First Battle of Memphis

The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately above the city of Memphis on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. It resulted in a crushing defeat for the Rebels, and marked the virtual eradication of a Confederate naval presence on the river. Despite the lopsided outcome, the Union Army failed to grasp its strategic significance. Its primary historical importance is that it was the last time civilians with no prior military experience were permitted to command ships in combat. As such, it is a milestone in the development of professionalism in the United States Navy.

Background

The defending Confederates closely matched the advancing Federal force in raw numbers, with eight Rebel vessels opposing nine Union gunboats and rams, but the fighting qualities of the former were far inferior. Each was armed with only one or two guns, of a light caliber that would be ineffective against the armor of the gunboats. The primary weapon of each was its reinforced prow, which was intended to be used in ramming opponents.

The Confederate rams were distinguished by a unique feature of their defense against enemy shot. Their engines and other interior spaces were protected by a double bulkhead of heavy timbers, covered on the outer surface by a layer of railroad iron. The gap between the bulkheads, a space of 22 inches (56 centimeters), was packed with cotton. Although the cotton was the least important part of the armor, it caught the public attention, and the boats came to be called cottonclads. (Later in the war, ships' crews were often protected from small-arms fire by bales of cotton placed in exposed positions, and these vessels were also referred to as cottonclads. They differed, however, from the originals of the category).

The Federal force consisted of five gunboats, four of which were known semi-officially as 'Eads gunboats,' after their build...

In early June 1862, Flag Officer Charles H. Davis moved down the Mississippi River with a squadron of consisting of the ironclad gunboats USS Benton, USS St. Louis, USS Cairo, USS Louisville, and USS Carondelet. Accompanying him were six rams commanded by Colonel Charles Ellet. Operating in support of the Union advance, Davis sought to eliminate the Confederate naval presence near Memphis, TN, opening the city to capture. In Memphis, Confederate troops manning the city's defenses prepared to withdraw south as Union forces had cut the rail links to the north and east.

As the soldiers departed, the commander of the Confederate River Defense Fleet, James E. Montgomery, began making plans to take his eight cottonclad rams south to Vicksburg. These plans quickly collapsed when he was notified that there was not enough coal in the city to fuel his ships for the voyage. Montgomery was also plagued by a disjointed command system within his fleet. While he technically commanded the fleet, each ship retained its pre-war captain who was empowered to act independently once they left port.

This was compounded by the fact that the vessel's gun crews were provided by the army and served under their own officers. On June 6, when the Federal fleet appeared above the city, Montgomery called a meeting of his captains to discuss their options. The group decided to stand and fight rather than scuttling their ships and fleeing. Approaching Memphis, Davis ordered his gunboats to form a line of battle across the river, with Ellet's rams in the rear.

Opening fire on Montgomery's lightly armed rams, the Union gunboats fired for around fifteen minutes before Ellet and his brother Lt. Colonel Alfred Ellet moved through the line with the rams Queen of the West and Monarch. As Queen of the West struck CSS General Lovell, Ellet was wounded in the leg. With the battle engaged at close quarters, Davis closed and the fighting deteriorated into a wild melee. As the ships battled, the heav...