The United States Ram Fleet was a small group of rams on 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...

 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...

.

Formation

In March 1862, the U.S. 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...

 authorized the noted civil engineer 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...

, to establish a flotilla of steam rams for employment on the Western Rivers. Ellet converted several powerful river towboat

Towboat

Not to be confused with the historic boat type with the same name, also called horse-drawn boat.A towboat is a boat designed for pushing barges or car floats. Towboats are characterized by a square bow with steel knees for pushing and powerful engines...

s, heavily reinforcing their hulls for ramming. These ships had light protection for their boilers, engines and upper works (upper works were protected with wood and cotton). They were originally given no artillery, later they were fitted with several guns. With the rank of Colonel, Ellet led his force in action during the Battle of Memphis

Battle of Memphis

The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately above the city of Memphis on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. It resulted in a crushing defeat for the Rebels, and marked the...

 on June 6, 1862, where rams played an important role in the Union

Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...

 victory against the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 River Defense Fleet. However, Colonel Ellet died several days later of a wound received at that action.

Mississippi Marine Brigade

After Charles Ellet's death, his younger brother Alfred W. Ellet

Alfred W. Ellet

Alfred 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:...

 took command of the rams. The unit was reorganized as the Mississippi Marine Brigade

Mississippi Marine Brigade

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 rams patrolling the Mississippi River...

 in early 1863. Under the younger Ellet's leadership, the rams figured prominently in actions around and below Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...

, into 1863. Ellet's ram fleet was under the command of the Army even after the transfer of the Western Gunboat Flotilla to the Navy and was always somewhat independent of Navy command. The Ellet fleet was disestablished in August 1864, and its surviving ships were transferred to other duties.

Ships

The Ram Fleet included the following ships:

• USS Lancaster
  USS Lancaster (1855)
  The USS Lancaster was a sidewheel civilian steamer tow boat built in 1855 at Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally it was named Lancaster Number 3 then the Kosciusko. In March through May 1862, she was purchased and converted to a ram by Lt. Col. Charles Ellet, Jr...
  
  
• USS Monarch
• USS Queen of the West
• USS Switzerland
• USS Lioness
  USS Lioness
  Built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1857, the steam ram Lioness was purchased by the War Department and converted to a ram for Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr.'s U.S. Ram Fleet. Commissioned in 1862, Lieutenant Warren D...
  
  
• USS Mingo
  USS Mingo (1862)
  The first USS Mingo, a stern-wheel steamer built at California, Pennsylvania, in 1859 and used to tow coal barges, was purchased at Pittsburgh by Lt. Col...
  
  
• USS Samson
• USS Fulton
  USS Fulton (1862)
  The USS Fulton was a 123 ton stern-wheel steamer, used as an auxiliary vessel in the United States Ram Fleet during the American Civil War. The ship later served in the Ram Fleet successor, the Mississippi Marine Brigade.- External links :...
  
  
• USS T. D. Horner
  USS T. D. Horner (1859)
  The USS T. D. Horner was a stern-wheel steamer built in 1859 at Brownsville, Pennsylvania and was part of Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr.'s United States Ram Fleet during the American Civil War.-Civil War service:...