As such, they would be of less use for work close to the coast or on inland waterways. At the outbreak of the war, only a handful were in U.S. The remaining ships were steam vessels, though the most capable of these were fit only for service in deep waters. Of these, many were largely obsolete sailing vessels, unfit for combat service, though useful as receiving ships and tenders. As of April 1861, the Navy encompassed only 90 vessels.
To meet these challenges, the service would have to expand dramatically. Added to this responsibility was the need to secure and operate upon interior navigable rivers, where the Navy would provide logistical and fire support for Army forces. Along this coastline were about 200 harbors, inlets, and streams, all of which would need to be patrolled to prevent maritime Confederate commerce. Not only would the Navy need to deal with Confederate ships on the high seas, it would have to blockade more than 3,500 miles of coastline, stretching from the Potomac River down to the Rio Grande. These strategies would not work for the Union during its fight against the Confederacy. An important ancillary to this strategy was permitting private vessels-privateers-to prey upon the enemy’s commerce. In prior wars-most prominently the American Revolution and the War of 1812-the Navy had focused on commerce raiding and the construction of small ships for coastal defenses. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the U.S. Finally, these strands are woven together with a consideration of the Potomac Flotilla, which was a small group of Navy vessels that operated within the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Then, the essay describes some of the ways in which the Navy helped to bring about Emancipation during the war. It then discusses African American sailors in the Navy and how they continued their heritage of service during the conflict. Navy during the Civil War: its mission, its size, and the challenges it faced. This essay summarizes the general role of the U.S. Many people know even less about the role of African American sailors in the Navy during the war and how the service helped to end slavery in the United States. Navy during the conflict is not as widely known. While many people know quite a bit about the exploits of the armies during the Civil War-those commanded by Robert E.
0 kommentar(er)
