Naval History of the American Civil War
Naval StrategyNorth
(Gideon Welles)
• Isolate• Divide• Control Territory• Protect Shipping
South(Stephen Mallory)
• Discredit Blockade• Disrupt Northern Shipping• Protect Key Territory
Resources
North
• Northeastern Nautical Tradition
• Shipyards• Industrial Base• Most Navy Officers did not
follow the Confederacy• Manpower• 40 ships
South• Weak Industrial Base• Limited Maritime
Experience• ZERO ships
Technology
• Sails• Steam Engines• Screw Propellers• Ironclad Ships• Torpedoes• Submarines
Blockade
• Cut off commerce of an opponent.• Field a credible Naval Force to interdict
shipping and enforce blockade.• Blockade can be broken and lifted if the
blockading ships can be driven off.• Declaring a blockade held serious political
implications for the North.
Blockade Running• Small fast boats to bring in vital supplies• Tendency was toward luxury items that bring a large market
value instead of strategic military stores• One or two successful trips could make a crew rich• Support from non-belligerent countries
Commerce Raiding
• Goal is to cripple an adversaries international trade and limit their peaceful use of the seas• Destroyed US merchant marine fleet and fishing fleets.
Effects linger to this day.
• Privateers – Letter of Marque• Commerce Raiders – Confederate Navy– Compact, frigate-sized warships built and armed
abroad due to a lack of Confederate industrial base.
Commerce Raider
River Wars
• Extensive system of Western Rivers facilitated internal trade in the Confederacy and provided avenues of advance to the Union.
• Forts vs Ships
River Gun Boat
The Two Navies
Union• Line of Battle Ships
– Frigates– Cruisers
• Gunboats• Ironclads• River craft• Much better cooperation
between the Navy and Army due to Grant’s relationships and successes.
Confederate• Commerce Raiders• Ironclads• Submarine
– CSS HUNLEY
KEY NAVAL BATTLES
FORT SUMTER
Forts Henry and Donelson
MONITOR/VIRGINIA (MERRIMACK)
New Orleans/Mobile Bay
USS KEARSARGE/ CSS ALABAMAsummary notes
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