CSS Pontchartrain was a gunboat that served in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War.

Her other cannons were then offloaded at Fort Hindman, where more of her crew were captured while fighting on land at the Battle of Arkansas Post in January 1863.

Pontchartrain herself remained inactive at Little Rock, Arkansas, and was burned to prevent capture in September 1863 when the Confederates evacuated the city.

[1] After the outbreak of the American Civil War, the Confederate States Navy purchased a number of vessels for military use.

That night, Pontchartrain, along with McRae, the gunboat CSS Ivy, and several transports, took Confederate troops, supplies, and weapons from one of the forts guarding New Madrid downriver to Tiptonville, Tennessee, past the Union position at Point Pleasant.

While the Union guns temporarily withdrew, they later returned and along with the position at Point Pleasant made riverine supply to Island Number Ten difficult.

[11] In early April, two Union ironclads ran downriver past Island Number Ten, cutting off the Confederate garrison, which attempted to withdraw but was caught and forced to surrender.

According to historian Ed Bearss, Pontchartrain had been sent up the Arkansas River to Little Rock, so the guns had to be shipped by both rail and water to get them to St.

[3] Dunnington marched the remaining sailors overland to return to Pontchartrain, which they then took down the Arkansas River to Fort Hindman.

[3] Pontchartrain then returned upriver to Little Rock,[19] where the Confederates began the process of converting her into a naval ram and started armoring her with wood and iron.