Charles Rivers Ellet Epilogue

Charles Rivers Ellet (and I love his middle name considering his service) was not finished after his Queen of the West was lost.

On March 26, he ran his ram Switzerland past Vicksburg again.  The ram Lancaster was with him, commanded by his cousin, John A. Ellet.  Both ships received heavy fire from the Vicksburg batteries and the Lancaster was run aground and sunk to prevent capture by Confederate forces.

The Switzerland was damaged, but repaired and continued duty on the Mississippi River until the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson.  Ellet also went on to command the Marine Brigade.

He died very young at the age of 21 on October 29, 1863.

--Old B-Runner

MCCWRT to Have a Naval Slant Tuesday...Sort Of

The MCCWRT (MCCWRT) will hold its monthly meeting this Tuesday, May 14, at the Woodstock Public Library at 414 W. Judd Street in Woodstock, Illinois.

It will be both in person and via ZOOM from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Ed Urban about the Ellet Raid at Vicksburg.  This will involve the Mississippi Marine Brigade which was a Union Army amphibious unit which included the United States Ram fleet (hence the naval aspect).

The brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Alfred W. Ellet and operated in coordination with the Mississippi River squadron.

All are invited to a pre-meeting get-together for dinner or snacks at 3 Brothers Restaurant in Woodstock on Illinois Highway 47.

Come On By.  --Old B-Runner

150 Years Ago: The U.S. Ram Fleet History-- Part 2

"In November, 1863, the Secretary of War decided upon enlarging the fleet by... what was known as the Mississippi Marine Brigade....

"The fleet was continued in service until August 1864, when the War Department thought the necessity of such an organization no longer existed, and it was mustered out of the service and the boats turned over to the quartermasters...to be used as transports."

--Old B-R'er

150 Years Ago: Mississippi U.S. Ram Fleet History-- Part 1

NOVEMBER 1, 1865:  James Brooks, formerly of the U.S. Ram Fleet and Mississippi Marine Brigade, wrote a brief sketch of the ram fleet history to Brigadier general L.B. Parsons, Chief of Transportation Department in St. Louis:  "The idea...of destroying the enemy's fleet by the use of rams originated with Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr. ...About the last of March, 1862, the Secretary of War invited him to his office to consult on the subject, and ordered him...to procure the boats and make the necessary alterations...

"It (the ram fleet)...was at Memphis on the morning of 6th June (1862) and participated in the battle....  The result was a great triumph for the rams, and fully came up to the expectations of Colonel Ellet and the Government...."

--Old B-Runner

Naval Happenings 150 Years Ago: May 24th to 26th, 1863

MAY 24TH

Confederates firedon the commissary and quartermaster boat of the Marine Brigade above Austin, Mississippi.  Ellet's force went ashore and engaged them.

MAY 24TH TO 30TH

Union ships ascended the Yazoo River and burned four steamers and destroyed places along the river.


MAY 25TH

CSS Alabama burned ship Gildersleeve and bonded the Justice off Bahia, Brazil.


MAY 26TH

General Banks writes Farragut asking him to have his  "mortars destroy the enemy's rest at night" at Port Hudson.  They were.

Old B-R'er

The Mississippi Marine Brigade and Mississippi River Squadron

From Wikipedia

A few weeks ago, I was writing about the ship Queen of the West, commanded by Charles Rivers Ellet and mentioned that it had been in the Mississippi River Squadron and under Army command at one time.

This has always been a confusing item to me, so did the old Wiki thing.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER SQUADRON

Initially was part of the Army though commanded by Naval officers and originally known as the Western Gunboat Flotilla.  Still confused here.  Ellet was an Army officer.


MISSISSIPPI MARINE BRIGADE

Was a Union Army unit raised as part of the US Ram Fleet.  They acted as Marines and would be transported on the rams from place to place.  Their main duty was to fight Confederate guerrillas operating along Western rivers.

Commanded by members of the Ellet family and were part of the regular Army.

Organized in early 1863 with 350 men and officers.

The Queen of the West-- Part 3

The Queen of the West also traded shots with the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas.  On October, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles reorganized the Western Flotilla, naming it the Mississippi Squadron under the command of David Dixon Porter.

In November, the ram fleet was transferred to the Navy from the Army by Lincoln (which would explain why a colonel would be commanding a warship).  But the rams more or less continued to operate independently of the Navy control.

Early in 1863, Porter formed the Mississippi Marine Brigade intended to fight Confederate guerrillas who were a major problem.  It  consisted of 350 men under Army command, artillery and cavalry.  They were ferried by the rams which were under Navy command.  But the officers remained Army. 

Charles Ellet's brother, Alfred was appointed brigadier general and placed in command of the brigade.  Charles Rivers Ellet, his nephew, was placed in command of the Queen of the West.

Old B-Runner

Not Much Info on the Ella Wharley and USS Dick Fulton

ELLA WHARLEY

Thursday, I posted about the wreck of the ship Ella Wharley being found off the coast of New Jersey.  I looked it up and wasn't able to find out much other than it had been a blockade runner that was captured April 25, 1862, by the USS Santiago de Cuba, Comander Ridsley, 120 miles off Port Royal.  Evidently it was sold to a civilian interest.


USS FULTON

Wikipedia.  Also called the Dick Fulton, a 123 ton stern wheel steamer used as an auxiliary ship in the U.S. Ram Fleet.  It later served in the Ram Fleet's successor, the Mississippi Marine Brigade, something I know nothing about so will have to research that.

It was acquired in 1862 and out of service in 1865 when it was sold to civilian interests.  Evidently, the ship did not surrender and was repaired.

Didn't Know That.  --Old B-R'er