The Civil War Navies Message Board

Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!

As to Hindman dispatch with reference to the whereabouts of the Ponchartrain, I view it as a matter of Physics. The Ponchartrain's draft, which required 11 feet of water to float the Gun boat, could not have been in the White River which had fallen to a depth of only about 6 to 7 feet according to several reports of Union Gunboat commanders at the time of Hindman dispatch and excaped to be in Little Rock on June 21st, where Dunningtons report, and later on July 2nd that Shirk's reports, correctly placed it.

I will conceed that the Ponchartrain may have been in the White River as late as the 14th or 15th of June unloading her guns at Deval's Bluff and St, Charles. But even this I find unlikely, because if they had time enough to do that before the Union Fleet started to accend the White River they would have taken off the two 8-inch smooth bore guns from the Maurepas. However, they did not have time enough to do this and sank the CSS Maurepas as a blockade boat with both of those guns still on board her.

The other Gunboat referred to in Hindmans dispatch as the Ponchartrain confuses the issue, and does not stand the test of time. The other "Gunsboat" elluded to may have been the "CSS Tom Suggs" which is briefly mentioned in Hindman's copy book of telegraphs, Little Rock, June to October, 1862, found in the Peter W. Alexander Collection in Columbia Library, Columbia University, New York, New York. This collection contains many correspondance between Hindman and other notable person including Lieutenant Dunnington which were previously unknown before 1974.

The "CSS Tom Suggs" was appearently not much of a gunboat being armed with a single bow gun, make, caliber, and type unknown and appearently armoured with cottonbales. And appearently the "Tom Suggs" did not retain the status as "Gunboat" for very long, and was returned to transport status.

A third document in the Naval OR's also places the Ponchartrain at Little Rock at the time of Hindman dispatch. It is a newpaper Article from the Mobile Ala. Dispatch Newspaper, on page 204, July 2nd which was given by another officer of the Ponchartrain.

From all of this I do not know why Hindman would have made such statements when he surely was aware, OR Should have been aware that the Ponchartrain was sitting in the Arkansas River right outside his office window. He obviously was the general officer being in command of the district of Arkansas who order the Guns of the Ponchartrain to be dismounted and placed in fortifications at DeVal's Bluff and St. Charles.

I can only assume that diversion was the intention of Hindman making such a statement in his dispatches. Since I can not read Hindman's mind. And I think this is supported in the reports of the Union naval commanders in which they repeat this same misinformation for two weeks before they also realize in Shirk's report that the Ponchartrain is indeed in Little Rock and not in the White River.

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Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!
CSS Ponchartrain, I knew I would find it!
Re: Confederate Naval Post At Little Rock!