AUGUST 5TH
U.S. Naval forces aide Army in defense of Baton Rouge and defeat Confederate attack.
AUGUST 6TH
The CSS Arkansas, under temporary command of Lt.Henry Stevens, became unmanageable after engine failure while advancing to support the Confederate attack on Baton Rouge. Stevens ordered it destroyed to prevent capture. Regular Arkansas commander Brown had become ill and was not on the ship at the time, knew that critical repairs were needed on the ship and had ordered Stevens not to move her until his return.
However, Confederate General Earl Van Dorn had ordered the Arkansas into battle to ensure the success of his attack on Baton Rouge which would have reopened the important Red River supply line to the Confederates.
AUGUST 7TH
President Lincoln and Secretaries Seward and Stanton visited Captain Dahlgren at the Washington Navy Yard for a two hour demonstration of the "Rafael" repeating cannon. Later, Dahlgren took the group on board a steamer to cool off and rest.
CSS Florida departed Nassau under Wilmington, NC, native Lt. John Newland Maffitt.
Old B-Runner
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