The CSS ''General Polk'' (known casually as the ''Polk'') was a vessel of the
Confederate navy
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
. Originally a side-wheel river steamer built in 1852 named either ''Ed Howard'' or merely ''Howard'', she was purchased for $8,000 by the Confederacy in 1861 and outfitted for service as a
timberclad
A timberclad warship is a kind of mid 19th century river gunboat.
They were based upon a similar design as ironclad warships but had timber in place of iron to act as ablative armour.
See also
*Cottonclad warship
*Battle of Fort Henry
The ...
river gunboat. Under the command of Flag Officer George N. Hollins, she fought at the
Battle of Lucas Bend
The Battle of Lucas Bend took place on January 11, 1862 near Lucas Bend, four miles north of Columbus on Mississippi River in Kentucky as it lay at the time of the American Civil War. In the network of the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio rivers, ...
as well as the at the
Battle of Kentucky Bend
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and fo ...
shortly after. She also served in defence of
Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus is a home rule-class city in Hickman County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 170 at the 2010 census, a decline from 229 in 2000. The city lies at the western end of the state, less than a mile from the Mississippi ...
and the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...
. Being given to Lieutenant
Jonathan H. Carter
Jonathan may refer to:
* Jonathan (name), a masculine given name
Media
* ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer
* ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski
* ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...
thereafter, she served at
New Madrid, Missouri
New Madrid ( es, Nueva Madrid) is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,787 at the 2020 census. New Madrid is the county seat of New Madrid County. The city is located 42 miles (68 km) southwest of Cair ...
Yazoo City
Yazoo City is a U.S. city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mo ...