TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

The Final Chapter After briefly supporting the Banks’ Red River Campaign with the Autocrat, Baltic, Diana, Raine and a portion of the cavalry the Brigade was ordered to once again patrol the Mississippi between Milliken’s Bend and Goodrich’s Landing to cover for the units that had departed on Sherman’s Meridian Expedition. The separation of the […]

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Return to Goodrich’s Landing, Natchez, and more raiding. Shore duty for the marines ended on 18 October with an alert to “get ready to go back on board the boats.” At the request of BG John Hawkins, commander of the District of Northeast Louisiana, the brigade was ordered back to Goodrich’s Landing as reinforcements against […]

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Changes Following the surrender of Vicksburg the brigade fell into a period of idleness. Sickness filled the hospital boat, Woodford, and Ellet found it a perfect time to grant leaves. To take up time with the rest of the command Ellet conducted a number of unauthorized raids that ired both Porter and Grant. The good […]

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Affair at Goodrich’s Landing As the surrender of Vicksburg became a foregone conclusion the emphasis of operations shifted to the Louisiana side of the river. Ellet’s cavalry had maintained patrols in the area and reported that an informant had warned of another attack on Milliken’s Bend. On 27 June the attack took place, not at […]

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Vicksburg The Mississippi Marine Brigade finally made its way to Young’s Point on 29 May and Porter, acting on a request from Grant, ordered them to occupy Haines Bluff until relieved. Pemberton, completely overestimating the size and combat power of the brigade, saw the move as a threat to the water batteries located nearby and […]

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Austin, Mississippi The growing possibility of success at Vicksburg after the landings at Bruinsburg led Stanton to order Halleck to send the Mississippi Marine Brigade back to that area. During the move down the river the E. H. Fairchild, the brigade’s quartermaster vessel, came under fire from two shore batteries in the vicinity of Austin, […]

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Tennessee Interlude The requested speed of action for the trip to Tennessee was not forthcoming. The Brigade spent the next ten days at Cairo, Illinois and Memphis reportedly coaling and finding Tennessee River pilots. The unexpected delay caused Ellet another rift with a superior officer. He failed to coordinate with MG Stephen A. Hurlbut, District […]

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