Flag Still Flying: The Towboat That Blew Herself Apart at Memphis

Flag Still Flying: The Towboat That Blew Herself Apart at Memphis

The Confederate flag flew as the towboat went down - a steam vessel built in 1847, 161 feet 10 inches long, and still flying her colors when a boiler explosion scalded 14 men on June 6, 1862. How did a commercial towboat, converted with cotton bales for armor and carrying only two cannons across eight ships, end up blowing herself apart while her guns pointed forward?

In this episode, we tell the story of the steamer Ocean turned CSS General Beauregard, tracing her construction, conversion, and final actions at Plum Point and the First Battle of Memphis to ask: could a slow, lightly armed towboat ever be made into an effective warship?

Person: Captain James Hurt
Date: June 6, 1862
Location: Memphis, Mississippi River
Event: Boiler explosion and sinking at the First Battle of Memphis
Period: Built 1847, converted April 5, 1862

- Built in 1847 at Algiers, Louisiana, with dimensions 161 feet 10 inches length, 30 feet beam, 10 feet draft
- Registered tonnage recorded as 454 tons and fitted with two funnels
- Converted to CSS General Beauregard and completed conversion on April 5, 1862
- Part of an eight-ship River Defense Fleet that carried a total of two cannons between them
- Boiler explosion on June 6, 1862, resulted in 14 men scalded and the vessel sinking with her Confederate flag still flying

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.