Doyle,

On October 20, 2012 you posted the following message.(I include only excerpts relevant to my question)

Re: St.Charles Guns
By:Doyle Taylor
Date: 10/20/2012, 12:04 pm
In Response To: Re: St.Charles Guns (Mike W Thompson)

"Actually I have a couple of problems with the "common" interpretation of the two 32 pd rifled guns at St. Charles. And the Battle of St, Charles and Arkansas Post and the Naval activities there of.

First
According to the O.R.s
those guns were not part of the orignal compliment of weapons found on the CSS Ponchartrain. Those two weapons were picked up from the guns at Fort Randolph north of Memphis in late May of 1862 as the northern forts along the Mississippi river were being abandoned due to the movements of Grants army after Shiloh and Island #10.

Third.
The Ponchartrain was so overloaded with these extra guns and ordinance, which may have included a battery of field artillery besides her own five guns and the two 32 pd Fort Randolph guns, that she was so overloaded that her decks were almost awash as she steamed up the Arkansas R. in May of 1862."

Could you please state where in the ORs the information that these two guns were picked up from Fort Randolph in late May can be found?

I have tried to find it and have had no luck doing so.

The statement that the Pontchartrain was so overloaded that her decks were almost awash does not seem like something that would be in the ORs, but I would ask that you post your source for this statement regardless whether it is in the ORs or otherwise.

Thanks in advance for your help and cooperation.