Brigadier General Alfred W. Ellet was the commanding officer of the United States Ram Fleet. The ram fleet had proven themselves a useful addition to the Mississippi River Squadron through their actions at the First Battle of Memphis and on the Yazoo River. However, the ram fleet was outside the Union Navy and Army command and reported directly to the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton. Although they coordinated their activities with the Mississippi River Squadron led by Charles H. Davis, the reporting structure was problematic for Union Navy leaders. The brigade was never incorporated into the Union Navy, however, when David Dixon Porter took over command of the Mississippi River Squadron, he demanded and received full authority over the ram fleet. Porter needed an amphibious force to suppress enemy fire from the river shores that threatened his fleet.