Name General Polk Commissioned 20 April 1862 Beam 35 ft (10.7 m) Length 85 m Draft 2.4 m | Namesake Leonidas Polk Class and type paddle steamer Launched 1862 Tonnage 353,800 kg Builder New Albany | |
Fate Burned to prevent capture, 26 June 1862 | ||
The CSS General Polk (known casually as the Polk) was a vessel of the Confederate navy during the American Civil War. Originally a side-wheel river steamer built in 1852 named either Ed Howard or merely Howard, she was purchased for $8,000 by the Confederacy in 1861 and outfitted for service as a timberclad river gunboat. Under the command of Flag Officer George N. Hollins, she fought at the Battle of Lucas Bend and served in defence of Columbus, Kentucky and the Mississippi River. Being given to Lieutenant Jonathan H. Carter thereafter, she served at New Madrid, Missouri before returning to New Orleans. Following Union victory she was burned near Yazoo City on June 26, 1862.
References
CSS General Polk Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA