1. Naval History of the American Civil War

2. Naval Strategy Isolate Divide Control Territory Protect Shipping
North
(Gideon Welles)
South
(Stephen Mallory)
Isolate
Divide
Control Territory
Protect Shipping
Discredit Blockade
Disrupt Northern Shipping
Protect Key Territory

4. Resources North South Weak Industrial Base
Northeastern Nautical Tradition
Shipyards
Industrial Base
Most Navy Officers did not follow the Confederacy
Manpower
40 ships
Weak Industrial Base
Limited Maritime Experience
ZERO ships

5. Technology Sails Steam Engines Screw Propellers Ironclad Ships
Torpedoes
Submarines

6. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. Commerce Raider

11. River Wars
Extensive system of Western Rivers facilitated internal trade in the Confederacy and provided avenues of advance to the Union.
Forts vs Ships

12. River Gun Boat

13. The Two Navies Union Confederate Line of Battle Ships Gunboats
Frigates
Cruisers
Gunboats
Ironclads
River craft
Much better cooperation between the Navy and Army due to Grant’s relationships and successes.
Commerce Raiders
Ironclads
Submarine
CSS HUNLEY

14. KEY NAVAL BATTLES

15. FORT SUMTER

17. Forts Henry and Donelson

19. MONITOR/VIRGINIA (MERRIMACK)

22. New Orleans/Mobile Bay

25. USS KEARSARGE/ CSS ALABAMA summary notes