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.
Engagement at Fort Pillow, Mississippi River, Between Federal and Confederate gun-boats, CSS General Earl Van Dorn is included.
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.
general, earl, dorn, side, wheel, river, steamer, fitted, early, 1862, orleans, louisiana, river, defense, fleet, cottonclad, named, confederate, general, earl, dorn, born, raised, mississippi, engagement, fort, pillow, mississippi, river, between, federal, co. 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 Engagement at Fort Pillow Mississippi River Between Federal and Confederate gun boats CSS General Earl Van Dorn is included HistoryConfederate StatesNameGeneral Earl Van DornNamesakeEarl Van DornOperatorConfederate States NavyAcquired1862FateBurned to avoid capture 26 June 1862General characteristicsTypeSide wheel River SteamerArmament2 cannons placed in the bow and in the stern Service recordPart of River Defense FleetOperations Battle of Plum Point Bend Battle of MemphisIn 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 See also editBibliography of early American naval history Seth Ledyard Phelps Battle of Memphis section References edit nbsp The Fort Pillow naval battle CSS General Earl Van Dorn stands alongside CSS General Sterling Price This article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships nbsp nbsp This article about the American Civil War is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title CSS General Earl Van Dorn amp oldid 1096878381, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
