The Battle of Tampa was a minor engagement of the American Civil War fought June 30–July 1, 1862, between the United States Navy and a Confederate artillery company charged with protecting the ports of Tampa, a small but notable trade hub for the Confederacy, now facing a full-scale Union naval blockade along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln† Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+  The... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Cigar City, The Big Guava, T-Town Official website: http://www. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans February 4, 1861–May 1... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans February 4, 1861–May 1... The Battle of Forts Jackson and St. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The Battle of Secessionville occurred on June 16, 1862 in the American Civil War. ... Combatants Union (remaining U.S. states) Confederate States of America Commanders Abraham Lincoln† Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,200 Casualties KIA: 110,100 Total dead: 359,500 Wounded: 275,200 KIA: 94,000 Total dead: 258,000 Wounded: 137,000+  The... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ... Some Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was formed in February, 1861, to defend the Confederate States of America, which had itself been formed that same year when seven southern states seceded from the United States (with four more to follow). ... Nickname: Cigar City, The Big Guava, T-Town Official website: http://www. ... Map of the division of the states during the Civil War. ... A blockade is an effort usually (but not always, see below) at sea, to prevent supplies from reaching the enemy. ...

Background

By the summer of 1862, plans were in place in Washington to further tighten this blockade by capturing major ports throughout the Confederacy, à la New Orleans, which was captured in April 1862, as well as other towns along the Mississippi River (most notably Vicksburg). It was common knowledge among the Union's chief military strategists that the sooner the blockade could effectively seal off the Confederacy from any level of commerce, the sooner the import-dependent Confederates would quickly be forced to surrender, lacking the materiel necessary to sustain a war of attrition, as the Union infantry would ultimately have to attempt to put on the Confederacy at various points in the war. 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... This article is about the river in the United States. ... Vicksburg is a city located in Warren County, Mississippi, 234 miles (377 km) north by west of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers. ... The War of Attrition was a limited war fought between Egypt and Israel from 1968 to 1970. ...

Battle action

On June 30, a Union gunboat came into Tampa Bay, turned her broadside on the town, and opened her ports. The gunboat then launched a dispatch carrying 20 men led by Lieutenant A. J. Drake under a flag of truce demanding the surrender of Tampa. The Confederates refused, and the gunboat opened fire. Drake then informed the Confederates that shelling would commence at 6:00 p.m. after allowing time to evacuate non-combatants from the city. Firing continued sporadically into the afternoon of July 1, when the Federal gunboat withdrew. June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary on the western coast of Florida. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ...

Aftermath

The Battle of Tampa could be called a Confederate victory, but ultimately one of little or no consequence. As it turned out, the Union had relatively little trouble defeating the disorganized Rebel forces in the Western Theater, and within a year of the Battle of Tampa, the capture of Vicksburg cemented Union control of the Mississippi River, severely compromising the Confederacy's already limited infrastructure far more than a successful Florida Campaign ever could.

References

• National Park Service battle description