MEMPHIS. 



567 



Johns, of Baltimore, became his associate. 

 Bishop Meade was the author of several tracts 

 and treatises on doctrinal questions, local 

 church history, &c.. In 1834, he published 

 "Family Prayer;" in 1849, "Lectures on the 

 Pastoral Office," "Lectures to Students;" in 

 1856, " Old Churches, Ministers, and Families 

 in Virginia." 



MEMPHIS. Immediately after the naval 

 engagement opposite Memphis, June 7, several 

 prominent citizens of the place went on board 

 the flag ship to inquire of Com. Davis his inten- 

 tions with respect to the city, and a correspon- 

 dence thereupon took place between the com- 

 modore and the mayor. (See ARMY OPERATIONS.) 



A satisfactory arrangement was thus made 

 with the civil authorities, all the more readily 

 as the mayor and a great many of the citizens 

 according to some accounts the majority were 

 TTnion men. In the mean time Col. Ellet, com- 

 manding the ram fleet, had made an independ- 

 ent movement toward placing the city under 

 the Federal authority, of which the following is 

 his official report to the Secretary of TVar : 



U. S. RAM SWITZERLAND, ) 

 OPPOSITE MEMPHIS, June 7, P. M. ( 

 Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War : 



SIR : Yesterday, after the engagement with the rebel 

 fleet had nearly terminated, and the gunboats and one 

 of my rams had passed below, I was informed that a 

 white flag had been raised in the city. I immediately 

 sent my son, a medical cadet, Chas. R. Ellet, ashore 

 with a flag of truce and the following note to the au- 

 thorities : 



"OPPOSITE MEMPHIS, June 6. I understand that the 

 city of Memphis has surrendered. I therefore send 

 my son, with two United States flags, with instruc- 

 tions to raise one upon the custom house and the other 

 upon the court house, as evidence of the return of your 

 city to the care and protection of the Constitution. 

 " CHAS. ELLET, JE., Commanding." 



The bearer of the flags and the above note was ac- 

 companied by Lieut.-Col. Conkell, of the Fifty-ninth 

 Illinois regiment, and sixty-two men of the boat guard. 



The following is the reply of the mayor of the city : 

 " MEMPHIS, June 6. 

 " Col. Chas. Ellet, Jr., Commanding, d-c. : 



" SIR : Your note of this date is received and the con- 

 tents noted. The civil authorities of this city are not 

 advised of its surrender to the forces of the United 

 States Government, and our reply to you is simply to 

 state respectfully that we have no power to oppose the 

 raising of the flags you have directed to be raised over 

 the custom house and post office. 



"JOHN PARK, Mayor." 



On receiving this reply the small party proceeded to 

 the post office to raise the national nag, and were 

 there joined by the mayor. It is proper to say that 

 the conduct of the mayor and some of the citizens was 

 unexceptionable. The party was surrounded by an 

 excited crowd, using angry and threatening language, 

 but they ascended to the" top of the post office and 

 planted the flag, though fired upon several times and 

 stoned by the mob below. Still I believe this conduct 

 was reprobated by the people of standing in the place; 

 indeed, many evidences of an extensive Union feeling 

 there reach me. Respectfullv, 



CHAS. ELLET, JR., 

 Commanding Ram Fleet. 



The same evening the citizens, to the num- 

 ber of some 2,000, reported themselves, armed 

 and equipped, to the provost marshal to pre- 

 vent the destruction of property by the mob, 



who it was feared would fire the city, in fulfil- 

 ment of a threat which had been made some 

 time previously; but, beyond the breaking 

 open of the Mississippi and Tennessee railroad 

 depot, little or no disorder occurred. The same 

 day Col. Fitch issued a proclamation to the 

 citizens, announcing that he had taken military 

 possession of the city. '' Residents who may 

 have fled from their homes/' he continues, 

 " are exhorted to return ; merchants and others 

 who have abandoned their business are re- 

 quested to reopen their stores and shops, ex- 

 cepting those dealing in intoxicating liquors, 

 who are forbidden to resume that traffic under 

 penalty of having the stock immediately de- 

 stroyed. The mayor and common council 

 will continue in the exercise of their municipal 

 functions, the military authorities simply coop- 

 erating with them in enforcing all proper ordi- 

 nances, unless some exigency arises rendering 

 it imperative to place the city under martial 

 law. It is hoped and believed, however, noth- 

 ing will occur to render this step necessary." 

 In fact, the most perfect tranquillity continued 

 to prevail ; the municipal authorities cooperat- 

 ed cordially with the military in preserving 

 order ; and great numbers of citizens, who had 

 fled on the destruction of the Confederate fleet, 

 began to return to their homes. Before the 

 surrender, 1.494 bales of cotton, and large 

 quantities of sugar and molasses, had been de- 

 stroyed by order of the Confederate Govern- 

 ment, but the citizens had succeeded in con- 

 cealing probably $150,000 worth of these 

 staples, which now began to find their way to 

 the levees. Any person was allowed to go 

 Xorth, or ship goods thither, on taking the oath 

 of allegiance. Trade was extremely dull for a 

 week or two; many of the shops remained 

 closed, and owing to the lack of every species 

 of currency except Confederate scrip, Xorth- 

 ern merchants, who had sent goods to Mem- 

 phis, were in several instances compelled to 

 re ship them. 



The Memphis post office was reopened on 

 June 13. 



On the same day Col. James R. Slack, of the 

 4Vth Indiana volunteers, assumed command of 

 the city, and immediately issued the following 

 order : 



General Orders No. 3. 



HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES FORCER, ) 

 MEMPHIS, TESX.. June 13. 1?62. f 

 Hereafter the dealing in and passage of currency 

 known as "Confederate Scrip or "Confederate 

 Notes" is positively prohibited, and the use thereof as 

 a circulating medium is regarded as an insult to the 

 Government of the United^ States, and an imposition 

 upon the ignorant and deluded. 



All persons offending against the provisions of this 

 order will be promptly arrested and severely punished 

 bv the militarv authorities. 

 "By order of" JAS. R. SLACK, 



Colonel Commanding Post. 



The Mayor and Board of Aldermen addressed 

 a letter to" Col. Slack, representing that in the 

 absence of almost all other money the order 

 above cited was certain to cause great distress 



