Those Civil War histories which bother to mention the Mississippi Marine Brigade devote, at most, one or two lines to the story of this Federal unit. The purpose of this article is twofold: to shed a modicum of light on this relatively obscure unit; and to provide some fresh ideas for small-unit actions in skirmish gaming.

No discussion of the Mississippi Marine Brigade is complete, however, without mention of the Union's Mississippi Ram Fleet. The idea for the ram fleet originated with Charles Ellet, Jr., a Pennsylvania civil engineer and longtime proponent of the steam ram as a naval weapon. When Ellet suggested the use of rams on the Mississippi, the idea was rejected by the Navy Department. Ellet was, however, able to convince Secretary of war Stanton of the soundness of his idea. Stanton gave him authority to purchase, outfit, and command, with the rank of colonel, any number of ships he thought necessary to defeat the Confederate fleet that was expected to operate on the Mississippi.

Private Enterprise

Using his own funds and donations, Ellet purchased nine old steamboats, reinforced their hulls and bows with strong timbers, and protected the boilers with oak timbering a couple of feet thick. The design of shallow-draft riverboats necessarily placed the boilers in exposed locations which made them vulnerable to any kind of gunfire. The maritime literature of the period also discloses that riverboat boilers had the unfortunate tendency to explode at inopportune moments.

The vintage steamboats purchased by Ellet were the Dick Fulton, Lancaster, Lioness, Mingo, Monarch, Queen of the West, Samson, Switzerland, and the T. D. Horner. In forty days, nine rams and two floating batteries were built at a cost of under three hundred thousand dollars.

At Charles' insistence, his brother Alfred, a captain with the 59th Illinois Regiment, was transferred to the Ram Fleet with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Alfred brought with him three lieutenants and fifty men from his old regiment to act as marines and sharpshooters aboard his brother's boats. These men were released from service with the 59th Illinois in order to serve in the capacity of Federal troops in the Ram Fleet.

It must be understood that the Ram Fleet was a private venture, even though Charles Ellet held Army rank, and except for the troops from the 59th Illinois, the crews were recruited by Ellet and paid for by the War Department. The rate of pay was standard river wages plus a bonus for enemy vessels destroyed or captured.

Charles Ellet took a pistol ball in the knee at the naval battle of Memphis and died of his wound on June 21, 1862. By order of the War Department, command of the Ram Fleet passed to Lieutenant Colonel Alfred W. Ellet.

Secretary Stanton recommended that Lieutenant Colonel Ellet be promoted to brigadier general for his gallantry in ramming and attempting to sink the C.S.S. Arkansas on July 15, 1862, while he was in command of the Queen of the West.

Upon promotion, Brigadier General Ellet made his nephew, Charles Rivers Ellet, a colonel in the Marine Brigade. (It is easy to charge that the Ellet family had a tendency towards nepotism, considering that six members of the family served as officers in the Ram Fleet's Marine Brigade.)

While Ellet's Ram Fleet was engaging Confederate shipping, Flag Officer Davis' gunboat flotilla was busy supporting the Union army against the guerrilla activity that was increasing along the Mississippi.

Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles was not pleased with the subordination of the Mississippi gunboat flotilla to the Army, and on October 1, 1862, the gunboats were transferred back to the Naval Department and became known as the Mississippi Squadron. Acting Rear Admiral Porter was given command of the Mississippi Squadron on October 15.

The Ram Fleet

The Ram Fleet, however, remained under Ellet's independent command. Porter could not accept a situation in which an independent naval force on the Mississippi fell outside his command, and even worse, reported directly to the War Department. To reiterate, the vessels of the Ram Fleet were privately purchased and were crewed mostly by civilians. Nonetheless, Porter, quite understandably, wanted this naval force under his command. Porter also wanted contingents of U.S. Marines placed aboard his vessels to protect them from guerrillas, but there were not enough marines to go around and his request was denied.

Porter approached Ellet with the idea of forming his men into a marine brigade that would operate in conjunction with his vessels, as a mobile strike force against Confederate guerrillas. Ellet agreed with Porter's suggestion.

The idea was submitted to Washington, and on November 11, 1862, General-in-Chief Henry Halleck sent the following telegram to Brigadier General A. W. Ellet:

The Secretary of War directs that you immediately proceed to organize a marine brigade for service on the Mississippi River, to consist of one regiment of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, and one battery of light artillery. These will be called Mississippi volunteers, and the officers will be commissioned by the President of the United States. They will be organized in the same manner as is provided by law for other volunteers, and will act, under your command, in connection with the ram fleet and in cooperation with the Western gun-boats . . . The brigade should be organized with all possible dispatch. From your known capacity and energy, much will be expected of you in raising this brigade and its employment on the Western Waters. (O.R., Series 3, Vol. 2, pp. 761-762).

Brigade Organized

On March 4, 1863, Brigadier General Ellet reported the following to Stanton:

Six companies infantry organized, 527 men; four companies cavalry organized, 368 men; one company of artillery, 140 men; six guns light artillery. Two hundred recruits just received; will be organized by Friday. The whole force is now coming on the boats. Five boats are here receiving the command. Quartermaster and commissary's boat arrive to-morrow. Hospital boat is not yet finished. (O.R., Series 3, Vol. 3, pp. 59).

This newly formed brigade was supported by the hospital and commissary boat Woodford and the transport ships Autocrat, Adams, Baltic, Diana, E. H. Fairchild, and John Raine.

Action at Vicksburg

On May 20, 1863, Ellet was ordered to take his Marine Brigade down the Mississippi to Vicksburg and support the army units which were operating there. On May 23, the Woodford, which had fallen behind the transport vessels, was fired on by a concealed battery of Confederate Colonel Stillman's brigade about six miles above Austin, Mississippi.

On the morning of May 24, the hot-blooded Ellet made an unopposed landing at Austin, but was unable to learn the location of Slemon's troops from the local citizenry. (Slemon's brigade consisted of a detachment of guns from the Quitman Light Artillery, the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry, and Blyhte's Mississippi Cavalry Regiment.)

The Marine Brigade's cavalry battalion, under the command of Major Hubbard, was sent out to patrol the area in an attempt to locate the Confederates and teach them a lesson. The patrol eventually found the Confederates about eight miles east of Austin. The outnumbered Union troopers dismounted, took cover in a nearby ravine, and engaged the Confederates in a firefight.

Upon hearing the sound of the distant fight, Ellet sent his infantry to relieve Major Hubbard's cavalry. Colonel W. F. Slemon's troops were aware of the proximity of Yankee reinforcements, so they broke off the engagement and fled to the east on horseback. "In this sharp clash, the Union lost 2 killed and 19 wounded; the Rebels had 3 killed, 12 wounded, and 3 taken prisoner." (Bearss, p.330).

Ellet's men returned to Austin, burned the town, and resumed their river trek to Vicksburg. Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, upon hearing that the Marine Brigade was in the Vicksburg area, ordered the Water Battery to be prepared for an amphibious attack by the Union force.

Major General Ulysses S. Grant, however, had other plans for the Marine Brigade. He requested that Porter send the brigade to Haynes (Snyders) Bluff and hold it until reinforcements could be sent.

On June 1, Ellet dropped his infantry off at Haynes Bluff and headed toward Memphis with his six transports. He was under orders to transport Sooy Smith's division from Memphis to the Vicksburg area of operation. Smith's troops were not in Memphis when Ellet arrived, so he sent his cavalry out on a reconnaissance patrol of the Arkansas coast. The cavalry penetrated as far inland as Marion, capturing seven Confederates. By June 12, the brigade's boats had finished transporting Smith's troops to Vicksburg and Ellet brought his infantry back aboard his vessels.

Porter gave Ellet permission to take a 20-pounder rifle from one of his transports and set it up on the Louisiana peninsula overlooking Vicksburg. The gun, manned by members of the brigade, went into action on June 23, 1863 and quickly destroyed an iron foundry, where it was believed the Confederates were making cannon balls.

Also in June, Confederate troops were operating with some effect against Union shipping near Gaines' Landing and Greenville. Grant, concerned by the news, asked Porter to rush as many men of the Marine Brigade as possible to Greenville to suppress this Confederate activity. On the next day, however, Grant was displeased when he was informed that Ellet had only about one hundred troops available for immediate action at Greenville.

Mississippi Mission

Grant ordered Lieutenant Colonel Samuel J. Nasmith of the 25th Wisconsin to take his own regiment, two sections of the 4th Ohio Battery, and three companies of the 5th Illinois Cavalry, and proceed to Greenville and engage the Confederate troops there. While en route to Greenville, Nasmith was joined by 100 cavalry and 50 infantry of the Marine Brigade who arrived aboard the transport John Raine.

On June 27, the cavalry detachment landed and scouted from Island No. 10 to Island No. 84, finding no sign of enemy activity.

Colonel Nasmith ordered the task force ashore near Spanish Moss Bend on June 28. Major Hubbard of the Marine Brigade refused to obey the Colonel's orders. He and his marines stayed aboard ship while the rest of the troops proceeded toward Gaines' Landing.

In his report of the expedition, Nasmith called the Marine Brigade "entirely worthless."

On July 3, 1863, General Ellet and Marine Brigade were ordered to Goodrich Landing to relieve a small garrison of U.S. troops who were under attack by a "strong force of cavalry and several guns." Upon arrival at Goodrich Landing, Ellet found the garrison under arms, along with burning mansions and buildings, which indicated that the Rebel forces were nearby.

Ellet landed his entire brigade, artillery included, and took off after the Confederate troops. The brigade's cavalry overtook the Rebels at Bayou Texas, and held them in check until the rest of the brigade could arrive. The Confederates attempted to turn the brigade's right flank, but met with failure. The Marine Brigade launched a counterattack, routing the Rebels and making them abandon their recently acquired booty. After this action, Ellet brought his troops back aboard his vessels and returned to the mouth of the Yazoo River.

On July 13, Porter wrote the Secretary of the Navy about the Army's lack of steam transportation on the Mississippi. Porter stated the Marine Brigade numbered about 500 men, but had enough vessels to transport 10,000 men. He also found that the Marine Brigade and the Army did not cooperate very well, and recommended that the brigade and its vessels should be turned over to the Army, except for Ram Fleet, which should be turned over to the Navy. Porter also commented that the large number of complaints about the brigade, whether true or not, indicated that some type of reorganization was needed.

Grant Recommends Disbanding

On August 14, Grant telegraphed Adjutant-General of the Army Lorenzo Thomas in reference to the Marine Brigade, and commented on the numerous complaints about the unit. Included was a specific complaint from one A. T. Bowie to General Thomas Ransom (to be discussed later.) Grant went on to state that the services of the Marine Brigade, numbering less than 800 men, were slight, compared to their great expense and the number of boats required for their use. Grant recommended, if their contracts didn't prohibit it, that the Marine Brigade be placed on shore duty and its boats given to the Quartermaster's Department. If this was not possible, Grant recommended that the brigade be disbanded because the boats it used were more valuable than the troops that used them. (This contradicts a post-war statement in which Grant referred to the Marine Brigade as "A floating nondescript force . . . which proved very useful." B&L, Vol. 3, p. 523).

On August 4, 1863, Brigadier General Ransom was sent a telegram by A. T. Bowie alleging more misconduct among the Marine Brigade. The telegram stated:

On or about the 21st of July, a company of marine cavalry (styling themselves "Ellet's marines," saying they were a corps of cavalry, independent of the authority of the United States, and whose pay was their booty) landed at Judge Perkins' or Ashwood Landing, La., dashed around Lake St. Joseph, inquiring for Mr. John Routh. On reaching his plantation . . . They took the amount of $25,000 worth of property -- $15,000 of silverware, and perhaps the largest and most valuable private collection of table and house linen in the southern country." (O.R., Series 1, Vol. XXX, Part III, p.25).

On August 24, General-in-Chief Halleck responded to Grant's telegram, advising him that the Marine Brigade had already proven themselves valuable auxiliaries, but that he could use Ellet's troops for temporary shore duty and use his boats for temporary transports when emergencies required it.

On August 27, 1863, Halleck again telegraphed Grant. Halleck had shown the Secretary of War Grant's complaint dated August 14, and the Secretary ordered Grant to take command of Ellet's brigade, bring it to discipline, and punish the guilty parties. Halleck again stated that he did not want to break up the brigade at that time, but it could be used for shore duty as needed.

On January 3, 1864, Ellet's troops were again ordered into action around Greenville. His mission was to keep the area clear of guerrillas and protect the plantations along the river bank.

On August 26, 1864, Colonel F. A. Starring, 72nd Illinois Infantry and commander of the First Brigade, First Division, 17th Corps, received a communication stating that the Mississippi Marine brigade would be re-designated the Marine Regiment and would be assigned to his brigade. Starring met with Lieutenant Colonel John A. Ellet, commander of the new Marine Regiment, showed him his new camp site, and directed him to move his regiment to its new camp as soon as possible.

Marine Mutiny

Lieutenant Colonel John Ellet notified his new brigade headquarters on August 27, stating that the enlisted men on the Autocrat refused to comply with these new orders and refused to leave the ship except under guard. Ellet went on to state he thought the rest of the brigade might be mutinous, but he wasn't sure. He requested that sufficient men be sent to his location so that his orders could be enforced.

Colonel Starring was ordered to take a force, put down the mutiny, and take the regiment to its new encampment. He proceeded to the marines' location with his own 7th Illinois Infantry and the 5th Illinois Cavalry.

Starring boarded the Autocrat and met with a very excited Brigadier General Alfred Ellet and a group of officers. Major Tallerday, of the Marine Regiment, told Brigadier General Ellet he thought he could get the men off the boat and into camp without much trouble.

Lieutenant Colonel Ellet, new to the Marines, turned command of the regiment over to Major Tallerday in the hope of a peaceful resolution, as the Marines had served under the Major for some time and had a great dislike for Lieutenant Colonel Ellet, feeling he had sold them out and was the main reason the brigade was turned into a land regiment.

The officers were able to get the men to leave the boats and assemble on shore. Major Tallerday then informed his command it was going to march to camp, peacefully or by force, whichever way they wanted to go. Most of the men went willingly, one company went under protest, and forty-eight men went under guard.

A guard was posted around the camp and the steamers, to keep any men from slipping away. All the officers remained loyal and tried to control their men the best they could, but the men had low morale, were insubordinate, and did not respond well to commands. Colonel starring gave great credit to Major Tallerday for his efforts, but his troops were too far gone to do anything.

Starring blamed the mutiny on the fact that the men were enlisted into the Marine Brigade and were being forced to become a land-based regiment.

He also did not think the Marine Regiment would be a viable force in its present state and thought the best thing to do was to muster it out of service.

Disbanded

The brigade was disbanded a short time later (exact date unknown). The officers were mustered out of the service, an the men returned to the regiments from which they came. The brigade's vessels remained in service at various stations along the Mississippi.

Brigadier General Alfred W. Ellet was posted to New Orleans for administrative duties. He resigned December 31, 1864, and went on to become a prominent civil figure in El Dorado, Kansas. In addition to the engagements mentioned previously, the brigade saw service at Port Gibson, in the Red River Campaign, and at the embarrassing Union defeat at Lake Chicot, as well as in numerous skirmishes.

The Mississippi Marine Brigade was a moderately effective force that never reached its full potential due to personal feuding and inter-service rivalries. It should be noted that although most communications refer to the Marines operating against Confederate "guerrillas," the majority of their actions were against artillery, cavalry and infantry which were in the service of the Confederate States, not against guerrillas or irregulars in the strictest sense of the word.

Bibliography

Anderson, Bern. By Sea and By River: A Naval History of the Civil War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.
Bearss, Edwin C. Decision in Mississippi: Mississippi's Important Role in the War Between the States. Jackson, Mississippi: Pioneer Press, 1962.
Jones, Virgil C. The Civil War at Sea: The River War. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1961.
Milligan, John D. Gunboats Down the Mississippi. Annapolis, Maryland: U.S. Naval Institute, 1965.
Porter, David D. Naval History of the Civil War. Secaucus, New Jersey: Castle, 1984.
Reed, Rowena. Combined Operations in the Civil War. Annapolis, Maryland: Maryland: U.S. Naval Institute, 1978.
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1956.
War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.

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