C.S. Army Gunboat ''Bayou City'' (1861–1865) was a 165-foot side-wheel

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

built for commercial use at

Jeffersonville, Indiana Jeffersonville is a city and the county seat of Clark County, Indiana, Clark County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It lies directly across the Ohio Riv ...

, in 1859. Serving as a

mail boat Mail boats or postal boats are a boat or ship used for the delivery of mail, and sometimes transportation of goods, people and vehicles, in communities where bodies of water commonly separate settlements, towns or cities, often where bridges ar ...

between Galveston and Houston, Texas, the ship was chartered on 26 September 1861 by Comdr. W. Hunter, CSN, commanding the

Texas Marine Department The Texas Marine Department (1861–1865) (alt ''Marine Department of Military District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona'', ''Trans-Mississippi Marine Department'') was formed in the State of Texas shortly after Texas came under blockade from t ...

, from the Houston Navigation Co.

Military use

The ''Bayou City'' was clad with pressed cotton for protection, armed with artillery and operated by the

State of Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

as a

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

in the

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

area. Just over a year after its charter, in October 1862, she was taken over by the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

The Battle of Galveston

On 1 January 1863, in what would come to be known as the

Battle of Galveston The Battle of Galveston was a naval and land battle of the American Civil War, when Confederate forces under Major Gen. John B. Magruder expelled occupying Union troops from the city of Galveston, Texas on January 1, 1863. After the loss of ...

, the improvised cotton-clad ''Bayou City'', captained by Henry S. Lubbock the brother of Texas governor

Francis Lubbock Francis Richard Lubbock (October 16, 1815June 22, 1905) was a businessman, slaveholder, and politician from the American South who played a significant role in History of Texas, Texas history. A South Carolina native, he was a key player in Texa ...

, served as the flagship of a small fleet under the command of Major Leon Smith which also consisted of the

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

and two smaller tenders, who succeeded in an operation to drive superior Union

warships A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as ...

out of

Galveston Bay Galveston Bay ( ) is a bay in the western Gulf of Mexico along the upper coast of Texas. It is the seventh-largest estuary in the United States, and the largest of seven major estuaries along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is connected to the Gulf of ...

. After a brief contest at sea, the sank the ''Neptune'', and one-half of the two-vessel Confederate fleet was lying on the bottom of the harbor. As the lone surviving Rebel steamer, the ''Bayou City'' was outnumbered six-to-one among the armed vessels in the harbor. However, the ''Bayou City'' circled around and made a second run on the USS ''Harriet Lane''. This time, the Confederates hit their target. In short order, the crew of the ''Bayou City'' succeeded in storming and overpowering the crew of the ''Lane''. The men from the ''Bayou City'' boarded and seized the federal vessel despite the explosion of their own heavy cannon. Ultimately, the attack was a success, with the ''Harriet Lane'' captured and another Union vessel, the destroyed.Day, James M. (1965) "Leon Smith: Confederate Mariner," East Texas Historical Journal: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 7.
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Continued service

Following the Battle of Galveston, ''Bayou City'' served the Confederacy in Texas waters until the conclusion of 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 ...

Fate of the Steamer

An advertisement for an Auction Sale in ''Flake's Daily Galveston Bulletin'' (Galveston, Galveston Co., TX), Sun., 24 Jun 1866, p. 5, c. 5 - "Sale of Government Property - Will be sold on Tuesday, the 12th July, at 10 o'clock a.m. at the corner of Strand and Tremont streets, in the city of Galveston, the following property: Stm'r Bayou City, near Lagrange, Neches river. The engines, machinery of these boats are said to be good and can be recovered at little cost. Terms, Cash in U.S. Treasury Notes. By order of Geo. W. Dent, Supervising Agent, Treas. Dept., Alex'r N. Shipley, Government Auctioneer."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayou City Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy Maritime incidents in 1863 1859 ships Cottonclad warships