CSS ''Stonewall Jackson'' was a cottonclad sidewheel

ram Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to: * A male sheep * Random-access memory, computer memory * Ram Trucks, US, since 2009 ** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans ** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...

of the

Confederate Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, 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 Amer ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. ''Stonewall Jackson'' was selected in January 1862, by Capt. James E. Montgomery to be part of his

River Defense Fleet The River Defense Fleet was a set of fourteen vessels in Confederate service, intended to assist in the defense of New Orleans in the early days of the American Civil War. All were merchant ships or towboats that were seized by order of the War D ...

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. On 25 January Montgomery began to convert her into a cottonclad ram by placing a oak sheath with iron covering on her bow, and by installing double pine bulkheads fitted with compressed cotton bales. USS Varuna rammed by CSS Stonewall Jackson

USS Varuna rammed by CSS Stonewall Jackson

Service history

''Stonewall Jackson''s conversion was completed on 16 March 1862. Under Capt. G. M. Phillips she was detached from Montgomery's main force and sent to Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the lower Mississippi to cooperate in the Confederate defense of New Orleans. There, with five other vessels of Montgomery's fleet, all under Capt. J. A. Stevenson, she joined the force under Capt. J. K. Mitchell, CSN, commanding Confederate naval forces in the lower Mississippi. On 24 April 1862 a Union fleet under

Flag Officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first Rear admiral (United States), rear admiral, Vice admiral (United State ...

, USN, ran past Forts Jackson and St. Philip on its way to capture New Orleans. In the engagement ''Stonewall Jackson'' rammed , which had already been struck by . With ''Varuna''s shot glancing off her bow, ''Stonewall Jackson'' backed off for another blow and struck again in the same place, crushing ''Varuna''s side. The shock of the blow turned the Confederate vessel, and she received five 8-inch shells from ''Varuna'', abaft her armor. ''Varuna'' ran aground in a sinking condition, and ''Stonewall Jackson'', chased by coming to ''Varuna''s rescue, was driven ashore and burned.

References

External links

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the Most Part ..., Volume 2 1887 .p.54 drawing of the "Stonewall Jackson"

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stonewall Jackson Cottonclad rams of the Confederate States Navy Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Maritime incidents in April 1862

Service history

See also

References

External links