Flag Officer Davis pushed two unarmed vessels close to Liverpool Landing on 26 June. Their approach convinced Commander Robert Pinckney that a stronger Union force was imminent, so he ordered three Confederate gunboats burned. The ships were sacrificed without testing whether the scouts could actually attack them. Pinckney's decision sharply contrasts with Brown's willingness to assess an opponent's real strength and fight through uncertainty.
Notable Point · 32:17-32:41
Three Confederate gunboats are burned before unarmed scouts
Commander Robert Pinckney destroys three Yazoo River gunboats after two unarmed Union vessels approach Liverpool Landing.