Naval Strategies of the Civil War: Confederate Innovations and Federal Opportunism

By Jay W. Simson

Book Overview

One of the most overlooked aspects of the American Civil War is the naval strategy played out by the U.S. Navy and the fledgling Confederate Navy, which may make this the first book to compare and contrast the strategic concepts of the Southern Secretary of the Navy, Stephen R. Mallory, against his Northern counterpart, Gideon Welles. Both men had to accomplish much and were given great latitude in achieving their goals.

Mallory's vision of seapower emphasized technological innovation and individual competence as he sought to match quality against the Union Navy's numerical superiority. Welles had to deal with more bureaucratic structure and to some degree a national strategy dictated by the White House. The naval blockade of the South was one of his first tasks-for which he had but few ships available--and although he followed the national strategy, he did not limit himself to it when opportunities arose.

Mallory's dedication to ironclads is well known, but he also defined the roles of commerce raiders, submarines, and naval mines. Welles's contributions to the Union effort were rooted in his organizational skills and his willingness to cooperate with the other military departments of his government. This led to successes through combined army and naval units in several campaigns on and around the Mississippi River.

Naval Strategies of the Civil War then is the story of the very different approaches each man took in defining and executing the naval struggles of the conflict. Until now, it has been mostly an untold story lost in the general histories of the war. In the end, the author concludes that success favored flexible organization rather than desperate, albeit creative, measures.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581821956
• ISBN13: 9781581821956
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Book for Naval Strategy

This book, which is not a definitive history of either the Union or Confederate navies but goes into detail with the personalities and the overall strategies of leaders of each navy and how each strategy was implemented, using both successes and failures of each strategy. The subject matter paints an overall portrayal of how life in the south and the north was affected by both the victories and defeats of both sides.

A much appreciated contribution to Civil War studies

Journalist and Civil War expert Jay Simson's Naval Strategies Of The Civil War: Confederate Innovations And Federal Opportunism is the first book to compare and contrast the strategies of the Southern Secretary of the Navy, Stephen R. Mallory, against his rival in the North, Gideon Welles. Mallory had to use technological innovation and the skill of individuals to bolster the South's seapower against the Union Navy's superior numbers. Meanwhile, Welles had to adapt to the more bureaucratic dictates of the Union's White House. One of Welles' first tasks was the naval blockade of the South, but he did not limit himself to just that. Naval Strategies of the Civil War looks at the very different approaches of two men, with historical lessons about the art and the horror of war to be derived from close study. Naval Strategies Of The Civil War is a much appreciated contribution to Civil War studies and very highly recommended for both Civil War and American naval history buffs.