It was five weeks from the time Shirley and McBlair took the Arkansas to Yazoo City and the time the Tennessee was burned. Taking the giant leap of faith that someone might have planned out what to do and had the will to do it (Primus Emerson, who stayed behind to work on the hulll of the Tennessee for example or as you suggest, one of Montgomery's boats), I do not see it impossible to have towed her out--if in fact she got finished. On the other hand, someone had to seize the moment. John Guthrie (future Albemarle CO) was still with McBride and could have been detailed to go back, though my guess is that whatever little progress was being made with the Arkansas up the Yazoo was his responsibility and not McBride's. My guess is she simply wasn't quite ready to launch, though she may have been close.

Did you see my reply on the engines? Do you still think they were high pressure? Best. Jack