Cottonclads were a classification of

steam-powered A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tra ...

warship 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 b ...

s where a wooden ship was protected from enemy fire by bales of

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

lining its sides. Cottonclads were prevalent 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 ...

, particularly in the

Confederate States 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 ...

for riverine and coastal service, such as in the battles of

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

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 ...

, and

Sabine Pass Sabine Pass is the natural outlet of Sabine Lake into the Gulf of Mexico. It borders Jefferson County, Texas, and Cameron Parish, Louisiana. History Civil War Two major battles occurred here during the American Civil War, known as the First an ...

. Confederate tactics generally had cottonclads, which were outgunned by Union warships, steam at full speed towards enemy vessels, relying on the cotton to absorb fire. Once they were within firing range, they would open fire, and, if possible, ram or board the enemy.

Conversion

Around 1863, Confederate Commander John B. Magruder realized that Texas did not possess the funding and resources, such as iron mills, to produce impressive and potent vessels such as the

ironclad An ironclad was a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by iron armour, steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or ince ...

CSS ''Virginia'', thus inspiring the development of a new type of warship, later classified as a cottonclad warship. Cottonclads were various kinds of steamboats transformed into warships in places such as Buffalo Bayou near Houston. In this process, the upper deck, called the Texas deck, was removed. As a result, many of these ships developed "the rakish look of an ironclad ram, if not the potency." Five-hundred-pound cotton bales were placed, on their sides, three bales high, with another row of bales lying flat behind the first row; these bales served as platforms for

sharpshooters A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with "marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" i ...

. The bales would be held with iron straps fastened to the bulwarks. To provide additional protection for the sharpshooters, heavy 14 x 14” timbers were fastened to the floor in the ship's hold; these extended through the boiler deck to form a breastwork. A typical sharpshooter force on a cottonclad would consist of about 100 men arranged behind their bales of cotton. A refurbished thirty-two-pound cannon was mounted on the bow. Gangplanks were then suspended from their upper decks; they could be dropped onto the decks of nearby ships for boarding by teams of soldiers called "horse marines" - they were usually cavalrymen whose horses had been left ashore. Once protected by layers of both wood and cotton, the ships needed some way to fight back; they needed weapons. However, finding any heavy guns to place on the new cottonclads proved to be a difficult task. A motley of guns had to be scavenged for and affixed to the steamers, as no standard

armament A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law e ...

could be found. However, a lack of ammunition often forced these guns to be used purely as morale boosters for the men onboard. The brunt of the offense had to be shifted over to the sharpshooters and

rams In engineering, reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS)bow, extending below the water level. The cottonclad would steam at full power towards an enemy ship, and the ram would collide with the ship’s hull, sinking or at least severely impairing the boat. The cotton bales would be compressed into the space between the double pine bulwarks. Some of the vessels that were converted into cottonclads included the former mail packet ''

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

'', and others such as ''John F. Carr'', ''Lucy Gwinn'', ''Josiah Bell'', ''Uncle Ben'', ''

Bayou City There are many nicknames for the city of Houston, the largest city in Texas and fourth-largest city in the United States. The city's nicknames reflect its geography, economy, multicultural population, and popular culture, including sports and mus ...

'', '' Governor Moore'', ''

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...

'', '' General Sterling Price'', ''

Little Rebel Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

'', '' General Bragg'', and the ''Beauregard''. Although retrofitting these ships into cottonclads took time, at the end of the work, what were once dainty river steamers were now turned into what one observer deemed as "savage looking gunboats."

Cottonclads in battle

The cottonclads were now ready to deploy at Galveston after being converted into these makeshift battleships. Their mission was to retake the city from the Union forces, which now possessed several warships, including the USS ''Harriet Lane'', USS ''Owasco'', USS ''Corypheus'', and USS ''Sachem'', all anchored in Galveston Harbor. Cottonclads fought larger, better-armed/armored Federal gunships by steaming directly at them, subsequently using their various offensive measures to take down the ship. The Federal ship would engage the cottonclad as soon as it was spotted, but the dense cotton bales absorbed most of the fire. Meanwhile, the cottonclad’s smaller caliber cannon would begin firing at the Federal ship as soon as it was within the cannon’s range, which was fairly limited. At an even closer range, sharpshooters behind the bales would produce a steady stream of fire at any enemies on the deck. Often, the sharpshooters' fire was so effective that the Federal crewmen, especially gun crews, ran for cover below the deck. Once the more maneuverable cottonclad rammed or entangled the Federal warship, the ropes suspending the cottonclad's gangplanks above the enemy deck would be cut. The gangplanks would fall onto the enemy deck, and the awaiting "horse marines" would board the Federal ship, proceeding to kill or capture its crew. If possible, the captured ship would be towed back into shallow waters, where the cottonclad’s crew would scavenge its cannons, weapons, and other provisions. If the captured ship could not be towed to safety, its prisoners were transferred to the cottonclad and the captured ship was burned to prevent it from being recaptured by the Federals. Two cottonclads, CS ''Bayou City'' and CS ''Neptune'', played key roles in the Confederate strategy at 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 ...

, in which Confederate forces demanded the surrender of the important Texas port. Major General John Magruder equipped the two cottonclads with weapons and officers, appointing Capt. Leon Smith to utilize these ships in seizing the wharf. The cottonclads attacked from the rear of the Union squadron, resulting in the sinking of the as it attempted to ram the Union ship ''Harriet Lane''. However, the ''Bayou City'' managed to board the Union vessel despite the immense damage it had taken during the battle, leading to the retreat of the remaining Union forces and the successful acquisition of Galveston for the Confederates. However, in the end, every single one of the cottonclad warships was either sunk, burned, or captured by Union forces. File:CSS Stonewall Jackson La Navy River Defense Ram.jpg, File:Memphis-naval-battle.jpg, Image:USS General Bragg photo.jpg, File:USSSterlingPrice.jpg,

References

Citations

Sources

* Barr, Alwyn (2010-06-15). "GALVESTON, BATTLE OF". ''tshaonline.org''. Retrieved 2020-04-26. * Blair, Jayne (2006). ''The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders''. McFarland. p. 265. . cottonclad ship battle of memphis. * Cotham, Edward T. (2010-01-01). ''Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae''. University of Texas Press. pp. 48-49. . * ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships''. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 1991. pp. 523-525. * Francaviglia, Richard V. (1998). ''From Sail to Steam: Four Centuries of Texas Maritime History, 1500-1900''. University of Texas Press. p. 198. . * Scharf, John Thomas (1886). ''History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel: Its Stupendous Struggle with the Great Navy of the United States; the Engagements Fought in the Rivers and Harbors of the South, and Upon the High Seas; Blockade-running, First Use of Iron-clads and Torpedoes, and Privateer History''. Rogers & Sherwood. p. 505. * Sullivan, Roy (2007). ''Civil War in Texas and the Southwest''. AuthorHouse. p. 77. {{ISBN, 978-1467829489. Ship types Riverine warfare

Conversion

Cottonclads in battle

See also

References

Citations

Sources