Popular Civil War Navy Books

The Narrative of a Blockade-Runner by John Wilkinson

Originally published as: The narrative of a blockade-runner / by J. Wilkinson. New York : Sheldon & Company, 1877.

The United States Marine Corps in the Civil War - The Final Year by David M. Sullivan

This title covers the final year of the Marine Corps' experience in the Civil War.

The United States Marine Corps in the Civil War - The First Year by David M. Sullivan

David Sullivan's magisterial history of the United States Marine Corps during the Civil War dispels the notion that the organization did little or nothing to sustain its reputation during the conflict. He debunks the myth that the Marine Battalion broke at the first attack during the Battle of Bull Run and remained in the rear for the rest of the fight. The author presents David Sullivan's magisterial history of the United States Marine Corps during the Civil War dispels the notion that the organization did little or nothing to sustain its reputation during the conflict. He debunks the myth that the Marine Battalion broke at the first attack during the Battle of Bull Run and remained in the rear for the rest of the fight. The author presents evidence that naval officers, charged with securing advanced bases along the coast of the Confederacy, were eager to have the participation of Marines in those operations. The book also brings to light the contributions of Marines to the many small unit actions necessary to cripple the Confederate war effort, and reveals the courage of the Marines who fought at Fort Sumter, Hampton Roads, and Tulifinney Crossroads. Lavishly illustrated with more than 160 pictures, over half of which have never been published before, and based upon letters and journals of Marines, this book places the Corps in its proper place among the forces of the United States in the Civil War.

The United States Marine Corps in the Civil War: The Third Year by David M. Sullivan

On land and water, in the North, the South, and in foreign seas, the United States Marines expanded their service in the third year of the Civil War. In the South, near the end of the third year, Marines joined in the ill-fated attempts of September 1863 to recapture Fort Sumter, and in May 1864 the Red River expedition on the other side of the Confederacy.But the Corps' w On land and water, in the North, the South, and in foreign seas, the United States Marines expanded their service in the third year of the Civil War. In the South, near the end of the third year, Marines joined in the ill-fated attempts of September 1863 to recapture Fort Sumter, and in May 1864 the Red River expedition on the other side of the Confederacy.But the Corps' work in the ongoing coastal war yielded success, as that duty continued.

Schooner Sail to Starboard: The US Navy vs. Blockade Runners in the Western Gulf of Mexico. Denbigh Shipwreck Project #3 by W.T. Block , J. Barto Arnold III (Introduction)

Schooner Sails discusses a long neglected aspect of the civil war - the naval union blockade of the Louisiana- Texas coastline and the confederates attempt to run the blockade.

The Civil War on the Mississippi: Union Sailors, Gunboat Captains, and the Campaign to Control the River by Barbara Brooks Tomblin

Flowing from its source in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River borders or passes through ten different states and serves as one of the most important transportation systems in the United States. During the Civil War, both sides believed that whoever controlled the river would ultimately be victorious. Cotton exports generated much-needed revenue Flowing from its source in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River borders or passes through ten different states and serves as one of the most important transportation systems in the United States. During the Civil War, both sides believed that whoever controlled the river would ultimately be victorious. Cotton exports generated much-needed revenue for the Confederacy, and the Mississippi was also the main conduit for the delivery of materials and food. Similarly, the Union sought to maintain safe passage from St. Louis, Missouri, to Cairo, Illinois, but also worked to bisect the South by seizing the river as part of the Anaconda Plan. Drawing heavily on the diaries and letters of officers and common sailors, Barbara Brooks Tomblin explores the years during which the Union navy fought to win control of the Mississippi. Her approach provides fresh insight into major battles such as Memphis and Vicksburg, but also offers fascinating perspectives on lesser-known aspects of the conflict from ordinary sailors engaged in brown-water warfare. These men speak of going ashore in foraging parties, assisting the surgeon in the amputation of a fellow crewman's arm, and liberating supplies of whiskey from captured enemy vessels. They also offer candid assessments of their commanding officers, observations of the local people living along the river, and their views on the war. "The Civil War on the Mississippi" not only provides readers with a comprehensive and vivid account of the action on the western rivers; it also offers an incredible synthesis of first-person accounts from the front lines.

Beneath the Stainless Banner: With Selections from His Recollections of a Naval Life by John McIntosh Kell

Book by Kell, John McIntosh

The Red River Campaign: Union And Confederate Leadership And The War In Louisiana by Gary D. Joiner (Joint Author)

C.S.S. Shenandoah: The Memoirs of Lieutenant Commanding James I. Waddell by James I. Waddell , James D. Horan (Editor)

A fascinating memoir by the captain of the famous confederate cruiser that captured 38 ships and burned 32.

Confederate Naval Cadet: The Diary and Letters of Midshipman Hubbard T. Minor, with a History of the Confederate Naval Academy by Hubbard T. Minor , R. Thomas Campbell (Editor)

When the Civil War began, the southerners found themselves ill-prepared for the realities of waging war, especially on the naval front. Not only did the Confederates lack any semblance of a navy, they had few raw materials with which to construct one. The daunting task of building a navy fell on the shoulders of Stephen Mallory, newly appointed secretary of the navy. A for When the Civil War began, the southerners found themselves ill-prepared for the realities of waging war, especially on the naval front. Not only did the Confederates lack any semblance of a navy, they had few raw materials with which to construct one. The daunting task of building a navy fell on the shoulders of Stephen Mallory, newly appointed secretary of the navy. A former United States senator from Florida, Mallory had resigned from office when his home state seceded from the Union and he pledged himself to the service of the Confederacy. His intelligence and resourcefulness accomplished what many saw as impossible--the creation of a viable, combat-ready southern navy. Among his primary goals was the establishment of a naval academy, a step which Mallory considered essential for building a serious military force. In July 1863, the Confederate Naval Academy inducted its first class of cadets--among which was Hubbard T. Minor from the army's 42nd Tennessee regiment. Focusing on the latter part of the war, this work provides an in-depth look at the realities of life as a cadet at the Confederate Naval Academy. Beginning with an overview of the academy, the book contains a brief biographical sketch of each of the school's principal instructors. The main focus of the work, however, is the diary which Hubbard Minor kept as a cadet requirement. One of only two such documents to survive, it provides a day-by-day account of Minor's duties as well as his active service on board the CSS Savannah. Events covered include the June 1864 raid on the USS Water Witch, the evacuation of Savannah, and the Confederate retreat to Richmond. Selected letters from Minor's correspondence are inserted where chronologically relevant, while introductions and other explanatory information are added only as necessary to aid the reader. Appendices contain a list of regulations from the Confederate school ship Patrick Henry; the initial report from Austin Pendergrast, commander of the USS Water Witch; a roster of officers assigned to the CSS Savannah; and a report from Commander Brent of the Confederate navy regarding the evacuation of Savannah. Illustrations and an index are also included.

Midshipman in Gray: Selections from Recollections of a Rebel Reefer by R. Thomas Campbell (Editor)

Midshipman in Gray makes available to the modern reader the first twenty-eight chapters of James Morris Morgan's book, Recollections of a Rebel Reefer. Morgan was involved in many exploits during the War Between the States, and his book is an intriguing and sometimes humorous look at a young midshipman's exciting adventures in the Confederate States Navy.

Engineer in Gray: Memoirs of Chief Engineer James H. Tomb, CSN by James H. Tomb , R. Thomas Campbell

Chief Engineer James Hamilton Tomb (1839-1929) devoted almost 12 years of his early life to wartime naval service - first in the Confederate States' Navy during the American Civil War and then in the Marinha do Brasil during the War of the Triple Alliances. A steam engineer by profession and a torpedo expert by circumstance, Tomb was in the forefront of naval weapons techn Chief Engineer James Hamilton Tomb (1839-1929) devoted almost 12 years of his early life to wartime naval service - first in the Confederate States' Navy during the American Civil War and then in the Marinha do Brasil during the War of the Triple Alliances. A steam engineer by profession and a torpedo expert by circumstance, Tomb was in the forefront of naval weapons technology of the period. Tomb quickly amassed not only the knowledge required of a steam engineer, but also the courage and capacity to assume important positions of command. Within days of his commissioning, he was on his way to his first assignment - first class engineer on the CSS Jackson at New Orleans, Louisiana, a point of great strategic importance. Here, amid a tightening blockade and a growing fear of Federal attack from the Gulf, Tomb's memoirs begin... Tomb's first-person narration is interspersed with explanatory comments from the author; the author also fills in Tomb's life at the memoir's beginning and end. Three appendices include documents by Tomb: Submarines and Torpedo Boats, C.S.N., manuscript Tomb wrote for his family describing in detail his experiences with the torpedo boat David and submarine H.L. Hunley, and Reminiscences of Torpedo Service in Charleston Harbor, published in 1877 in the Southern Historical Society Papers. A bibliography and a wealth of rare photographs complete the work.

America Spreads Her Sails: U.S. Seapower in the 19th Century by Clayton R. Barrow