The Civil War was primarily a land conflict, but it was not only
that. “Nor must Uncle Sam’s web-feet be forgotten,” wrote
Abraham Lincoln. “At all the watery margins they have been
present. Not only on the deep sea, the broad bay, and the rapid
river, but also up the narrow, muddy bayou, and wherever the ground
was a little damp, they have been and made their tracks.” From
the Arctic Circle to the Caribbean, swift Rebel raiders decimated
Union commerce pursued by the U. S. Navy. Offshore, storm-tossed
blockaders in hundreds of vessels patrolled from Hatteras to
Galveston while occasionally lobbing a few shots at a speeding
Rebel runner. Around the continental periphery, it was ships vs.
powerful fortifications as titanic clashes erupted: Port Royal, New
Orleans, Charleston, Mobile. Massive army-navy amphibious
operations presaged twentieth-century conflicts: The Peninsula,
North Carolina Sounds, Fort Fisher. In the heartland, the two
services invented riverine warfare: Forts Henry and Donelson,
Island No. 10, Memphis, Vicksburg. And through it all, emerging
technology of the machine age played a critical role: iron armor,
torpedoes, steam propulsion, heavy naval artillery. However,
nothing in the history and traditions of the United States Navy had
prepared it for civil war. The sea service would expand tenfold
from a third-rate force to (temporarily) one of the most powerful
and advanced navies. Meanwhile, former shipmates in the Confederacy
struggled to construct a fleet from nothing, applying innovative
technologies and underdog strategies to achieve more than anyone
thought possible. Both sides faced unprecedented strategic,
tactical, and technological challenges that made their navies
indispensable – even as the navies themselves faced those same
sorts of challenges. The Civil War on the Water: Favorite Stories
and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War
compiles favorite navy tales and obscure narratives by
distinguished public historians of the Emerging Civil War in
celebration of the organization’s tenth anniversary. This
eclectic collection presents new stories and familiar battles from
a unique perspective – from the water – sea, surf, and stream.
General
Imprint: |
Savas Beatie
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
May 2023 |
Editors: |
Dwight Sturtevant Hughes
• Chris Mackowski
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
336 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-61121-629-5 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-61121-629-X |
Barcode: |
9781611216295 |
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