Cotton was a Confederate sidewheel partial ironclad gunboat that was burned by her own crew in Bayou Teche off Brashear City, Louisiana, United States, on 15 January 1863 to prevent her being captured by Union forces after she was badly damaged in a battle against United States Navy gunboats.

She also had a small amount of railroad iron fitted onto her side, which could classify her as an ironclad.

Cotton was in use as a gunboat for the Confederate side of the American Civil War and mainly operated in Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche.

Cotton stood her ground against the combined 27 gun barrage from the Union gunboats for one and a half hours, being only hit a few times but without causing major damage to the vessel.

Cotton's next encounter would occur on 14 January 1863 as she was ordered to attack Union general Godfrey Weitzel's forces at Berwick Bay, Louisiana.

Cotton and Confederate shore batteries stationed at Bayou Teche below Franklin, Louisiana.

Cotton again while the Union's land-based units engaged the Confederate infantry in rifle pits.

Cotton was scuttled by her own Confederate crew and sank in Louisiana's Bayou Teche.

In 1871, government officials commissioned the removal of all obstructions impeding steamboat travel along the waterway, including the wreckage of J.