Lecture on Naval Warfare in the American Civil War

Introduction

• Date: March 9, 1862
• Event: USS Minnesota's crew prepared for battle against the Confederate ironclad Virginia
• Importance: Witnessing a seminal clash in naval warfare history

Importance of the Naval Theater

• Unlike typical civil wars, navies were crucial in the American Civil War
• Confederacy's economy relied on overseas trade
• Control of naval and inland waterways crucial for troop and supply movements

Union and Confederate Naval Objectives

• Union Navy: Block southern ports, control inland waterways, and combat rebel ships
• Confederate Navy: Protect ports and break the Union blockade

Prewar Naval Status

• US Navy had 90 ships (42 active, 48 mothballed)
• Many ships outdated or technologically flawed
• Lack of a formal fleet doctrine or admirals
• Secessionist captures were limited, with significant assets like Pensacola Naval Yard and Gosport Shipyard

Relative Strength

• Both sides used civilian steamers until warships were built
• South couldn't match North in expertise or ship tonnage
• South's naval personnel shortage despite 25% joining
• Confederate Navy commissioned only 101 vessels in the war

Confederate Navy Strategy

• Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory aimed for quality and innovation
• Ironclads: Missteps in their effective deployment (poor design, build issues)

The Blockade

• Lincoln's blockade on April 19, 1861, was unprecedented
• Union Navy quickly organized blockade squadrons
• Key victories and captures by Union forces
• By February 1862, only a few Southern ports remained open

Blockade Running

• Low-risk, high-profit business but ultimately ineffective in supplying the Confederacy

Confederate Response to the Blockade

• Mallory's focus on ironclads and new technologies
• Challenges in construction due to resource shortages

Significant Battles

Hampton Roads

• Date: March 8-9, 1862
• Key Players: Virginia (Confederate) vs. Monitor (Union)
• First battle between ironclads
• Resulted in a stalemate and marked a shift in naval warfare

Mississippi Theater

• Union's Western Gunboat Flotilla achieved naval supremacy
• Key battles: Forts Henry and Donelson, Island Number 10

Capture of New Orleans

• Key Port for the Confederacy
• Farragut's fleet successfully bypassed forts, leading to Union control

Battle of Plum Point Bend and Memphis

• Union victories confirmed control over the Mississippi River

Confederate Naval Innovations

• Use of torpedoes and submarines, notably H.L. Hunley
• Commerce raiders caused damage but were ultimately defeated

Battle of Mobile Bay

• Date: August 1864
• Farragut closed off major Confederate ports
• Marked the effective end of Confederate naval resistance

Conclusion

• By the end of the war, the Union Navy had vastly expanded and isolated the Confederacy
• Final Confederate activity ended with commerce raider Shenandoah in 1865

Note: These notes capture the key points discussed in a detailed overview of naval warfare during the American Civil War, focusing on the strategic importance of naval operations and key battles.

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