While I can not give any varification as to the Dean Girl story, I have not seen or heard of any such incident. This does not mean that it did not happen.

I will say that the 46th Indiana was the Union regiment that was disembarked to eleminate the lightly defended confederate artillery positions at St. Charles. The Federal infantry were highly angered by the incident of the USS Mound City and the Confederates supposedly shooting at helpless sailor who had jumped into the White river to excape the scalding steam. That debate still goes on today. The Federals did seek to extract retribution against Lt. Joseph Fry, Captain of the Gunboat CSS Maurepas, and the Confederate Naval Commander of the heavy batterys at St Charles. But I believe that the Union naval commander interceeded supposedly because as a naval commander Fry in command of the main batteries, was not responcible for the actions of the Confederate Infantry.

In short there was an atmosphere among the federal troops that could have lead to such an incident occuring.

Ironically while branded a "War Criminal" by the federals during the Civil War, Lt Fry because a National Hero in the United States during the Spanish American War when he was executed in Cuba by the Spanish.