The battle at Memphis surely represents the largest naval action fought in Tennessee during the Civil War, as it involved extended military action between rival Federal and Confederate fleets.

Some background context is necessary to understand the significance of the Memphis naval battle.  Both northern and southern sides had attempted to develop inexpensive but effective steam-powered wooden ramming vessels.  In a minor confrontation at Plum Run Bend near Fort Pillow on May 10, 1862, Confederate rams briefly tangled with the Union ironclad Cincinnati, but the Confederate vessels quickly retreated to Memphis when the other Federal ironclads responded.

On June 6, 1862, a fleet of nine wooden rams (developed and commanded by Charles Ellet, Jr., and including the Queen of the West and the Monarch) joined the Union fleet already anchored near Memphis (including Carondelet, Benton, Cairo, Cincinnati, Mound City, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis).

The Confederate fleet, consisting of lightly-armed rams that had been converted from commercial river steamers (General Price, Beauregard, Colonel Lovell, Little Rebel, Jeff Thompson, Sumter, Bragg, and Van Dorn), rushed to meet the assembled Federal fleet, and a large battle ensued.

As the battle began in full view of thousands of citizens of Memphis, the rival vessels engaged in a ramming contest reminiscent of ancient naval contests of the classical world.  All but one of the Confederate vessels (the Van Dorn) eventually sank, were disabled, or had been captured by the end of the battle (which actually occurred out of sight of Memphis, due to the fighting vessels having drifted down river during the course of the action).

Although Ellet himself went ashore to demand that the city surrender (he later died from a leg wound received during the battle), the formal surrender occurred later when Federal troops arrived in Memphis.

  Military Actions

Last update:  October 19, 2001