July 15, 1862

July 15, 1862: Naval Action on the Mississippi - Near Vicksburg, Mississippi, the C.S.S. Arkansas, the South’s most powerful gunboat on the rivers, comes out from her havens in the Yazoo Delta country. Near the mouth of the Yazoo, the Arkansas encounters three U.S. Navy vessels steaming upstream—the ironclad Carondelet, the ram Queen of the West, and the "timberclad" Tyler. Believing that Confederate vessel to have better armor, the Carondelet and her two vulnerable wooden escorts turned downstream. A running battle of maneuver and gunfire ensues. The Carondelet is crippled by a shot through her steering gear, and runs aground. The Rebel ship chases on after the other two Federal ships, and all three run out of the Yazoo and turn downstream on the Mississippi. The Arkansas encounters the U.S.S. Lancaster, a side-wheeler ram, and pounds the Union vessel with gunfire, crippling her and killing many of her crew. As the chase rounds the bend, the entire Union fleet, anchored just upstream from Vicksburg, is caught unprepared: no guns are loaded, and none of the Yankee vessels have their steam up, and therefore cannot maneuver. The Arkansas runs through the entire fleet, trading fire with several Union ships, and anchors at last with no significant damage under the protection of Vicksburg’s big guns on the bluff.

Capt. Isaac Brown of the Arkansas specifies in his report: "I wish it to be remembered that we whipped this vessel, made it run out of the fight and haul down colors, with two less guns than they had; and at the same time fought two rams, which were firing at us with great guns and small arms this, too, with our miscellaneous crew, who had never, for the most part, been on board a ship or at big guns."

That night, Farragut runs his fleet downstream past Vicksburg, hoping to blast the Arkansas into oblivion as they passed by, but the darkness prevents the Yankees from doing any significant damage to the Confederate ironclad other than a lost smokestack—indeed, the thunder of shot and shell from the Arkansas and shore batteries inflicts much damage the Federals. Capt. Brown ends up with only 12 killed and 18 wounded, while the Union Navy suffers 23 killed, 59 wounded, and 10 missing. The Confederate Navy has struck a blow for Southern pride and morale, at least. Soon Farragut and Davis retreat downstream to New Orleans, unable to take Vicksburg without more troops.

C.S.S. Arkansas