Miss Managed And Failed

A force of Union infantry started moving up the Red River in Louisiana on March 12^th 1864 in what turned out to be a miss managed and failed campaigned.

The Red River Campaign had several goals, including the Union capture of the land along the Red River in Louisiana and Texas, and as a warning to the French government that had been set up in Mexico.  The plan called for Union Admiral David Dixon Porter to move up the Red River with 20 gunboats, while Union General Nathaniel P Bank followed along the western shore of the river with 27,000 troops.  Porter’s flotilla entered the river March 12^th 1864.

Fort Derussy fell to Porter’s force two days later and he moved on up the river to Alexandria.  Banks however didn’t move his troops very fast, taking him two weeks to reach Alexandria.  Banks then pushed his troops about 20 miles from the river losing the protection of Porter’s ships.  Banks’ force was attacked April 8^th 1864 by Confederate General Richard A Taylor, with the Union troops having to retreat back down the Red River.  By this time the water level had dropped in the Red River and Porter’s ships were stuck above some rapids.

The campaign was ruled a failure.

A Family Afair

Union Colonel Charles Rivers Ellet who commanded the USS Queen of the West, died October 29^th 1863.

Charles Rivers Ellet was born June 1^st 1843 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the son of Charles and Elvira Augusta (Daniel) Ellet.  He was studying medicine at Georgetown University when the war started.

Ellet first served the Union as an Assistant Army Surgeon.  After his father started the Union Ram Fleet he got a transfer in the spring of 1862 to serve with his father.  Ellet received a promotion to Colonel on November 5^th 1862 and the command of the USS Queen of the West.  He had her on the Mississippi below Vicksburg in February 1863, and captured several Confederate riverboats on the Red River.  Ellet and the Queen came under heavy fire at Fort DeRussy and the ship was run aground.  Ellet’s next command was the ram the USS Switzerland, which was steamed, passed Vicksburg in March 1863.  He became the second in command of the Mississippi Marine Brigade and was with them when they fought on March 22^nd 1863 in the Battle of Miliken’s Bend.

Ellet became ill with typhoid and died at Bunker Hill, Illinois October 29^th 1863.  He is buried in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

We Scared Abe

A part of Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson Early’s  Valley Campaign, on July 11^th and 12^th 1864 the Battle of Fort Stevens was fought just outside of Washington, DC with President Abraham Lincoln watching.

Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal A Early’s troops arrived on the outskirts of Washington, DC near Sliver Springs on July 11^th 1864.  His men had been on the march since June 13^th 1864.  He sent out a skirmish line about 3 pm to feel out the Union fortifications in his front.  The Fort was being held by Union soldiers who has been convalescing in Washington hospitals, clerks and Home Guard under the command of Union Brigadier General Martin D Hardin.  The Union VI Corps arrived in the city during the night by transport ships.

On the morning of July 12^th 1864 Early had his men in position, but was repulsed by the Veteran Union troops.  That afternoon the VI Corps drove the Confederates from their position in front of Fort Stevens and Fort DeRussy.  President Lincoln was at Fort Stevens watching the battle.  Early withdrew his troop that night giving up any thought of moving on Washington, DC.  Early said of the invasion, “We didn’t take Washington, but we scared Abe Lincoln like Hell.”

A Union Queen

The USS Queen of the West was run aground February 14^th 1863 in the Red River.

The USS Queen of the West, a ram was commanded by Colonel Charles River Ellet.  She was part of the Union flotilla that won control of the Mississippi River in 1862 as far south as Vicksburg, Mississippi.  She closed out 1862 clearing the Yazoo River of Confederate torpedoes.

While ramming the CSS City of Vicksburg on February 2^nd 1863, the USS Queen of the West was forced down stream while her fought fires in her bow and near her starboard wheel.  On the 12^th the Queen started down the Red River.  Near the Atchafalaya River she landed a party that destroyed some Confederate wagons.  They were fired on from the shore and the Queen’s senior officer was wounded.  The USS Queen of the West was about 15 miles from the mouth Black River when she came under heavy fire from batteries of Fort DeRussy.  The Queen was run aground and pounded by Confederate shells until Ellet had to order her abandoned.  Ellet didn’t have the Queen burnt, because the Captain; who had been wounded couldn’t be moved.  Ellet’s report of the grounding blamed a replacement pilot for purposely running the Queen aground.

The Queen was used by the Confederate navy until April 11^th 1863, when a shell set her afire.

Opening Up The Red River

The Battle of Fort DeRussy took place March 14th 1864 in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.


As part of the Red River Campaign, Union Brigadier Generals AJ Smith and Joseph Mower sailed with their troops toward Shreveport, Louisiana. Coming in through Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche they found their passage blocked by obstructions in the river and the Confederate Fort DeRussy. Fort DeRussy was under the command of Confederate Lieutenant Colonel William Byrd. It was an earthen fort with a gun battery and iron armor to defend from Union ironclads and was garrisoned by 350 Confederate soldiers.

Smith left from Vicksburg, arriving at Simmesport on March 12th 1864, about 30 miles from Fort DeRussy. He sent out some troops on March 13th 1864 to feel out the enemy in his front. This small force drove in some Confederate troops. Early on the morning of March 14th 1864 Smith found there was a Confederate division in his front. He split his force leaving some to intercept the Confederates if they attacked. Smith’s arrival at the fort saw the garrison open fire on the Union soldiers. Smith ordered a charge of Mower’s men on the fort at about 6:30 pm. It took about twenty minute before the Confederates surrendered the fort opening up the Red River to the Union advance.