Other meanings of Mississippi River Squadron
American Civil War
The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union Navy squadron that operated on the Mississippi River and its tributaries during the American Civil War, playing a decisive role in the Union's Anaconda Plan and the eventual split of the Confederacy.
The squadron was established in August 1861 as the Western Gunboat Flotilla, initially under the U.S. Army's control, with Commander John Rodgers overseeing construction of the first ironclads. In October 1862, it was transferred to the Navy and renamed the Mississippi River Squadron, with Acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter assuming command. Porter, who had previously distinguished himself at New Orleans, led the squadron through its most significant campaigns, including the Vicksburg operations.
The squadron's ironclads and gunboats supported Grant's Vicksburg campaign, running the batteries at Vicksburg and ferrying troops across the river. They also participated in the Red River Campaign in 1864, which ended in a tactical defeat but demonstrated the squadron's logistical reach. The squadron's firepower was crucial at the Battle of Memphis in 1862, where it destroyed a Confederate river fleet, and at the capture of Island No. 10, opening the river to Union traffic.1
The squadron fielded a mix of ironclad river monitors, timberclads, and tinclads, many built by engineer Samuel M. Pook, whose 'Pook turtles' were low-freeboard ironclads with sloped casemates. The flagship was the ironclad Benton, a converted catamaran. The squadron also used rams and mortar boats, and its vessels were adapted for riverine warfare with shallow drafts and heavy armor.2
Beyond combat, the squadron conducted amphibious raids, transported refugees, and enforced contraband trade regulations. It included the first African American crew members in the U.S. Navy, serving as pilots and landsmen. The squadron also operated a hospital ship, the Red Rover, which was the Navy's first hospital ship. After the war, the squadron was disbanded in August 1865, and many of its vessels were sold or scrapped.
The squadron was also known as the Mississippi Flotilla in some contemporary reports.
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