CSS ''Jackson'' was 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-ste ...
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 states ...
.
Built at
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wi ...
, in 1849 as ''Yankee'', the fast side-wheel river tug was purchased at
on 9 May 1861 by Capt. L. Rousseau, CSN, then strengthened and fitted for service in the Confederate Navy, and renamed ''Jackson''.
Service history
On 6 June Lt. W. Gwathmey, CSN, was ordered to her command, and after shipping a crew, took her up 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 fl ...
to
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 Ri ...
, to join the squadron under Capt.
George N. Hollins charged with the defense of the river.
On 4 September 1861 ''Jackson'' supported by shore batteries briefly and inconclusively engaged the gunboats and off
Hickman, Kentucky
Hickman is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County, Kentucky, United States. Located on the Mississippi River, the city had a population of 2,365 at the 2020 U.S. census and is classified as a home rule-class city. Hickman is part of the ...
. The Federal ships finding the current fast setting them down upon the Confederate batteries returned to their former position. Six days later the little gunboat took part in a spirited engagement at Lucas Bend,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, between Confederate artillery and cavalry and Union gunboats ''Lexington'' and during which she received an 8-inch shell in her wheel house and side which forced her to retire on one engine.
''Jackson'' sailed with Hollins' squadron to attack five of the Federal blockaders at the
Head of Passes
Head of Passes is where the main stem of the Mississippi River branches off into three distinct directions at its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico: Southwest Pass (west), Pass A Loutre (east) and South Pass (centre). They are part of the "Bird's Foot ...
, Mississippi River, on 12 October 1861. They successfully routed the Union forces and proceeded to the
defense of Forts Jackson and St. Philip which the United States Mortar Flotilla under Commodore
David Dixon Porter bombarded from 18 to 24 April 1862. On 23 April ''Jackson'' was despatched to make the canals above the fort inaccessible to Union ships.
When the commanding officer, Lt. F. B. Renshaw, CSN, found it impossible to stem the Federal advance he retired to New Orleans. After the surrender of that city, ''Jackson'' was destroyed by the Confederates.
See also
*
List of ships of the Confederate States Navy
This is a list of ships of the Confederate States Navy (CSN), used by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. Included are some types of civilian vessels, such as blockade runners, steamboats, and pr ...
*
Bibliography of American Civil War naval history
*
Union Navy
The Union Navy was the United States Navy (USN) during the American Civil War, when it fought the Confederate States Navy (CSN). The term is sometimes used carelessly to include vessels of war used on the rivers of the interior while they were un ...
*
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 ...
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson
Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy
Ships built in Cincinnati
1849 ships
Shipwrecks of the American Civil War
Shipwrecks of the Mississippi River
Maritime incidents in April 1862