Ellet, Charles Rivers, 1843-1863

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Name Entries *

Ellet, Charles Rivers, 1843-1863

Computed Name Heading

Name Components

Surname :

Ellet

Forename :

Charles Rivers

Date :

1843-1863

eng

Latn

authorizedForm

rda

Genders

Male

Exist Dates

Exist Dates - Date Range

1843-06-01

June 1, 1843

Birth

1863-10-29

October 29, 1863

Death

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Biographical History

Ellet was born on June 1, 1843 in Philadelphia, the son of the noted civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr. He was studying medicine at Georgetown University when the Civil War began. He served as an Army Assistant Surgeon during 1861-62. In the spring of 1862, when his father established the U.S. Ram Fleet, an Army unit of river steamers converted to rams, Charles Rivers Ellet transferred to that organization. Promoted to the rank of colonel later in the year, he commanded the ram Queen of the West during her daring independent operations below Vicksburg in February 1863. While operating on the Red River and after capturing some rebel riverboats, Ellet moved the Queen upstream to investigate reports of steamships at Gordon's Landing near Marksville, Louisiana. She came under heavy fire by the shore batteries of Fort DeRussy and was run aground onto the right bank by her pilot instead of backing down river as ordered. She was directly under Confederate guns, which pounded her until Ellet ordered "abandon ship,". The Queen was not burned out of concern for the Captain of the ship who was wounded and could not be moved. In his official report, Ellet alleged the grounding was done purposely by the replacement pilot who he accused in his report of being a rebel sympathizer. During their escape downstream, the pilot also grounded the captured Era running the paddles long after contact, whereupon the pilot was placed under arrest. Ellet was next placed in command of the ram Switzerland, in which he steamed past the Vicksburg fortifications in March 1863. He later commanded the infantry of the Mississippi Marine Brigade until his health failed. Ellet died at Bunker Hill, Illinois.

eng

Latn

External Related CPF

http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5081829

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Languages Used

eng

Latn

Subjects

Architecture

Army Engineers

Civil engineering

Exchanges Of Publications

Meteorology

Physical geography

Quackery Or Pseudo Science

Scientific publications

Smithsonian Building

Smithsonian Endowment

Smithsonian Library

Smithsonian Publications

Nationalities

Americans

Activities

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Medical students

Soldiers

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Places

Vicksburg

MS, US

AssociatedPlace

Siege of Vicksburg

Township of Bunker Hill

IL, US

AssociatedPlace

Death

Philadelphia

PA, US

AssociatedPlace

Birth

Convention Declarations

<conventionDeclaration><citation>VIAF</citation></conventionDeclaration>

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Mandates

Identity Constellation Identifier(s)

w6pw78kk

84095232