Battle of Plum Point Bend

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Naval Battle of Fort Pillow
partof=American Civil War


caption=Naval Battle at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, 10 May 1862. Confederate ships, seen at right, include (from left to right): "General Earl Van Dorn", "General Sterling Price", "General Bragg", "General Sumter" and "Little Rebel". The Federal ironclads, in the center and left, are (from left to right): "Mound City", "Carondelet" and "Cincinnati". A Federal mortar boat is by the river bank in the lower right.
date= 10 May 1862
place= Four miles below Fort Pillow, near Plum Point Bend
casus=
result=Confederate victory
combatant1=United States of America
combatant2=Confederate States of America
commander1=
commander2=
strength1="Mound City", "Carondelet" and "Cincinnati"
strength2="General Earl Van Dorn", "General Sterling Price", "General Bragg", "General Sumter" and "Little Rebel"
casualties1=
casualties2=|

The naval battle at Fort Pillow, Tennessee (sometimes known as the engagement at Plum Point Bend) took place on the Mississippi River between the Confederate River Defense Fleet and Federal ironclads approximately four miles above Fort Pillow, Tennessee on 10 May 1862, during the American Civil War.

Following the fall of Island No. 10 and other Confederate losses to the north and east of Fort Pillow, the main U.S. Navy flotilla on the Mississippi River proceeded down river. On May 10, 1862, the Union flotilla met the Confederate River Defense Fleet in the naval battle of Plum Point Bend within sight of Fort Pillow. During the battle, the Union's "Cincinnati" was sunk and the "Mound City" was badly damaged. Although the Confederate gunboats were victorious, the Union gunboats were soon able to proceed down river and attack Memphis the following month.

References

* [http://www.nps.gov/vick/camptrail/sites/Tennessee-sites/Ft.PillowTN.htm National Park Service history of Fort Pillow]
* [http://www.civilwarhome.com/plumpoint.htm Reports on the Naval Engagement at Plum Point]