The USS ''Queen of the West'' was a

sidewheel steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses we ...

ram ship and the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

of the

United States Ram Fleet The United States Ram Fleet was a Union Army unit of steam powered ram ships during the American Civil War. The unit was independent of the Union Army and Navy and reported directly to the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. The ram fleet opera ...

and the

Mississippi Marine Brigade The Mississippi Marine Brigade was a Union Army amphibious unit which included the United States Ram Fleet and operated from November 1862 to August 1864 during the American Civil War. The brigade was established to act swiftly against Confedera ...

. It was built at

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

in 1854. It served as a commercial steamer until purchased by Colonel

Charles Ellet Jr. Charles Ellet Jr. (1 January 1810 – 21 June 1862) was an American civil engineer from Pennsylvania who designed and constructed major canals, suspension bridges and railroads. He built the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, the longest suspension ...

in 1862 and converted for use as a ram ship. The ship operated in conjunction with the

Mississippi River Squadron The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union brown-water naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and was ...

during the Union

brown-water navy The term brown-water navy or riverine navy refers in its broadest sense to any navy, naval force capable of military operations in littoral zone waters. The term originated in the United States Navy during the American Civil War, when it refer ...

battle against the Confederate

River Defense Fleet The River Defense Fleet was a set of fourteen vessels in Confederate service, intended to assist in the defense of New Orleans in the early days of the American Civil War. All were merchant ships or towboats that were seized by order of the War De ...

for control of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

and its tributaries during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. The ship played a critical role in the Union Navy victory at the

First Battle of Memphis The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately North of the city of Memphis, Tennessee on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. ...

and sank the Confederate flagship ''

CSS Colonel Lovell CSS ''Colonel Lovell'' was a cotton-clad Naval ram, ram ship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War Service history The ship was built in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1843, as ''Hercules'', and was owned by the Ocean Towing Co. of ...

''. In actions south of

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

, she severely damaged the CSS City of Vicksburg and captured four transport ships supplying Confederate forces. On February 14, 1863, the ''USS Queen of the West'' was captured by Confederate forces on the Red River, repaired and returned to service as the ''CSS Queen of the West''. Together with the

CSS Webb CSS ''Webb'', a 655-ton side-wheel steam ram, was originally built in New York City in 1856 as the civilian steamship ''William H. Webb''. She received a Confederate privateer's commission at New Orleans in May 1861, but was instead employed as ...

, it was used to force the surrender of the

USS Indianola USS ''Indianola'' was a casemate ironclad that served as a river gunboat for the Union Navy during the American Civil War. A side-wheel steamer also equipped with two screw propellers, ''Indianola'' was built in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1862 by Jo ...

on the Mississippi River. On April 11, 1863, she was attacked and destroyed on the

Atchafalaya River The Atchafalaya River ( french: La Rivière Atchafalaya, es, Río Atchafalaya) is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River, and ...

by the USS Estrella, USS Calhoun and

USS Arizona ''Arizona'' has been the name of three ships of the United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the ...

Service as USS ''Queen of the West''

The ''Queen of the West'' was built in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1854 and served as a commercial steamer. She was purchased by Charles Ellet, Jr. in 1862 due to her speed and converted for usage as a ram ship. The hull was reinforced, the forward end filled with hard oak wood, the steam-engine secured and the pilot house protected by thick wooden planks. Three longitudinal bulkheads were added and supported with iron bars. A central beam was installed from bow to stern and iron peaks were installed on the bow. A large ornamental "Q" was installed in the support cables between the twin chimney stacks. She was originally not equipped with any guns. The ''Queen of the West'' was designated as Colonel Ellet's flagship of the United States Ram Fleet. On May 25, the ''Queen of the West'' and the ram fleet joined the Mississippi River Squadron, led by Charles H. Davis, on the Mississippi River north of Fort Pillow. Davis had little faith in the effectiveness of the rams but allowed the fleet to accompany his gunboats down the river to Memphis.

First Battle of Memphis

On June 6, Colonel Charles Ellet, Jr. led the ram ships in the

Battle of Memphis The First Battle of Memphis was a naval battle fought on the Mississippi River immediately North of the city of Memphis, Tennessee on June 6, 1862, during the American Civil War. The engagement was witnessed by many of the citizens of Memphis. ...

as captain of the ''Queen of the West''. Ellet had not coordinated a plan of attack with Davis and when the flotilla approached Confederate forces, the ''Queen of the West'' and the

USS Monarch USS ''Monarch'' was a United States Army sidewheel ram that saw service in the American Civil War as part of the United States Ram Fleet and the Mississippi Marine Brigade. She operated on the Mississippi River and Yazoo River during 1862 and 186 ...

steamed ahead of Davis' gunboats. The ''Queen of the West'' rammed and sank the Confederate flagship . After the collision, the ''Queen of the West'' came under attack from the ''

CSS Sumter CSS ''Sumter'', converted from the 1859-built merchant steamer ''Habana'', was the first steam cruiser of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. She operated as a commerce raider in the Caribbean and in the Atlantic Ocean aga ...

'' and the ''CSS Beauregard''. The attack sheared off one of the paddle wheels from the ''Queen of the West'' and forced her to ground on the riverbank. Ellet was wounded in the knee by a Confederate sharpshooter during the battle. His wound was the only serious casualty received on the Union side during the battle. Ellet died 15 days from a blood infection due to the injury. Ellet's brother, Alfred W. Ellet took command of the ram fleet and his son

Charles Rivers Ellet Charles Rivers Ellet (June 1, 1843October 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 o ...

became captain of the ''Queen of the West''.

Actions near Vicksburg

On July 15, the ''Queen of the West'', , and engaged the Confederate ironclad ram in the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the ...

. The ''Arkansas'' was heavily damaged but escaped into the Mississippi and took refuge under the Confederate batteries at

. On July 22, ''Queen of the West'' and attacked ''Arkansas'', despite the batteries at Vicksburg. The ''Queen of the West'' rammed the ''Arkansas'' but inflicted only minor damage and rejoined the Mississippi River Squadron ships above Vicksburg. The ''Queen of the West'' continued to support operations against Vicksburg. On September 19, while escorting two transport barges, the ''Queen of the West'' had a short engagement with Confederate infantry and artillery on the Mississippi River above

Bolivar, Mississippi Bolivar is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. Bolivar was once the county seat, and Bolivar Landing was its port on the Mississippi River. Now permanently cut off from the river ...

. The ''Queen of the West'' also conducted operations in the Yazoo River clearing mines and engaging Confederate batteries. In November 1862, the

, an amphibious raiding unit, was organized by Alfred W. Ellet. The ram fleet including the ''Queen of the West'' was incorporated as a part of the brigade. On November 5, Charles Rivers Ellet was promoted to the rank of colonel and assigned command of the ram fleet. On December 12, 1862, the ''Queen of the West'' was one of the ships that accompanied the ''

USS Cairo USS ''Cairo'' is one of the first American ironclad warships built at the beginning of the U.S. Civil War. ''Cairo'' is the lead ship of the City-class gunboats and named for Cairo, Illinois. In June 1862, she captured the Confederate garriso ...

'' up the Yazoo River. The ''Cairo'' was struck by a 'torpedo' or

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...

and began to sink rapidly. The ''Queen of the West'' was able to rescue part of the crew from the ''Cairo'' before it sank. On February 2, 1863, Charles Rivers Ellet was ordered by Admiral

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...

to run the ''Queen of the West'' past the batteries at

to support Admiral

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. Fa ...

below the city. The boat was equipped with a 30-pounder bow gun, three 12-pounder howitzers, cotton bales and wooden sheathing for protection. Ellet intended to "run the gauntlet" of Vicksburg by cover of night, however delays resulted in passage of the guns at daybreak. The guns at Vicksburg fired for 50 minutes straight. The ''Queen of the West'' took 12 hits and lost a gun but made it past the batteries with minimal damage. The run provided the Union forces with insight as to where the guns at Vicksburg were positioned. Queen Vicksburg

Once past the batteries, the ''Queen of the West'' found the ''City of'' ''Vicksburg'' docked, rammed her, and set her ablaze with turpentine-soaked balls fired from the forward gun. The ''City of Vicksburg'' was severely damaged but not destroyed. The ''Queen of the West'' had to disengage before destroying the ''City of Vicksburg'' due to enemy fire which set the cotton bales aboard the ''Queen of the West'' ablaze. The Union forces supplied the ''Queen of the West'' with fuel by floating an unmanned coal barge filled with 20,000 bushels of coal past the Vicksburg batteries at night. The barge went unnoticed by the Confederate forces and floated downriver 10 miles before being intercepted by the ''Queen of the West''. The barge provided the ''Queen of the West'' with enough fuel to continue her mission. On February 3, the ''Queen of the West'' captured three Confederate transport ships - the ''CSS A.W. Baker'', ''CSS Moro'' and ''CSS Berwick Bay''. The ''Moro'' was empty of cargo since it had just dropped off supplies at

Port Hudson, Louisiana Port Hudson is an unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is known primarily as the location of an American Civil War battle, the siege of Port Hudson, in 1863. ...

. The other two ships were laden with food supplies headed toward Vicksburg. The ''Queen of the West'' rendezvoused with the ''De Soto'' and on February 12, both ships went down the

Simmesport, Louisiana Simmesport is a town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,161 at the 2010 census. It is the northernmost town on the Atchafalaya River, located near the Old River which connects the Red and Atchafalaya rivers with ...

in search of Confederate forces. The crew went ashore, destroyed all supplies found and looted the residential area. On the way back up the Mississippi River, the ''Queen of the West'' received Confederate gun fire and the 1st mate was injured. In retaliation, Ellet and his crew burned three plantations that were believed to be the residences of those that injured the 1st mate.

Loss of the Queen of the West

On February 14, the ''Queen of the West'' and ''De Soto'' went up the Red River and captured the steamboat Era No. 5 carrying 4,500 bushels of corn. The ''Queen of the West'' continued upstream to investigate reports of steamships at Gordon's Landing near

Marksville, Louisiana Marksville is a small city in and the parish seat of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,702 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, an increase of 165 over the 2000 tabulation of 5, ...

. She came under heavy fire by the shore batteries of Fort DeRussy and was run aground onto the right bank by her pilot instead of backing down river as ordered. She was directly in the sight of Confederate guns, which pounded her until Ellet ordered "abandon ship". Ellet and the crew escaped and floated downstream on bales of cotton and were rescued by the ''De Soto''. The ''Queen of the West'' was not burned out of concern for the 1st mate, who was wounded and could not be moved. The USS ''Queen of the West'' was captured, repaired and re-entered into service as the CSS ''Queen of the West'' by the Confederate forces.

Service as CSS ''Queen of the West''

In conjunction with the Confederate ram, , she forced the surrender of in the Mississippi River below Vicksburg on February 24. On April 11, 1863, she was attacked on the

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

by Union ships , , and . A shell from ''Calhoun'' set fire to ''Queen of the West'''s cotton, and her burning wreck drifted down the river for several hours before she grounded and exploded. 90 members of the Confederate crew were captured and 26 killed. Queen of the West Destruction-engraving

References

Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Queen Of The West 1854 ships American Civil War patrol vessels of the United States Cottonclad rams of the Confederate States Navy Maritime incidents in April 1863 Naval magazine explosions Paddle steamers of the United States Ships built in Cincinnati Ships of the Union Navy Ships of the United States Army Shipwrecks in rivers Shipwrecks of the American Civil War United States Ram Fleet