CSS ''Grand Duke'', a steamer built at Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1859, was outfitted as a

cotton-clad Cottonclads were a classification of steam-powered warships where a wooden ship was protected from enemy fire by bales of cotton lining its sides. Cottonclads were prevalent during the American Civil War, particularly in the Confederate States Navy ...

gunboat for service with the Confederate States Army in February 1863. ''Grand Duke'' transported troops to Fort Taylor, Louisiana late in February 1863. On April 14, 1863, she was in company with the steamer ''Mary T.'' and ram when they were taken under attack on the Atchafalaya River by Union vessels , , and . Her speed, turning power, and superior piloting allowed ''Grand Duke'' to escape up river. On May 4, 1863 ''Grand Duke'' and ''Mary T.'' were taking on guns, ordnance stores, and other public property prior to the evacuation of Fort DeRussy when a Union reconnaissance force that included , ''Estrella'', and ''Arizona'' hove into view. In the ensuing hour-long engagement, each of the principal contestants sustained damage, but the Union ships withdrew, allowing the Confederates to remove their materiel further up the Red River and to delay the Federal advance by obstructing the river. ''Grand Duke'' was ordered to

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

where she burned late in 1863.

References

Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy History of Shreveport, Louisiana Ships built in Jeffersonville, Indiana 1859 ships Shipwrecks of the American Civil War Cottonclad warships Maritime incidents in September 1863 {{AmericanCivilWar-ship-stub