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Talk:Charles R. Ellet/GA1

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Reviewer: Binksternet (talk · contribs) 18:39, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]


  • Starting review. This will take a few days on my end. Binksternet (talk) 18:39, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • My GA reviewing style is thorough but unconventional. I will post my impressions of the article as they come, with probably very little orderliness. Feel free to interject comments and begin to address points as the review progresses. Binksternet (talk) 21:03, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Here's an 1862 New York Times source describing an action on the Yazoo River: https://www.nytimes.com/1862/07/03/archives/important-from-the-mississippi-destruction-of-the-last-of-the-rebel.html
  • I found an 1863 obituary that could be used, The New York Times quoting the Philadelphia Inquirer. https://www.nytimes.com/1863/11/08/archives/funeral-of-col-charles-r-ellet.html
    • I'm not able to access the page.Dwkaminski (talk) 13:45, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
      • Okay, here's the short obit. I would not trust the supposed "disease contracted while in the service of his country", since others talk about a chronic problem with neuralgia, and accidental overdose. Binksternet (talk) 14:42, 9 September 2020 (UTC) [reply]

        The funeral of Col. CHARLES RIVERS ELLET, late commandant of the First regiment Mississippi Marine brigade, took place yesterday afternoon, at 3 o'clock, from the residence of Mr. J. WAINWRIGHT, No. 627 Vine-street, and was largely attended by the many personal friends and acquaintances of the deceased, including a number of his comrades in arms. The interment took place in Laurel Hill Cemetery. Col. ELLET was a son of Col. CHARLES ELLET, of this city, well known as a civil engineer of great accomplishments, and who originated the idea of constructing the formidable "rams" used with such effect in the present war. Col. ELLET died suddenly at Bunker Hill, Illinois, of disease contracted while in the service of his country. He was born in this city in 1840, and, but for his untimely decease, would have achieved an enviable reputation in the military world. The brigade commanded by Col. ELLET was engaged in several most important operations along the Mississippi River, among others the ridding of the banks of that stream of many of the guerrilla bands that infested it. During the latter [???] of May, 1863, the forces landed at the town of Austin, thirty-five miles above Helena, and the officers of the brigade were fired upon from the the houses of that place soon after landing. After the disposal of a rebel guerrilla force in the vicinity, Col. ELLET ordered the destruction of the town, which was soon accomplished, and the rebel haunt broken up. During the operations of Gen. GRANT at Vicksburgh, Col. ELLET's command rendered him a great deal of assistance in keeping open his communications. -- Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 7.

  • Another source from 1979: John D. Milligan writing in History and Theory about "The Treatment of an Historical Source." https://www.jstor.org/stable/2504755
    • Great article. I don't think it's relevant to add Ellet's accusations of superior officers' treason in a letter to his Uncle but I added two facts from it - that Ellet was one of the youngest colonels in the Union Army and that he was a chronic migraine sufferer who treated his affliction with laudanum. I also added the Ellet papers at U of Michigan and Stanford in the external links. Dwkaminski (talk) 13:34, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I think the article might benefit from mentioning the Prussian military observer Justus Scheibert who wrote down his analysis of the river actions beginning February 1863, translated to English and published as A Prussian Observes the American Civil War. The stuff about Ellet's squadron starts on page 176. On page 200 there's a technical description of the ships. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/45950 https://epdf.pub/a-prussian-observes-the-american-civil-war-the-military-studies-of-justus-scheib.html
  • A new book came out about river warfare with some descriptions of the Ram Fleet: Defending the Arteries of Rebellion by Neil P. Chatelain. https://books.google.com/books?id=RRD5DwAAQBAJ
    • The accounts of Ellet running the Queen past the guns at Vicksburg, ramming the CSS City of Vicksburg and losing the Queen are all in alignment with other sources. I added the capture of three confederate transports on Feb. 3. Dwkaminski (talk) 12:30, 10 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • A thorough description of Ellet was published in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in 1865. The piece was written by John S. C. Abbott. Abbott says Ellet died of an accidental overdose, not purposeful suicide. Binksternet (talk) 21:03, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • (Maybe some of these sources could go to the articles United States Ram Fleet and Mississippi Marine Brigade if they don't shed any additional light on Ellet himself.)
  • The reader will want to know more about the manner of death. Abbott says Ellet had been taking opiates for "facial neuralgia", perhaps trigeminal neuralgia. Abbott describes how he said goodnight casually and then went to bed in the normal manner, though probably taking an overdose of morphine by accident. He was found cold dead in the morning. Binksternet (talk) 21:28, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
    • The Milligan source states that he was a long term sufferer of migraines and took laudanum to treat it. The Abbott source says facial neuralgia and "undoubtedly the ingredient was morphine, as he had frequently administered it before, preparing it himself". I've added some additional details around his death despite the uncertainty of diagnosis. Dwkaminski (talk) 19:53, 10 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • The 1995 authors Charles Dana Gibson and E. Kay Gibson discuss in Assault and Logistics: Union Army Coastal and River Operations, 1861-1866 (ISBN 9780960899630) several aspects of Abbott's life and career, finding that his accusation of treason against the pilot was probably without foundation, as the river there was reportedly tortuous and unpredictable, causing many a grounding. They say that if Abbott had been addicted to morphine, he would have been in withdrawal after losing the Queen of the West. They provide some scholarly conjecture about what might be his motivation at that point, to explain his actions. Binksternet (talk) 21:38, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • All of the images are in the public domain, hosted at Wikimedia Commons. Binksternet (talk) 14:48, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Some rewording is needed to avoid copyright violations and too-close paraphrasing. Here are some examples I found. I acknowledge that the US Navy webpage is a US government source and as such is in the public domain. But let's change it up for the reader. Binksternet (talk) 14:58, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
    • "son of the noted civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr."
    • "In the spring of 1862, when his father established the United States Ram Fleet, an Union Army unit of river steamers converted to rams"
    • "placed in command of the ram USS Switzerland, in which he steamed past the Vicksburg fortifications in March 1863. He later commanded the infantry of the Mississippi Marine Brigade until his health failed."
    • "rowed ashore to accept the surrender"
    • "to run two of his rams past Vicksburg"
  • Lead section should tell the reader that this man was praised for his work.
  • "See also" section has redundancies. Can you remove any entry there which is already present in the article? Binksternet (talk) 17:06, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • Abbott writes about Charles R. Ellet and his cousin Edward lowered the Confederate flag and raised the American flag over the post office of Memphis. I think this is an interesting biographical fact. Abbott says Ellet went to school in Paris 1855 to 1857. Abbott says Ellet left his duties at the war front on July 10 when he learned of the death of both his father and mother, and "the prostration of his beloved and only sister." Which calls into question the article text about actions during July 15 and July 22, when Ellet was likely absent. Then on November 5, 1862, Abbott says Ellet was made Colonel and put in command of the rams, and his uncle was now brigadier in charge of the marines. Abbott talks about an enterprising Ellet who devised a torpedo to use against Haines bluff, culminating in an attack on December 31. Binksternet (talk) 18:17, 9 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • I believe I have made all the suggestions for improvement. Binksternet, let me know next steps or if there are additional changes you would like to see. Thanks! Dwkaminski (talk) 13:20, 11 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

checkY Article now addresses all major points and qualifies for GA. Nice work! Binksternet (talk) 15:34, 11 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

____

GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not)
  1. It is reasonably well written.
    a (prose, spelling, and grammar): b (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists):
    "See also" needs trimming. Lead section needs a bit more.
  2. It is factually accurate and verifiable.
    a (reference section): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR): d (copyvio and plagiarism):
    Some rewording needed to address too-close paraphrasing of Laidig source. Copying of US Navy source is allowed but avoidable.
  3. It is broad in its coverage.
    a (major aspects): b (focused):
    Recent additions have helped flesh out the article, but more from Abbott would be good, specifically about Ellet the person.
  4. It follows the neutral point of view policy.
    Fair representation without bias:
  5. It is stable.
    No edit wars, etc.:
  6. It is illustrated by images and other media, where possible and appropriate.
    a (images are tagged and non-free content have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
    Nice shot of tombstone. Envious you got to visit!
  7. Overall:
    Pass/Fail:
    Needs a little more work All indicated problems have been remedied. Binksternet (talk) 15:34, 11 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]
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