Mississippi Marine Brigade
Encyclopedia
The Mississippi Marine Brigade was a Union Army
unit raised during the American Civil War
as part of the United States Ram Fleet
. These soldiers acted as Marines aboard United States Army
ram
s patrolling
the Mississippi River
. The unit was commanded by members of the Ellet family and was organized as part of the Regular Army
instead of a State unit.
The unit was organized in early 1863 and consisted of about 350 officers and men, including boat crews which used nine small light-armored boats fitted as rams.
's expedition to Richmond, LA and skirmished with the Confederates, losing 3 wounded. On 20 June 1863, Admiral David Dixon Porter
reported that two 10-pdr. Parrott rifle
s placed by the brigade on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River had much annoyed the Confederates for two or three days. Gen'l Ellett ordered work begun on a casemate fort on the point opposite the city of Vicksburg, MS on 19 June 1863. The fortification was completed in four days being covered with a thickness of railroad iron. A 20-pdr. Parrott gun was emplaced within and opened fire on the city the morning of 23 June 1863. The Confederates responded firing 17 rounds from 5 different guns. The fort was further strengthened by adding another thickness of railroad iron. Fire from the Parrott gun in the fort was maintained until the end of the siege with a total of 98 rounds being expended. Considerable damage to the Confederates was accomplished especially by stopping work at the foundry and machine shop. The fort was repeatedly struck but without material damage and without loss of life. The fort was erected and the gun put into position under the direction of Lt. Col. George E. Currie. The gun was commanded and sighted by Capt. Thomas C. Groshon in person. The brigade also placed a brass Dahlgren
in a casemate near the 20-pdr. Parrott. On 25 - 30 June 1863, a detachment of the brigade on the steamer John Rains, formed a part of an expedition to Greenville, MS under the command of Lt. Col. Samuel J. Nasmith of the 25th Wisconsin Infantry
. At Goodrich's Landing
on 30 June 1863 the brigade lost 1 officer (Capt. Wright) KIA .
wrote: "They (the officers and men of the Marine Brigade) are not subject to my orders." By order of the Secretary of War the army assumed full jurisdiction over the brigade in October of 1863.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
unit raised during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as part of the United States Ram Fleet
United States Ram Fleet
The United States Ram Fleet was a small group of rams on the Mississippi River during the American Civil War.-Formation:In March 1862, the U.S. Army authorized the noted civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr., to establish a flotilla of steam rams for employment on the Western Rivers. Ellet converted...
. These soldiers acted as Marines aboard United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
ram
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
s patrolling
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The unit was commanded by members of the Ellet family and was organized as part of the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
instead of a State unit.
Organization
This unit was an army command operating under the direction of the U.S. Navy consisting of artillery, cavalry and infantry and a fleet of boats for transportation and was commanded by Brig. Gen. Alfred W. Ellett.The unit was organized in early 1863 and consisted of about 350 officers and men, including boat crews which used nine small light-armored boats fitted as rams.
Vicksburg Campaign
The brigade reached the fleet above Vicksburg on 29 May 1863. On 14 June 1863, the unit joined Brig. Gen. Joseph A. MowerJoseph A. Mower
Joseph Anthony Mower was a Union general during the American Civil War. He was a competent officer and well respected by his troops and fellow officers to whom he was known as "Fighting Joe". William T. Sherman said of Mower, "he's the boldest young officer we have".-Biography:Mower was born in...
's expedition to Richmond, LA and skirmished with the Confederates, losing 3 wounded. On 20 June 1863, Admiral David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter
David Dixon Porter was a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the United States Navy. Promoted as the second man to the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G...
reported that two 10-pdr. Parrott rifle
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
s placed by the brigade on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River had much annoyed the Confederates for two or three days. Gen'l Ellett ordered work begun on a casemate fort on the point opposite the city of Vicksburg, MS on 19 June 1863. The fortification was completed in four days being covered with a thickness of railroad iron. A 20-pdr. Parrott gun was emplaced within and opened fire on the city the morning of 23 June 1863. The Confederates responded firing 17 rounds from 5 different guns. The fort was further strengthened by adding another thickness of railroad iron. Fire from the Parrott gun in the fort was maintained until the end of the siege with a total of 98 rounds being expended. Considerable damage to the Confederates was accomplished especially by stopping work at the foundry and machine shop. The fort was repeatedly struck but without material damage and without loss of life. The fort was erected and the gun put into position under the direction of Lt. Col. George E. Currie. The gun was commanded and sighted by Capt. Thomas C. Groshon in person. The brigade also placed a brass Dahlgren
Dahlgren gun
Dahlgren guns were muzzle loading naval artillery designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren USN, mostly used in the period of the American Civil War. Dahlgren's design philosophy evolved from an accidental explosion in 1849 of a 32-pounder being tested for accuracy, killing a gunner...
in a casemate near the 20-pdr. Parrott. On 25 - 30 June 1863, a detachment of the brigade on the steamer John Rains, formed a part of an expedition to Greenville, MS under the command of Lt. Col. Samuel J. Nasmith of the 25th Wisconsin Infantry
25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 25th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 25th Wisconsin was organized at La Crosse, Wisconsin and mustered into Federal service September 14, 1862....
. At Goodrich's Landing
Battle of Goodrich's Landing
The Battle of Goodrich's Landing was fought on June 29 and June 30, 1863, between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The Confederates attacked several Union black regiments that were protecting several captured plantations...
on 30 June 1863 the brigade lost 1 officer (Capt. Wright) KIA .
Transfer to Army jurisdiction
A ruling of the Judge-Advocate General, dated 11 Jun 1863, seems to make the brigade a "special contingent of the Army and not the Navy," but as late as 23 July 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
wrote: "They (the officers and men of the Marine Brigade) are not subject to my orders." By order of the Secretary of War the army assumed full jurisdiction over the brigade in October of 1863.
See also
- Mississippi River SquadronMississippi River SquadronThe Mississippi River Squadron was the Union naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and was then known as the Western Gunboat Flotilla and sometimes as the...
- Alfred W. ElletAlfred W. ElletAlfred Washington Ellet was a civil engineer and a brigadier general in the Union Army who commanded the United States Ram Fleet during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
- Charles Ellet, Jr.Charles Ellet, Jr.Charles Ellet, Jr. was a civil engineer and a colonel during the American Civil War, mortally wounded at the Battle of Memphis.-Biography:Ellet was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, brother of Alfred W...
- Charles R. ElletCharles R. ElletCharles Rivers Ellet was a medical student who became a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for his command of the ram Queen of the West during the Vicksburg Campaign in 1863....
- USS Ellet (DD-398)USS Ellet (DD-398)USS Ellet was a Benham-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for five members of the Ellet family of Pennsylvania who rendered service during the American Civil War: Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr.; Brigadier General Alfred W. Ellet; Colonel Charles R. Ellet;...