plant torpedoes on the raft which had batteries at each end of it. No doubt he would have performed it or lost his life and his vessel. I have great confidence in the commander of the rams and those under him, and take this opportunity to state to the department how highly I appreciate the commander and his associates." First run past Vicksburg On February 2, 1863, Ellet was ordered by Admiral David Dixon Porter to run the Queen of the West past the batteries at Vicksburg, Mississippi, to support Admiral David Farragut below the city. The boat was equipped with a 30-pounder bow gun, three 12-pounder howitzers, cotton bales and wooden sheathing for protection. Major General William T. Sherman described Ellet as "full of energy and resources" in his preparations to run two of his rams past Vicksburg. 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. Once past the batteries, Ellet's orders were to intercept Confederate boat traffic at the mouth of the Red River and specifically destroy the CSS City of Vicksburg. Ellet found the City of Vicksburg docked, rammed her and set her ablaze with turpentine soaked balls fired from the guns of the Queen of the West. Ellet caused significant damage to the City of Vicksburg but failed to destroy her. 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. Ellet recommended the Union forces supply 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 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, Ellet and the Queen of the West captured three Confederate transport ships – the CSS A.W. Baker, CSS Moro and CSS Berwick Bay. The Moro