ford ▁University ▁School ▁of ▁Medicine ▁fac ulty ▁Category : Univers ity ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley ▁al umn i ▁Category : S cient ists ▁from ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁Area <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁First ▁Battle ▁of ▁M emph is ▁was ▁a ▁naval ▁battle ▁fought ▁on ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁immediately ▁above ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁M emph is , ▁Tennessee ▁on ▁June ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁eng agement ▁was ▁witness ed ▁by ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁M emph is . ▁It ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁cr ushing ▁defeat ▁for ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁forces , ▁and ▁marked ▁the ▁virtual ▁er adic ation ▁of ▁a ▁Confeder ate ▁naval ▁presence ▁on ▁the ▁river . ▁Despite ▁the ▁l ops ided ▁outcome , ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ▁failed ▁to ▁grasp ▁its ▁strateg ic ▁significance . ▁Its ▁primary ▁historical ▁importance ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁civ ili ans ▁with ▁no ▁prior ▁military ▁experience ▁were ▁permitted ▁to ▁command ▁ships ▁in ▁combat . ▁As ▁such , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁mil estone ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁professional ism ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁def ending ▁Confeder ates ▁closely ▁matched ▁the ▁adv ancing ▁federal ▁force ▁in ▁raw ▁numbers , ▁with ▁eight ▁re bel ▁vessels ▁oppos ing ▁nine ▁Union ▁gun bo ats ▁and ▁r ams , ▁but ▁the ▁fighting ▁qual ities ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁were ▁far ▁inferior . ▁Each ▁was ▁armed ▁with ▁only ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁guns , ▁of ▁a ▁light ▁cal iber ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁in effect