Cottonclads were a classification of steam-powered warships where a wooden ship was protected from enemy fire by bales of cotton lining its sides.
Cottonclads were prevalent during the American Civil War, particularly in the Confederate States Navy for riverine and coastal service such as in the battles of Memphis,[1] Galveston,[2] and Sabine Pass.
[3] Confederate tactics generally had cottonclads, which were outgunned by Union warships, steam at full speed towards enemy vessels, relying on the cotton to absorb fire.
To provide additional protection for the sharpshooters, heavy 14 x 14” timbers were fastened to the floor in the hold of the ship; these extended through the boiler deck to form a breastwork.
[10] Some of the vessels that were converted into cottonclads included the former mail packet Neptune, and others such as John F. Carr, Lucy Gwinn, Josiah Bell, Uncle Ben, Bayou City, Governor Moore, Stonewall Jackson, General Sterling Price, Little Rebel, General Bragg, and the Beauregard.
[citation needed] Although the retrofitting of these ships into cottonclads took time, at the end of the work, what were once dainty river steamers were now turned into what one observer deemed as "savage looking gunboats.
The gangplanks would fall onto the enemy deck, and the awaiting "horse marines" would board the Federal ship, proceeding to kill or capture its crew.
If possible, the captured ship would be towed back into shallow waters, where the cottonclad’s crew would scavenge its cannons, weapons, and other provisions.