Joint Expedition Against Franklin - Outcome

Outcome

The Confederate forces around Franklin held back the Navy and ultimately forced them, and the Army reconnaissance team, to retreat. While the Union Navy lost no ships, they suffered four casualties and 15 wounded; the Army suffered one fatality and six wounded, although General Dix believed the infantry to have robbed the enemy of 70–100 in return. For the Confederates, this was the 4th NC Cavalry's first combat action of the war, and gave Colonel Ferebee and his men confidence in their abilities; they and the other Confederate forces in Franklin spent the rest of October 1862 surveilling the Union forces across the river. After the Union shelling, most of Franklin's civilians left the town, leaving it in the hands of the Confederate soldiers there; they did not return until after the April 1865 surrender of General Lee. The Joint Expedition has been described as the only fighting of significance to occur in Southampton County, Virginia during the war.

For their distinguished services in the battle, Union servicemen Thomas Barton, John Breen, James H. Burbank, Daniel Lakin, Alfred Peterson, Edwin Smith, and John Williams were all awarded the Medal of Honor. In his summation of the Joint Expedition Against Franklin, Acting Rear-Admiral Lee said, "The Department will perceive that Lieutenant-Commander Flusser (senior officer present) displayed his usual gallantry, and that the officers and crews of the three gunboats did their parts well, under very trying and difficult circumstances."

In his After Action Report to Admiral Lee of October 6, 1862 (1862-10-06), Lieutenant Commander Flusser described his losses as heavy and opined that it was "folly to fight these people on the banks, where they have every advantage", and that he could not be of any further service to the Army forces. In the aftermath of the failed mission, both Navy and Army flag officers implied that the cause was attempting to cooperate with the respective sister service. Admiral Lee wrote to Naval Secretary Gideon Welles that "where the situation does not allow gunboats to take care of themselves, they can not assist the army." Further, General Peck wrote to General Dix saying, "there is great uncertainty in operations with gunboats."