Ellet, Charles Rivers, 1843-1863
Americans
English
Biographical notes:
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.
Links to collections
Baynham, William, 1749-1814,. Papers of the Hunter-Garnett Family [manuscript] 1703-1970 (bulk, 1770-1880).
University of Virginia. Library
Ellet, Charles, 1810-1862. Correspondence with Robert Montgomery Bird, 1849-1853.
University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
Ellet family. Ellet family papers, 1839-1968, bulk 1861-1864.
Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Cabell, William Daniel, 1834-1904. Papers of William Daniel Cabell and the Cabell and Ellet families [manuscript], 1798-1955.
University of Virginia. Library
Weather Bureau
National Archives at College Park
Gibbes, Lewis Reeves, 1810-1894. Papers, 1793-1894 (bulk 1838-1894)
Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
Bache, A. D. (Alexander Dallas), 1806-1867. Alexander Dallas Bache Papers, 1821-1869
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Ellet, Alfred Washington, 1820-1895. Papers, 1759-1870.
Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
Dunnington, Francis P. University of Virginia maps and plats [manuscript], 1856-1869, n.d.
University of Virginia. Library
Coffin, James H. (James Henry), 1806-1873. James Henry Coffin Papers, 1848-1884
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.). Committee on Science and Arts. Records, 1824-1900 [microform].
Hagley Museum & Library
Brown, John Howard, 1840-1917. American naval heroes : Charles H. Davis, Charles Ellet, Samuel F. Dupont, David D. Porter / [by John Howard Brown]
The Mariners' Museum Library
American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIe. 1845-1865.
American Philosophical Society
Philip Case Lockwood memorial collection of Civil War portraits and autographs, 1862-ca. 1886.
Houghton Library
Gibbes, Lewis Reeves, 1810-1894. Papers, 1793-1894 (bulk 1838-1894)
Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary. Correspondence, 1863-1879
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Brown, J. Crosby (James Crosby), 1929-1990. Research notes on steam-navigation on canals.
Hagley Museum & Library
Harvard University Archives Photograph Collection: Portraits, ca. 1852-ca. 2004
Harvard University Archives.
Hulett, Theodore Graves. History of the Niagara iron basket, 1890 Aug. 14.
Buffalo History Museum, Research Library
Ellet, Mary Israel, 1780-1870. Mary Ellet autobiography, 1870.
Historical Society of Delaware
Warren, William Fredrick, 1840-1926. Papers, 1862-1923.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Goodwin, Josiah H., 1841-1918. Josiah Goodwin diaries and research collection, 1862-1864, 1983-1984.
Louisiana State University, LSU Libraries
Autograph File, E, 1564-1961.
Houghton Library
Brown, Alexander, 1843-1906. Letter to W. D. Cabell. Virginia. 1892 Mar. 29.
University of Iowa Libraries
Related names in SNAC
correspondedWith
Alexander, John H.
correspondedWith
Bache, Alexander Dallas
correspondedWith
Blodget, Lorin
associatedWith
Brown, Alexander, 1843-1906.
associatedWith
Brown, J. Crosby (James Crosby), 1929-1990.
associatedWith
Brown, John Howard, 1840-1917.
associatedWith
Cabell, William Daniel, 1834-1904.
associatedWith
Cabell, William Daniel, 1834-1904.
sibling of
Ellet, Alfred Washington, 1820-1895
associatedWith
Ellet, Alfred Washington, 1820-1895.
associatedWith
Ellet, Mary Israel, 1780-1870.
correspondedWith
Foreman, Edward (Dr.)
correspondedWith
Fox, Gustavus Vasa
correspondedWith
Gibbes, Lewis Reeves, 1810-1894.
associatedWith
Goodwin, Josiah H., 1841-1918.
correspondedWith
Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878
associatedWith
Hulett, Theodore Graves.
associatedWith
Humboldt, F. W. H. Alexander Von
correspondedWith
Humphreys, A. A. (General)
associatedWith
Jewett, Charles Coffin
associatedWith
Lockwood, Philip Case, 1844-1897
associatedWith
Lockwood, Philip Case, 1844-1897
associatedWith
Lyell, Charles, Sir
correspondedWith
Mantell, Reginald
correspondedWith
Morse, Samuel F. B.
correspondedWith
Smith, Fred A.
correspondedWith
Steuart, George H.
associatedWith
Warren, William Fredrick, 1840-1926.
associatedWith
Cabell, William Daniel, 1834-1904.
associatedWith
Lockwood, Philip Case, 1844-1897
associatedWith
Ellet family.
associatedWith
American Philosophical Society.
correspondedWith
Smithsonian Institution
Collection Locations
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Information
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
Occupations:
- Medical students
- Soldiers
Places:
- Vicksburg, MS, US
- Township of Bunker Hill, IL, US
- Philadelphia, PA, US