by Mark Johnson

Created on: March 17, 2010

In 1861, early in the American Civil War, the Union built seven ironclad ships to serve on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.  The USS Cairo, Cincinnati, and Mound City were built at Mound City, Illinois, while the Carondelet, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Louisville were built at Carondelet, Missouri.  Not even vaguely resembling the Monitor, these “City Class” ironclads looked more like the CSS Virginia (that fought the Monitor), in that they looked pretty much like what they were, armor-plated steamships.  With a shallow draft and significantly more speed than any Confederate ironclad, they were the key to wresting control of the river for the Union.

In May of 1862, the Union forces were approaching Memphis, Tennessee.  The last obstacle on the river before Memphis was Fort Pillow, and Commodore Charles Henry Davis was responsible for protecting the mortar barge that was being used to harass Fort Pillow.  The ironclads were anchored at Plum Run Bend (also called “Plum Point Bend” by some sources), somewhat north of the barge, with one ironclad serving as protection one day each week. 

On May 10, the USS Cincinnati was assigned to the barge, and was tied up to the trees along the bank with its steam down.  Mortar boat 10 fired every half hour at the fort, and it was the typical quiet and peaceful duty.  Suddenly, eight Confederate boats appeared to attack.  These boats were called “cottonclads,” steamboats with protecting oak sheathing, a layer of iron plating, and a layer of compressed cotton between (Not the important part of the armor, but it caught the public’s attention).  Each was supplied with one to three guns, but they were actually just rams.

Cincinnati could not immediately build up steam, so it was a stationary target.  Rammed by three different boats, it sank in shallow water.  The other ironclads were alerted by the firing of Cincinnati’s guns, but they had to build up steam before coming to her aid.  The first to arrive was the USS Mound City, but she was also rammed.  Mound City made it to the bank before sinking.  As the other five ironclads came downriver, the eight Confederate rams fled to the shelter of Fort Pillow.

When Fort Pillow was evacuated, the Confederate “gunboats” fled to Memphis, where seven of them were lost in the battle of Memphis on June 6.  Cincinnati and Mound City were raised and sent back to Cairo, Illinois for repairs, but they both returned to service.

Confederate gunboats taking part in the battle at Plum Run Bend were the General Stirling Price, Beauregard, Colonel Lovell, Little Rebel, Jeff Thompson, Sumter, Bragg, and General Earl Van Dorn.  Of the Union ironclads taking part in this battle, one should be especially noted: the USS Cairo.  While most were sold after the war, the Cairo was sunk by the Confederates in the Yazoo River (Mississippi).  The USS Cairo was recovered in 1965, subsequently restored, and is now on display at the Vicksburg National Park.

One interesting point is that some sources refer to this battle as a Confederate victory, while at least one calls it a Union victory.  Sinking two ironclads with no losses of their own, the Confederates had every right to consider it a victory, even though it simply delayed the Union advance slightly.  Having chased away the “Johnny Rebs” with no long-term damage, the Union could probably consider it a victory as well, but the grand tally probably would indicate a Confederate victory, albeit minor.

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