View source for CSS Grand Duke

{{Short description|Steamboat}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=Confederate States
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Confederate States of America|naval}}
|Ship name=''Grand Duke''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=1859
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=February 1863
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=1863
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=Burned
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=508 tons
|Ship tons burthen=
|Ship length={{convert|205|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|35|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|7|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=steam engine
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed=
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''CSS''' '''''Grand Duke''''', a steamer built at [[Jeffersonville, Indiana|Jeffersonville]], [[Indiana]] in 1859, was outfitted as a [[cotton-clad]] [[gunboat]] for service with the [[Confederate States Army]] in February 1863.

''Grand Duke'' transported troops to [[Fort Taylor, Louisiana|Fort Taylor]], [[Louisiana]] late in February 1863. On April 14, 1863, she was in company with the steamer ''Mary T.'' and ram {{ship|CSS|Queen of the West}} when they were taken under attack on the [[Atchafalaya River]] by Union vessels {{ship|USS|Estrella}}, {{ship|USS|Calhoun}}, and {{ship|USS|Arizona|1858|6}}.  Her speed, turning power, and superior piloting allowed ''Grand Duke'' to escape up river.

On May 4, 1863 ''Grand Duke'' and ''Mary T.'' were taking on guns, ordnance stores, and other public property prior to the evacuation of [[Fort DeRussy (Louisiana)|Fort DeRussy]] when a Union reconnaissance force that included {{ship|USS|Albatross|1861|6}}, ''Estrella'', and ''Arizona'' hove into view.  In the ensuing hour-long engagement, each of the principal contestants sustained damage, but the Union ships withdrew, allowing the Confederates to remove their materiel further up the [[Red River of the South|Red River]] and to delay the Federal advance by obstructing the river. ''Grand Duke'' was ordered to [[Shreveport, Louisiana]] where she burned late in 1863.

==References==
{{DANFS}}

{{CSN Steamers}}

{{coord missing|Louisiana}}	<!-- last location reported in the article -->

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Duke}}
[[Category:Gunboats of the Confederate States Navy]]
[[Category:History of Shreveport, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Ships built in Jeffersonville, Indiana]]
[[Category:1859 ships]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the American Civil War]]
[[Category:Cottonclad warships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1863]]


{{AmericanCivilWar-ship-stub}}