By the time the Civil War began, Memphis had established itself as a major inland port that dominated much of the commerce of western Tennessee, in large part due to the convergence of both river and railroad steam-powered transportation at that location.  However, its transportation significance also meant that Memphis would become a military target early in the war.
 
 

As shown in the above map extracted from the Official Records Atlas, the Mississippi River port of Memphis provided steamboat connections with three major Tennessee railroads (the Memphis & Charleston, the Memphis & Ohio, and the Mississippi & Tennessee).  Due to a lack of physical interconnections, actual transfer of passengers and goods between rail and river vessels were carried out via animal-powered carriages and wagons.  Although many different goods passed through Memphis, cotton was king, as evidenced by the "Cotton Slide" which juts prominently out into the Mississippi.  Memphis had a distinct advantage over many over Tennessee ports in that its location was readily accessible year round, in contrast to several other ports that were sometimes inaccessible due to seasonal variations in river levels.

On the south side of downtown Memphis (i.e., at the lower right-hand corner of the above map), Fort Pickering provided a fortified location where the Confederates attempted to build two ironclads early in the war.  J. T. Shipley began construction of the CSS Arkansas here in October 1861, but she was moved in unfinished condition to a safer location when Memphis was threatened by Union forces.  A less complete sister ship was destroyed on the stocks to prevent capture.

Memphis' strategic location as a commercial and transportation center led to a major battle between dueling river forces in June 1862 as a Federal fleet successfully overwhelmed the Confederates, thus securing a significant portion of the the Mississippi River under Union control.  Visit the web pages covering the Battle of Memphis for a description of this major Civil War battle in Tennessee.

  River Ports and Shipyards

Last update:  October 22, 2001