The press correspondents occupied various positions during the engagement.  Mr. Coffin, of the Boston Journal, was on the tug belonging to the flag-ship, and had a fine view of the whole affair.  One of The Herald correspondents was in the pilot-house of the gun-boat Cairo, while Mr. Colburn, of The World, was on the captured steamer Sovereign.  “Junius,” of The Tribune, and Mr. Vizitelly, of the London Illustrated News, with several others, were on the transport Dickey, the general rendezvous of the journalists.  The representative of the St. Louis Republican and myself were on the Platte Valley, in rear of the line of battle.  The Platte Valley was the first private boat that touched the Memphis landing after the capture of the city.

The battle being over, we were anxious to get on shore and look at the people and city of Memphis.  Shortly after the fighting ceased, Colonel Ellet sent the ram Lioness, under a flag-of-truce, to demand the surrender of the city.  To this demand no response was given.  A little later, Flag-Officer Davis sent the following note to the Mayor, at the hands of one of the officers of the gun-boat Benton:—­

UNITED STATES FLAG-STEAMER BENTON,
OFF MEMPHIS, June 6, 1862.

SIR:—­I have respectfully to request that you will surrender the city of Memphis to the authority of the United States, which I have the honor to represent.  I am, Mr. Mayor, with high respect, your most obedient servant, C. H. DAVIS, Flag-Officer Commanding.

To his Honor, the Mayor of Memphis.

To this note the following reply was received:—­

MAYOR’S OFFICE, MEMPHIS, June 6, 1862.

C. H. Davis, Flag-Officer Commanding: 

SIR:—­Your note of this date is received and contents noted.  In reply I have only to say that, as the civil authorities have no means of defense, by the force of circumstances the city is in your hands.  Respectfully, John Park, Mayor of Memphis.

At the meeting, four days before, the citizens of Memphis had solemnly pledged themselves never to surrender.  There was a vague understanding that somebody was to do a large amount of fighting, whenever Memphis was attacked.  If this fighting proved useless, the city was to be fired in every house, and only abandoned after its complete destruction.  It will be seen that the note of the mayor, in response to a demand for surrender, vindicates the honor of Memphis.  It merely informs the United States officer that the city has fallen “by the force of circumstances.”  Since that day I have frequently heard its citizens boast that the place was not surrendered.  “You came in,” say they, “and took possession, but we did not give up to you.  We declared we would never surrender, and we kept our word.”

About eleven o’clock in the forenoon, the transports arrived with our infantry, and attempted to make a landing.  As their mooring-lines were thrown on shore they were seized by dozens of persons in the crowd, and the crews were saved the trouble of making fast.  This was an evidence that the laboring class, the men with blue shirts and shabby hats, were not disloyal.  We had abundant evidence of this when our occupation became a fixed fact.  It was generally the wealthy who adhered to the Rebel cause.