Stephen Russell Mallory

Just as Confederate naval action is commonly overshadowed by the land battles of the Civil War, the navy’s originator, Stephen Mallory, is often overlooked in favor of more famous leaders. Mallory had served as one of Florida’s U.S. senators for ten years before becoming navy secretary in the Confederate government, challenged to create a valid military force where none had existed.
This biography chronicles Mallory’s formative years in Key West, his decades of public service, and his declining days. It discusses his career in the United States Senate, where he chaired the Committee for Naval Affairs, helping to strengthen—in an ironic twist of fate—the very navy he would later attempt to defeat. The work also examines the challenges and obstacles Mallory faced in creating a navy for the South. Special attention is given to Mallory’s family relationships. Primary sources include autobiographical documents and archival records.

Lecturer and author Rodman L. Underwood lives in Port Orange, Florida.

Rodman L. Underwood
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 256
Bibliographic Info: 25 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010 [2005]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4927-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1155-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      v
Preface      1

PART I. ORIGINS
1. Key West: The Early Years      5
2. Key West: The Maturing Years      16

PART II. UNITED STATES SENATOR
3. A Potpourri of Issues      29
4. Strengthening the Navy      51
5. Secession and Fort Pickens      62

PART III. CONFEDERATE NAVY CHIEF
6. Initial Moves      77
7. Ironclad Victories and Defeats      94
8. Commerce Raiders      114
9. Southern-Built Defensive Ironclads      127
10. Foreign-Built Offensive Ironclads      140
11. Technically Advanced Weapons      148
12. The Beginning of the End      155
13. Southern Strategies and Outcomes      167
14. Confederate Collapse and Prison      174

PART IV. THE LATER YEARS
15. Stephen and Angela      187
16. The Declining Years and Quietus      202

Chapter Notes      215
Bibliography      233
Index      243

“excellent…very well written…highly recommended”—Civil War News; “worthy”—The Civil War Courier; “this, the first biography of Mallory in over 50 years, is a highly detailed, comprehensive look at the man’s life and work”—The NYMAS Review.