At Baton Rouge, the unreliable engines made Arkansas spin and then failed as Stevens attempted to ram Essex. The ship grounded, freed herself only at the cost of a broken crank pin, and could not restore dependable propulsion with an improvised forge. When the other engine failed the following morning and Essex approached, Stevens ordered the ship scuttled on 6 August 1862. Her loss followed directly from committing a mechanically exhausted vessel to an operation she had been ordered to avoid.
Chapter · 42:49-44:09
Engine failure ends CSS Arkansas
Repeated propulsion failures, a broken crank pin, and an unsuccessful overnight repair force Stevens to scuttle Arkansas as Essex approaches.