Colonel Charles R. Ellet | |
|---|---|
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| Born | June 1, 1843 Georgetown, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 1863 (aged 20) Bunker Hill, Illinois, U.S. |
| Buried | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United StatesUnion |
| Service | Union Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1863 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
| Unit | United States Ram Fleet Mississippi Marine Brigade |
| Commands | United States Ram Fleet |
| Battles / wars | |
| Relations | Charles Ellet, Jr. (father) Alfred W. Ellet (uncle) John A. Ellet (cousin) |
Charles Rivers Ellet (June 1, 1843 – October 29, 1863) was a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He served in the United States Ram Fleet under his father Charles Ellet, Jr. and as commanding officer of the ram fleet as part of the Mississippi Marine Brigade under his uncle Alfred W. Ellet. He commanded the ram ships USS Queen of the West, USS Switzerland, USS Lancaster and USS Monarch during the brown-water navy battle for control of the Mississippi River and its tributaries as part of the Vicksburg Campaign from 1862 to 1863.
At only nineteen years of age, he was one of the youngest colonels in the Union Army. His daring runs of two different ram ships past the batteries at Vicksburg as well as operations on the Yazoo River won him praise from William T. Sherman and David Dixon Porter. However, he was criticized by Porter when his aggressive actions on the Red River led to the capture of the Queen of the West by Confederate forces.