Strangling the Confederacy : coastal operations of the American Civil War

The key Federals -- The key Confederates -- The blockage and the Navy Board -- THE ATLANTIC CAMPAIGN. Hatteras Inlet; the pattern is formed -- Port Royal Sound: the triumph of the plan -- Fernandina and Jacksonville: the army is overextended -- Fort Pulaski: Rifled artillery's first breach of masonry -- THE BURNSIDE EXPEDITION. Roanoke Island: amphibious proving ground -- New Bern: expanded logistical impact of the coastal war -- Fort Macon: final victory of the Burnside Expedition -- THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN: a failure in cooperation -- THE GULF CAMPAIGN. Ship Island: setting the stage -- New Orleans: the price of unpreparedness -- Pensacola: the Confederacy is stretched too thin -- Galveston: a federal setback -- TOUGHER CHALLENGES. Charleston: too strong from the Sea -- Mobile Bay: damn the torpedoes -- Fort Fisher: the final chapter -- The coastal war and the elements of operational design.;This work examines the various naval actions and land incursions the Union waged from Virginia down the Atlantic Coast and through the Gulf of Mexico to methodically close down every Confederate port that could bring in weapons or supplies during the American Civil War. A selection of the Military Book ClubWhile the Civil War is mainly remembered for its epic battles between the Northern and Southern armies, the Union was simultaneously waging another campaigndubbed Anacondathat was gradually depriving the South of industry and commerce, thus rendering the exploits of its field armies moot. When an independent Dixie finally met the dustbin of history, it was the Norths coastal campaign, as much as the achievements of its main forces, that was primarily responsible.Strangling the Confederacy examines the various naval actions and land incursions the Union waged from Virginia down the Atlantic Coast and through the Gulf of Mexico to methodically close down every Confederate port that could bring in weapons or supplies. The Rebels responded with fast shipsblockade runnersthat tried to evade the Yankee fleets, while at the same time constructing formidable fortifications that could protect the ports themselves. While Union troopships floated offshore, able to strike anywhere, mobile Confederate forces were kept at hand near crucial points, albeit in smaller numbers, to resist Federal irruptions into their homeland.In the final analysis, the Unions Navy Board, a unique institution at the time, undertook the correct strategy. Its original decision to focus on ten seaports that had rail or water connections with the Confederate interiorfrom Norfolk to Charleston to Mobile to New Orleansshows that the Navy Board understood the concept of decisive points. In a number of battles the Federals were able to leverage their superior technology, including steam power and rifled artillery, in a way that made the Confederate coastal defenses highly vulnerable, if not obsolete. On the other hand, when the Federals encountered Confederate resistance at close-quarters they often experienced difficulties, as in the failures at Fort Fisher, the debacle at Battery Wagner, the Battle of Olustee, and in other clashes.What makes this book particularly unique is its use of modern military doctrine to assess and analyze the campaigns. Kevin Dougherty, an accomplished historian and former career Army officer, concludes that, without knowing it, the Navy Board did an excellent job at following modern strategic doctrine. While the multitude of small battles that flared along the Rebel coast throughout the Civil War have heretofore not been as well known as the more titanic inland battles, in a cumulative sense, Anacondathe most prolonged of the Union campaignsspelled doom for the Confederacy. [Elib] A historian and Citadel tactical officer examines the Civil War's naval conflicts to shed new light on the Union's vital yet overlooked Anaconda campaign. A selection of the Military Book Club. While the Civil War is mainly remembered for epic land battles, the Union waged an equally important campaign at sea—dubbed "Anaconda"—to gradually deprive the South of industry, commerce, and resources. The Rebels responded with fast ships called blockade runners that tried to evade the Yankee fleets, while at the same time constructing fortifications that could protect the ports themselves. Ultimately, it was this coastal conflict that brought the Confederacy to its knees. In Strangling the Confederacy , historian and Citadel tactical officer Kevin Dougherty examines the Union's naval actions from Virginia down the Atlantic Coast and through the Gulf of Mexico. The Union's Navy Board leveraged superior technology, including steam power and rifled artillery, in ways that rendered the Confederate coastal defenses nearly obsolete. But when the Union encountered Confederate resistance at close quarters, the tables were turned—as in the failures at Fort Fisher, the debacle at Battery Wagner, the Battle of Olustee, and in other clashes. Offering a unique perspective, Dougherty concludes that, without knowing it, the Navy Board did an excellent job at following modern military doctrine. While the multitude of small battles that flared along the Rebel coast have been overshadowed by the more titanic inland battles, in a cumulative sense, Anaconda—the most prolonged of the Union campaigns—spelled doom for the Confederacy. While the Civil War is mainly remembered for its epic battles between the Northern and Southern armies, the Union was simultaneously waging another campaign—dubbed "Anaconda"—that was gradually depriving the South of industry and commerce, thus rendering the exploits of its field armies moot. When an independent Dixie finally met the dustbin of history, it was the North's coastal campaign, as much as the achievements of its main forces, that was primarily responsible. Strangling the Confederacy examines the various naval actions and land incursions the Union waged from Virginia down the Atlantic Coast and through the Gulf of Mexico to methodically close down every Confederate port that could bring in weapons or supplies. The Rebels responded with fast ships—blockade runners—that tried to evade the Yankee fleets, while at the same time constructing formidable fortifications that could protect the ports themselves. While Union troopships floated...