Naval Campaigns of the Civil War

This analysis of naval engagements during the War Between the States presents the action from the efforts at Fort Sumter during the secession of South Carolina in 1860, through the battles in the Gulf of Mexico, on the Mississippi River, and along the eastern seaboard, to the final attack at Fort Fisher on the coast of North Carolina in January 1865. This work provides an understanding of the maritime problems facing both sides at the beginning of the war, their efforts to overcome these problems, and their attempts, both triumphant and tragic, to control the waterways of the South. The Union blockade, Confederate privateers and commerce raiders are discussed, as is the famous battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack. An overview of the events in the early months preceding the outbreak of the war is presented. The chronological arrangement of the campaigns allows for ready reference regarding a single event or an entire series of campaigns. Maps and an index are also included.

Paul Calore has written on the causes of the Civil War, as well as books about its naval and land campaigns. He is a supporting member of the Civil War Preservation Trust, and lives in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

Paul Calore

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 240
Bibliographic Info: maps, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2002
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1217-4
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8032-6
Imprint: McFarland

List of maps      vii
Preface      1

1 Prelude to War (December 1860–March 1861)     5
2 The Opening Salvo (March–April 1861)     19
3 Virginia Secessionists-Wrath Unleashed (April 1861-March 1862)     31
4 Presidential Posturing (April–May 1861)     38
5 The Union Navy (April–December 1861)     43
6 Mallory Builds a Navy (April–December 1861)     52
7 Naval Blockade and Blockade-Runners (April 1861–December 1862)     62
8 Confederate Privateers and Commerce-Raiders (April 186l–November 1865)     72
9 North Atlantic Naval Campaigns (August 1861–October 1864)     90
10 South Atlantic Naval Campaigns (October 1861–December 1862)   103
11 Clash of the Ironclads (April 1861–December 1862)   114
12 The Mississippi Flotilla (June 1861–October 1862)   131
13 The Gulf Squadrons (May 1861–June 1862)   147
14 New Orleans to Vicksburg (December 1861–December 1862)   153
15 The Mississippi Squadron (October 1862–May 1864)   166
16 Gunboats at Mobile Bay (August 1863–December 1864)   184
17 “Cradle of the Rebellion” (December 1861–February 1865)   195
18 The Capture of Fort Fisher (September 1864–January 1865)   208

Glossary     217
Bibliography     221
Index     223

• “the writing is clear, the research thorough, the balance between narrative and analysis sound. The maps constitute a particularly strong asset”—Booklist
• “two excellent early chapters treat the organization of both Union and Confederate navies, as well as shipboard life, pay, and living conditions…well written”—North & South
• “a creditable job”—The Civil War News
• “fascinating subject…worthy”—The Civil War Courier
• “excellent”—The NYMAS Review
• “a compelling analysis of naval engagements during the Civil War”—Civil War Book Review
• “highly informative, easy to read, and easy to understand”—Civil War Campaigns