Brown's appeal at Yazoo City drew skilled workers, field hands, local volunteers, and enslaved labor supplied by slaveholders. Borrowed blacksmithing tools kept fourteen forges producing fittings and reworking machinery, while a replacement armor drill was powered from the steamer Capital's hoisting engine. Within five weeks Arkansas was largely complete, although the stern and pilot-house protection remained unfinished. Boiler plate added at the stern was chiefly a morale measure rather than effective armor, a limitation Brown openly recognized.
Notable Point · 27:43-29:33
Brown mobilizes Yazoo City to finish Arkansas
Round-the-clock local labor, borrowed tools, and improvised machinery bring Arkansas close to completion in five weeks.