RÉSUMÉ.
Number of assaults noted, 3. Failures, 2. Success, 1. Of the failures, the first was too hastily planned to even make a commencement. Everything was confusion from the time that the boats were cast off from their tows. The second was primarily due to confusion of the assaulting columns at the most critical moment, followed by a panic.
DELIBERATE GENERAL ACTIONS.
Gun-boat Flotillas in the Mississippi,
June 5, 1862.
FEDERAL.
| IRON-CLAD GUN-BOATS. | |
| Guns. | |
| Benton | 13 |
| Louisville | 13 |
| Carondelet | 13 |
| Cairo | 13 |
| St. Louis | 13 |
| RAMS. | |
| Queen of the West | 2 |
| Monarch | 2 |
CONFEDERATE.
| IRON-CLAD GUN-BOATS. | |
| Guns. | |
| Lovell | |
| Beauregard | |
| Price | |
| Thompson | |
| Little Rebel | |
| Sumter | |
| Bragg | |
| Van Dorn | |
On the morning of June 5th, the Federal flotilla descending the river discovered the Confederate flotilla moored at the city of Memphis. The latter formed in double line abreast below the city, and received the attack. The Queen of the West, dashing from the Federal line, rammed the Lovell and sank her at once. In getting clear she was rammed by the Beauregard and seriously injured, though not disabled. The Beauregard was rammed by the Monarch, and at the same time received a shot through her boilers which disabled her; she drifted near the bank of the river and sank. The Price was accidentally rammed and sunk by one of her own flotilla. The Little Rebel was disabled by shot, run ashore and abandoned. The Thompson was set on fire by shells and blown up. The Sumter was captured. The Bragg was rammed and sunk. The Van Dorn escaped down the river. Result: one Federal ram partially disabled; no killed, no wounded. Four Confederate gun-boats sunk, one captured, one blown up, one deserted, and one escaped. Killed and wounded unknown, but many lost by drowning and scalding. Duration of action, twenty minutes.
In this fight the Federal fleet had the advantage of fighting down stream, being the ones to make the onset, and having the heavier vessels and batteries. The Confederates took no advantage of the weak steaming powers of the Federal gun-boats. Had they passed up stream, re-formed, and forced the Federals to act on the defensive and fight up stream, the result might have been different. Decisive action.