After General Beauregard demanded progress, Navy Secretary Stephen Mallory appointed Lieutenant Isaac N. Brown to complete the ship. Brown arrived to find only five carpenters, one forge, little local support, and dangerously lax management. He gathered labor from local civilians, enslaved workers, and army units, moved Arkansas before falling water stranded her, and jailed disruptive workmen. The episode presents decisive authority and attention to immediate physical risks as the turning point in the ship's construction.
Chapter · 24:49-27:43
Isaac Brown takes command of the stalled project
Ordered to finish Arkansas without regard to men or money, Brown replaces Charles H. McBlair, who resists removal, and imposes discipline on a nearly idle workforce.