Terry

I have recieved an interesting article from a friend out of the Arkansas True Democrat Newspaper in Little Rock Ar June 3, 1862.

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Affairs Become Brighter in Arkansas.—Major Gen. Hindman arrived in this city on last Saturday, and at once assumed command of all the forces of the State. His orders will be found in today's issue, and should be read by every citizen. Affairs begin to wear a cheerful aspect. Troops continue to arrive, both Texans and Arkansians. Texas and Arkansas alone will have to meet Gen. Curtis, and they are more than equal to the task. In a very few days we shall have a very formidable army, well provisioned, armed, and equipped. Several thousand troops have already crossed the river at this point, several thousand are now encamped around the city, and more are on the way. Col. Nelson's Texas infantry regiment arrived yesterday, and are encamped upon the southern road. Nearly enough Arkansas companies have come in to make a new regiment, and enough are en route to form several regiments more.

Gun-boats are upon the White and Arkansas rivers in sufficient force to prevent reinforcements to Curtis, in the event of the fall of Memphis and the opening of the Mississippi river to the enemy. The gun-boat Pontchartrain, Capt. Dunnington, now lies anchored off this city, with a very formidable armament aboard.

We can hear nothing of the federals on the White and Red rivers. They are supposed to be in force on the other side of Little Red. They are believed to be about 11 or 12 thousand strong—a force from which we have nothing to fear. They seem to be making no preparations for an advance, and the Texas boys are becoming very impatient.

Gen. Hindman, we feel assured, will be able in a very short time to expel them from the State. Let our people aid and sustain him all in their power.
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True Democrat, Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, June 3, 1862.

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According to this article the CSS PONCHARTRAIN was at Little Rock on June 3rd. And while Gunboats have engines and are able to move from one place to the other. I believe that it is becoming more and more evident that the CSS PONCHARTRAIN was never on the White River in Arkansas.

This puts the time frame of possibility to only about 2 weeks at best. And since there was no deep water channel, which connected the White River and the Arkansas River with each other in June of 1862, for the PONCHARTRAIN to have used to get from the Arkansas River to the White River and returned during that short period of time, without having to use the Mississippi River, which was by that time heavily patroled by Union Gunboats, I believe makes the likelyhood of the PONCHARTRAIN being on the White River, especially during mid June 1862, and the Battle of St. Charles, very slim.