Charles Ellet Jr.
| Charles Ellet Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
January 1, 1810 Bucks County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 21, 1862 (aged 52) Battle of Memphis |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Known for | Championing suspension bridges and other engineering endeavors in United States |
Charles Ellet Jr. (1 January 1810 – 21 June 1862) was an American civil engineer who designed and constructed major canals, bridges, river improvements and railroads before the American Civil War. He also advocated using steam-powered vessels in naval warfare, volunteered to serve in the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, received a commission as colonel and (commanding one of the new ram vessels he designed) became the only casualty (and fatality) during the Union naval victory at the Battle of Memphis.
Ellet was born at Penn's Manor in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, son of Charles Ellet Sr. and Mary Israel. His brother Alfred W. Ellet also became a civil engineer and later a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War. Their grandfathers on both sides served in the American Revolutionary War. Their maternal grandfather, Israel Israel, was a member of Pennsylvania's Committee of Safety and a recognized active patriot.
Ellet married Elvira Augusta Stuart Daniel on November 7, 1837 in Campbell, Virginia. Her father was Virginia justice William Daniel and her mother was Margaret Baldwin. Her family was one of the First Families of Virginia and owned enslaved persons, although Ellet would not. Judge Daniel's father had served as an ensign during the Revolutionary war under Captain Arda Allen, and his wife's maternal grandfather Dr. Cornelius Baldwin had served as a surgeon for the patriot cause throughout the conflict. The Ellets' Virginia-born daughter, Mary V. Ellet Cabell, helped found the Daughters of the American Revolution and became its member n. 6. Their son Charles Rivers Ellet also served as a colonel in the Union Army.
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