 But here's Bob Steele. The first ship to carry the name Arkansas was actually an enemy of the United States Navy. She was an ironclad river ram which sailed under the flag of the Confederate States. The CSS Arkansas was ready for duty by the summer of 1862 and found it in a hurry. Coming down the Yazoo, she disabled three Union vessels on her way to the Mississippi River. Heading down the Mississippi, the Arkansas rammed through Farragut's fleet and safely reached Vicksburg.