The Union's principal goal was blockading Southern ports and choking the flow of supplies. With the help of a battery salvaged from the guns of the Virginia, the ad hoc force manning Fort Darling decisively repulsed the Union fleet just seven miles from the Confederate capital.The Union and the Confederacy had competing strategies for their navies. The Union Navy took advantage of this apparent weakness, throwing a squadron of three ironclads and two wooden gunboats against the fort while McClellan's infantry marched on Richmond along the line of the York River. When the Union advance during the Peninsula Campaign forced the destruction of the ironclad CSS Virginia, which could not navigate in shallow waters inland and was thus left without a base, the only defense left on the James River was Fort Darling on Drewry's Bluff. In addition to the damage inflicted by the loss of such an important city, Farragut's actions were a striking demonstration of the military advantages to be gained by steam technology and the ability to travel against a river's current. A small expeditionary force captured New Orleans at the beginning of May. On April 25th, Farragut demanded the surrender of the city. After two weeks of stubborn resistance, Farragut had passed the forts and the guns of his ships commanded the city. In April of 1862, Commander David Farragut led a flotilla up the Mississippi River from the Gulf, pummeling the river fortifications around the city and being pummeled in return. New Orleans was the South's largest city, a vital hub of commerce, and contained one of the few functioning shipyards available to the Confederacy. When the garrison finally surrendered, it marked the first Confederate position lost on the Mississippi River.įrom the fall of 1861 to the spring of 1862, the Union and Confederate navies dueled in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A Union siege was supplemented by firepower from a squadron of gunboats as well as the mobility afforded by nearby naval transports. 10 protected the Mississippi River as it wound south into the Confederacy. The CSS Virginia, left, sank two wooden-hulled ships before being stopped by the USS Monitor. More About Hampton Roads Ships of the Civil War In this, the first battle between ironclads in world history, the future of naval warfare was revealed. A day of desperate combat resulted in a stalemate, with both ships limping back for repairs. The next day, the USS Monitor, the North's own ironclad, moved out to challenge the Virginia. The Virginia had devastated the timberclad fleet before nightfall. On March 8, Union blockaders were stunned by the approach of the CSS Virginia, one of the first ironclad warships the world had ever seen. More About Fort Donelson More About Fort Henry Nashville was the first Confederate state capital to fall into Union hands. The fall of this fort opened up the Cumberland and forced the surrender of Nashville, Tennessee by the end of the month. Pivoting east, the combined arms force attacked Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River less than a week later. An fierce naval bombardment proved essential in the capture of the fort, which opened the Tennessee River to the depredations of his gunboats. Foote led a flotilla out of Cairo, Illinois to attack Fort Henry on February 6, 1862. The battle opened a vital approach to the Charleston Harbor, allowing Union ships to tighten the blockade on one of the Confederacy's largest seaports. The defenders withdrew in the afternoon and left the sound in Union hands. The resulting four-and-half hour gun battle exacted a heavy toll on the ships of the fleet as well as on the Confederate garrison. These are a few of the actions that shaped the course of the struggle.Īfter foul weather compelled an infantry landing to be cancelled, Union naval officers took it upon themselves to attack the fortifications protecting Port Royal Sound, South Carolina. The Civil War on the water was marked by bold strategy, technological innovation, and unflinching bravery.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |