| Birth: | Jan. 1, 1810
William Penn Manor
Pennsylvania, USA | | Death: | Jun. 21, 1862 | 
Civil War Union Army Officer, Civil Engineer. Built the first permanent wire suspension bridges in America (across the Schuylkill River at Fairmont, Pennsylvania, 1842; over the Niagara River at the Falls in 1849; across the Ohio River at Wheeling in 1849). He also built the "Mountain Top Track" across the summit of the Blue Ridge at Rock Fish Gap, Virginia in 1854. An advocate of the battering ram as a naval war vessel, he was ultimately commissioned a Colonel of Engineers by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Ellet converted nine steam ships into ramming vessels (designated the "Mississippi Ram Fleet"). He led his ships in the victorious Federal attack upon the Confederate fleet at the battle of Memphis on the Mississippi River, June 6, 1862. The assault destroyed most of the defending Confederate ships. Colonel Ellet was shot in the knee during the naval fight, and the wound he sustained caused his death 16 days later, making him the only casualty on the Union side from the battle. His son, Charles Rivers Ellet, commanded one of the ram boats in the engagement.
Family links:
Spouse:
Elvira Augusta Daniel Ellet (1817 - 1862)*
Children:
Cornelia D. Ellet Moore (____ - 1874)*
Charles Rivers Ellet (1843 - 1863)*
*Calculated relationship
Cause of death: Pistol ball shot to the knee at the Battle of Memphis
Search Amazon for Charles Ellet
Inscription:
Charles Ellet, Jr.
Jan. 1, 1810 - June 21, 1862
Eminent Civil Engineer,
Canal, Railroad
Suspension Bridge Builder
Wheeling, 1849
| | | Burial:
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Philadelphia
Philadelphia County
Pennsylvania, USA
Plot: Section C, Lot 12 |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jun 28, 1999
Find A Grave Memorial# 5772 |
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You are a true American hero. May God bless your soul.
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Jeannette Coley
Added: May. 9, 2013 |
Rest in peace, Sir. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. May we always honor the high price you paid for our freedom. God bless you for defending our Union against those who would have destroyed it.
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Sharon
Added: Jun. 21, 2012 |
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AAAAmerican
Added: Jun. 17, 2012 |
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(3.8 after 20 votes)
