The First Battle of Memphis occurred on the 6th of June 1862 when nine Union gunboats defeated eight Confederate cottonclad vessels north of Memphis, Tennessee. Every Confederate vessel except one was either destroyed or captured within two hours while only Union officer Charles Ellet Jr. suffered a casualty.
Flag Officer Charles H. Davis commanded the federal gunboats and reported directly to Major General Henry W. Halleck. Colonel Charles Ellet Jr. led the river rams but answered only to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton without any common command structure between the two organizations.
Confederate cottonclads carried engines inside double layers of heavy timber packed with loose cotton bales that offered little protection against cannon fire. Each Confederate ram carried only one or two light guns unable to penetrate iron hulls yet relied on reinforced prows designed to crush opposing ships through sheer impact.
Confederate casualties totaled approximately 100 killed or wounded with another 150 taken prisoner following the naval defeat. Union forces lost only Colonel Charles Ellet Jr. who received a pistol wound to his knee during the opening exchange before dying on June 21 after contracting measles.
Poor performance at the First Battle of Memphis ended the era of civilian command in combat situations permanently because military experts protested the futility of untrained officers leading gun crews. Naval operations required trained professionals subject to strict military discipline from that point forward while privateering practices across the Confederacy faced elimination.