Ellet's Brigade: The Strangest Outfit of All (History Book Club Selection) [Hardcover]

Chester G. Hearn (Author)

Book Description

Series: History Book Club Selection | Publication Date: May 2000

Soon after the start of the Civil War, during the naval buildup on the central Mississippi River, celebrated civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr., formed the Ram Fleet under U.S. secretary of war Edwin M. Stanton. Perhaps the most bizarre unit organized by the Union, the rams were shunned by both the army and navy as superfluous instruments of war. However, on June 6, 1862, they proved their worth by defeating the Confederate River Defense Fleet ironclads at Memphis while the U.S. Navy simply watched. In this lively study, Chester G. Hearn details the formation and wartime exploits of Ellet's fleet, reviving the history of this fascinating but forgotten brigade. AUTHOR BIO: Chester G. Hearn is the author of many books on the Civil War, including Gray Raiders of the Sea; The Capture of New Orleans, 1862; When the Devil Came Down to Dixie: Ben Butler in New Orleans; and Six Years of Hell: Harpers Ferry During the Civil War. He lives in Erie, Pennsylvania.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press; 1St Edition edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807125598
• ISBN-13: 978-0807125595
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,248,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ellet's Brigade -- a great yarn, June 13, 2000

By 

David Hinkle (Lafayette, Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ellet's Brigade: The Strangest Outfit of All (History Book Club Selection) (Hardcover)

When many people think of naval action in the Civil War, they likely think of the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimack. Ellet's Brigade is about the "brown water" action that took place around Vicksburg before and after the seige of that Confederate city. The brigade was run by a visionary, Charles Ellet, Jr., who believed the way to defeat the Confederate river navy was to use inexpensive, expendable rams. His thinking led to the Union victory at Memphis, where he was killed. After Ellet's death, no one knew what to do with the fleet of rams. Rear Admiral Porter, with the help of Ellet's relatives, developed a Marine unit and used the rams as part of a counter insurgency group against rebel guerrilla activities. Ultimately this effort failed, because there was no effective chain of command over the brigade. The brigade essentially ran itself and during the years following Memphis hurt the Union effort in the west as much as it helped it. Author Chester G. Hearn does a great job moving the story forward and documenting the facts. This is a good read and well worth any Civil War buff's time. I strongly recommend it.