CSS General Bragg.[12] General Earl Van Dorn was armed with a single 32-pounder cannon, which was placed on her bow.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

The Fort Pillow naval battle, CSS General Earl Van Dorn stands alongside CSS General Sterling Price.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

  1. ^ Christ, Mark K. (December 19, 2022). "CSS General M. Jeff Thompson". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  2. ^ Chatelain 2020, pp. 79–80.
  3. ^ Chatelain 2020, p. 85.
  4. ^ Silverstone 2006, p. 168.
  5. ^ Canney 2015, pp. 164–165.
  6. ^ a b c Christ, Mark K. (May 25, 2022). "CSS General Earl Van Dorn". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  7. ^ Canney 2015, p. 161.
  8. ^ Calore 2002, p. 141.
  9. ^ Canney 2015, p. 160.
  10. ^ Chatelain 2020, p. 83.
  11. ^ Chatelain 2020, pp. 85–87.
  12. ^ a b Chatelain 2020, p. 88.
  13. ^ Canney 2015, p. 165.

Sources[edit]

  • Calore, Paul (2002). Naval Campaigns of the Civil War. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-1217-4.
  • Canney, Donald L. (2015). The Confederate Steam Navy 1861–1865. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer. ISBN 978-0-7643-4824-2.
  • Chatelain, Neil P. (2020). Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi River Valley, 1861–1865. El Dorado Hills, California: Savas Beatie. ISBN 978-1-61121-510-6.
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (2006). Civil War Navies, 1855–1883. New York, New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-97870-5.


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