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NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

USS General Bragg
ex
 CSS General Bragg (1962)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Civil War Medal
Sidewheel Steamer - Ram:
  • Built in 1851 as the river steamer Mexico at New York City for the Southern Steamship Co.
  • During the Civil War General Bragg was:
    Impressed for Confederate service as CSS General Bragg at New Orleans, 15 January 1862
    Capture by the Union's Western Flotilla, 6 June 1862, at Memphis, TN.
    Transferred to the War Department, 30 September 1862, Navy LT. Joshua Bishop in command
    Assigned to patrol various sections of the Mississippi River from 1863 to 1865
  • Decommissioned, 24 July 1865, at Cairo, ILL.
  • Sold, 1 September 1865, re-documented Mexico, employed for US civilian purposes until 1870, when she was sold to foreign interests
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,043 t.
    Length 208'
    Beam 32' 8"
    Draft 12'
    Depth 15'
    Speed 10 kts
    Complement unknown
    Armament
    one 30-pdr
    one 32-pdr
    one 12-pdr
    Propulsion steam
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    General Bragg 838k
    Namesake
     General Braxton Bragg was born in 1817 in Warren-town, N.C., and graduated from West Point in 1837. After action in the Seminole War, he served with distinction in the Mexican War, especially at Buena Vista 3 February 1847 when his field artillery broke the Mexican attack. He resigned in 1856 and became a plantation owner in Louisiana until commissioned a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army 23 February 1861. He assisted General Johnston in the reorganization of his army; was promoted to General for bravery at Shiloh; and relieved General Beauregard as Commander of the Army of Tennessee 27 June 1862. After seeing action at Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga, he was relieved by General Johnston 2 December 1863. As military adviser to Jefferson Davis, he was captured with the President 9 May 1865. After the war he practiced as a civil engineer until his death at Galveston 27 September 1876.
    Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.    		 Bill Gonyo
    General Earn Van Dorn 373k "Battle of Fort Pillow, First position" Engraving published in Rear Admiral Henry Walke's Naval Scenes and Reminiscences of the Civil War in the United States ... (1877), depicting the action between the Confederate River Defense Fleet and Federal ironclads near Fort Pillow, Tennessee, 10 May 1862. Confederate ships, seen at right, include (from left to right):
    CSS General Earl Van Dorn,
    CSS General Sterling Price,
    CSS General Bragg,
    CSS General Sumter and
    CSS Little Rebel. The Federal ironclads, in the center and left, are (from left to right):
    USS Mound City,
    USS Carondelet and
    USS Cincinnati. A Federal mortar boat is by the river bank in the lower right.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 2049    		 Tommy Trampp
    General Van Dorn 255k "Battle of Fort Pillow, 3rd Position" Engraving published in Rear Admiral Henry Walke's Naval Scenes and Reminiscences of the Civil War in the United States ... (1877), depicting the action between the Confederate River Defense Fleet and Federal ironclads near Fort Pillow, Tennessee, 10 May 1862. Confederate ships, seen at left, include:
    CSS Colonel Lovell,
    CSS General Beauregard,
    CSS General M. Jeff Thompson,
    CSS General Bragg,
    CSS General Sumter,
    CSS Little Rebel and
    CSS General Earl van Dorn. The Federal ironclads, in the center and right, are:
    USS Carondelet,
    USS Cincinnati,
    USS Mound City,
    USS Benton,
    USS Saint Louis,
    USS Cairo and
    USS Pittsburgh. A tug is seen in the right foreground.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 42755    		 Tommy Trampp
    General Beauregard 177k "The Great Naval Battle before Memphis, June 6, 1862". Engraving after a sketch by Alexander Simplot, published in "Harper's Weekly", depicting the action between the Confederate River Defense Fleet and Federal warships off Memphis, Tennessee. In the foreground, the print depicts the Confederate ships (from left to right):
    CSS General M. Jeff Thompson (shown sinking);
    CSS Little Rebel (shown burning);
    CSS General Sterling Price;
    CSS General Beauregard (shown being jammed by the Ellet Ram
    USS Monarch;
    CSS General Bragg (shown aground) and
    CSS Colonel Lovell (shown sinking). In the background are the Federal warships (from left to right):
    USS Queen of the West;
    USS Cairo;
    USS Carondelet;
    USS Louisville;
    USS Saint Louis; a tug; and
    USS Benton. The city of Memphis is in the right distance, with a wharf boat by the shore. Harpers Weekly, 28 June 1862.
    Sons of the South - Memphis Naval Battle
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 58891    		 Robert Hurst
    General Bragg 75k USS General Bragg probably photographed at Cairo or Mound City, ILL., circa 1862-63. Two small tugs are fitting out at left. USS Maria Denning is offshore at right.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 46642.    		 Aryeh Wetherhorn
    General Bragg 46k Sketch of USS General Bragg 1864-65 when she was commanded by Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Cyrenius Dorning.
    US Navy History and Heritage Command photo # NH 513.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    CSS / USS General Bragg
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
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    Last Updated 2 September 2016