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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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Memphis I (ScStr)

A city in southwestern Tennessee; so named because it is situated upon the Mississippi River in a manner similar to the capital city of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt on the Nile. In the Civil War, Memphis fell 6 June 1862 to Union naval forces led by Flag Officer Charles H. Davis and was an important Federal base for the rest of the war. The first Memphis retained her merchant name.

I

The first Memphis, a 5‑gun screw steamer built as Mount Savage at Philadelphia in 1853, was chartered by the Navy as Memphis 13 September 1858 for the Expedition to Paraguay 1858‑59 and purchased 26 May 1859. She was renamed Mystic (q.v.) 14 June 1859.

Published: Fri Aug 07 09:16:01 EDT 2015