The Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862

I don't remember where I read it, it may have been in Hindman's Copybook of Telegraphs of the Alexander papers, but I believe that the steamer "Tom Suggs" was sent to the White River after the battle to clear the scutted boats from the channel. General Roane was sent from Pine Bluff to recover the cannons that the throwen into the River by the Federals. He was unsuccessful in recovering those guns.

In the 1950's during a Corp of Engineers project in the White River at St Charles the remains of those boats were dregged up including the 32 pd rifled cannons which Dunnington commanded that Roane failed to recover. Those guns are on display at St. Charles.

One of the Mysterys to me is what happen to the guns on board the CSS Maurepas, The gunboats that was scutted along with the two other steamers? Acording to some records she mounted two guns, I believe that they were 8" smoothbore columbiads. One on the bow and one on the stern. These guns were not removed before the gunboats was sunk. Union naval reports (Navy O.R.'s) state that they recovered the stern gun. But no mention is made of the bow guns recovery. HOWEVER, at one point in the Hindman Telegraphs the steamer "Tom Suggs" is reported to have been mounted with a heavy gun on its bow. Could this have been the same unrecovered gun from the bow of the Maurepas, and what happened to it from the "Tom Suggs"?

I have tryed to track all 9 of the heavy guns that came to Arkansas on board both the CSS Ponchartrain (7) and the CSS Maurepas (2) and that is the only gun of those 9 that I have not been able to find a disposition on. 3 of those 9 guns from the Ponchartrain still exist today in Arkansas. 1 from the Ponchartrain was destroyed at Arkansas Post and unrecovered in the forts well. 3 (2 from the Ponchartrain and 1 from the Maurepas) were captured by the Union Navy and placed in service with them. 1 from the Ponchartrain has been losted at Arkansas Post in the Arkansas River due to floods. And then the lost gun of the Maurepas.

It is possible that one of the two 8" columbiads captured by the Navy at Deval's Bluff January 14th, 1863 was this Maurepas Gun, But I have found no indications that this was the case.

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Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862
Re: Batle St. Charles, Arks. June 18-19, 1862