Customer Reviews

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

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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.