Title: Frank M. Renshaw Papers

Date/Date Range :   1862-1877 (bulk 1862)

Extent: 0.1 linear feet

Abstract:

The Frank M. Renshaw Papers contain a 100 page diary, an 1871 photograph of seven unidentified men, and an 1877 railroad pass. The diary contains entries from January to November, 1862, and tells of the Battles of Fort Pillow, Plum Run Bend, and Memphis, as well as the sailor's time spent on the USS Judge Torrence of the United States Navy.

Call number: MS-2764

Repository: University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN

Aquisition Information:

This collection was purchased by Special Collections in April 2006.

Access Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Copyright:

The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of Item], Frank M. Renshaw Papers, MS-2764. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Special Collections Library.

This collection contains three items in one folder.

Frank M. Renshaw served the United States Navy on the USS Judge Torrence until November, 1862 when he was discharged and returned to Clinton, Pennsylvania.

The Battle of Plum Run Bend in Tennessee on May 10, 1862 was a Confederate victory that set the stage for the Battle of Memphis. Union ironclads were upset by Confederate forces, and those forces retired to Memphis and the surrounding area where they were later attacked by Union forces.

The Battle of Memphis, June 6, 1862 was a critical Union victory because it opened another portion of the Mississippi River to Union control. After one and one half hours of battle, Union forces sank or captured all but one Confederate vessel, more than making up for their defeat at Plum Run Bend.

This 100 page diary was written by Frank M. Renshaw who served on the USS Judge Torrence of the United States Navy in 1862. All entries are of excellent quality, but the most interesting are those from March to November that tell of the Battles of Plum Run Bend and Memphis, as well as early bombardments of Fort Pillow, Vicksburg, and the capture of Confederate ships.

This collection also includes an 1871 photograph of seven unidentified men and an 1877 railroad pass.

• Renshaw, Frank M.
• Civil War, 1861-1865.
• United States of America. Navy--Civil War, 1861-1865.
• Memphis (Tenn.)--Civil War, 1861-1865.
• Fort Pillow.
• Battle of Plum Run Bend.