June 4, 1861 to August 17, 1862

RICHMOND, Virginia

Confederacy, Navy, Undercover

The Confederate States of America never focused on its navy, but their secret operations to acquire one are often overlooked when learning about the navies of the Civil War.  In discussing these covert naval operations, one name is paramount, James Dunwoody Bulloch. Bulloch had a naval background, and this was recognized by Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory.  Mallory ordered Bulloch...

August, 1864 to 1864

MOBILE, Alabama

Navy, Union, Victory

In early August, 1864, a Union Naval fleet, under the control of Rear Admiral David Farragut commanding the flagship U.S.S. Hartford, neared Mobile Bay, Alabama.  The goal was to take over the strategic location which consisted of three confederate forts and a plethora of underwater mines.  The two main forts were Forts Morgan and Gaines aided by a few Confederate ships mainly the C.S.S. Tennessee...

February 18, 1865 to August 20, 1865

SHENANDOAH, Virginia

War, Navy, Shenandoah Valley

Built in Glasgow, Scotland, with the name Sea King, the C.S.S. Shenandoah would continue the Confederate fight long after the Army of Northern Virginia had surrendered. Named after the valley and county in Virginia, the C.S.S. Shenandoah had a C.S.A letter of Marque to sail towards the Indian Ocean to seek out, capture, or destroy Union military and commercial vessels. It was hoped that the C.S.S....

March 8, 1862 to March 9, 1862

NORFOLK, Virginia

Navy, Civil War, Science/Technology

On March 8, 1862, the power of a new form of naval warfare made its appearance at Hampton Roads Bay, Virginia. The CSS Virginia (formerly the sunken USS Merrimack) appeared beside the Union fleet, showing her aggressive naval power with a never-seen-before "iron coating." With a front mounted cannon and an iron body, she destroyed two Union wooden ships, lowering Union morale. On March 9, 1862, the...