▁than ▁the ▁fog ▁of ▁war . ▁Several ▁e y ew it ness ▁accounts ▁are ▁available ; ▁however , ▁they ▁are ▁mut ually ▁contradict ory ▁to ▁a ▁greater ▁degree ▁than ▁usual . ▁All ▁that ▁is ▁certain ▁is ▁that ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁battle , ▁all ▁but ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁cot ton cl ads ▁were ▁either ▁destroyed ▁or ▁captured , ▁and ▁one ▁Yan kee ▁boat , ▁Queen ▁of ▁the ▁West , ▁was ▁disabled . ▁The ▁sole ▁boat ▁to ▁escape , ▁CSS ▁General ▁Earl ▁Van ▁D orn , ▁fled ▁to ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁Y az oo ▁River , ▁just ▁north ▁of ▁V icks burg . ▁Person nel ▁losses ▁among ▁the ▁Confeder ates ▁cannot ▁be ▁estimated ▁reli ably . ▁ ▁Results ▁The ▁battle , ▁which ▁took ▁less ▁than ▁two ▁hours ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁morning ▁hours ▁of ▁June ▁ 6 , ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁immediate ▁surrender ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁M emph is ▁to ▁federal ▁authority ▁by ▁no on ▁that ▁day . ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁of ▁M emph is ▁was , ▁aside ▁from ▁the ▁later ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁iron cl ad ▁CSS ▁Ark ansas , ▁the ▁final ▁challenge ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁thrust ▁down ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁against ▁V icks burg . ▁The ▁river ▁was ▁now ▁open ▁down ▁to ▁that ▁city , ▁which ▁was ▁already ▁bes ie ged ▁by ▁Far rag ut ' s ▁ships , ▁but ▁the ▁federal ▁army ▁authorities ▁did ▁not ▁grasp ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁fact ▁for ▁nearly ▁another ▁six ▁months . ▁Not ▁until ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁would ▁the