 An 1862 depiction of the Battle of Plum Point Bend; General Earl Van Dorn is the second vessel from the left
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Confederate States | |
| Name | General Earl Van Dorn |
| Namesake | Earl Van Dorn |
| Operator | Confederate States Army |
| Completed | April 10, 1862 |
| Acquired | 1862 |
| Fate | Burned to avoid capture, June 26, 1862 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sidewheel steamer |
| Length | 182 feet (55 m) |
| Beam | 28 feet 3 inches (8.61 m) |
| Depth | 10 feet 7 inches (3.23 m) |
| Armament | 1 32-pounder cannon |
| Armor | Cottonclad |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | River Defense Fleet |
| Operations: | |
CSS General Earl Van Dorn was a cottonclad warship used by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. General Earl Van Dorn was purchased for Confederate service at New Orleans, Louisiana, in early 1862 to serve with the River Defense Fleet. She was converted into a cottonclad warship by installing an iron-covered framework of timbers to her bow that served as a ram, and protecting her machinery with timber bulkheads packed with cotton. A sidewheel steamer, she was 182 feet (55 m) long and was armed with a single 32-pounder cannon on the bow. Having been assigned to defend the upper Confederate-held portion of the Mississippi River, General Earl Van Dorn left New Orleans in late March 1862 and arrived at Memphis, Tennessee, early the next month. On May 10, she fought with the River Defense Fleet against the Union Navy in the Battle of Plum Point Bend, where she rammed and sank the ironclad USS Mound City. On June 6, General Earl Van Dorn was the only vessel of the River Defense Fleet to escape destruction or capture at the First Battle of Memphis. After withdrawing up the Yazoo River to Liverpool Landing, Mississippi, General Earl Van Dorn was burnt by the Confederates along with two other Confederate ships to prevent their capture by approaching Union vessels.