Thenaval battles of the American Civil War, fought between theUnion and theConfederacy, changed the foundations of naval warfare with the first use ofironclads andsubmarines, and the introduction of newer and more powerfulnaval artillery.

The first shots of the naval war were fired on April 12, 1861, during theBattle of Fort Sumter, by theUS Revenue Cutter Service cutterUSRC Harriet Lane. The final shots were fired on June 22, 1865, by the Confederate raiderCSS Shenandoah in theBering Strait, more than two months after GeneralRobert E. Lee's surrender of theConfederate Army.

One of the most important and famous naval battles of theAmerican Civil War was the clash of theironclads, betweenUSS Monitor andCSS Virginia at theBattle of Hampton Roads. The battle took place on March 8, 1862, and lasted for several hours, resulting in a tactical draw. These revolutionary new warships were protected by the thick armor plating that gives them the name ironclad, which prevented any lasting damage to either ship.

Thebattle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip in 1862 can be divided into two parts: a mostly-ineffective bombardment of the Confederate-held forts by the raft-mounted mortars, and the successful passage of the forts by much of Farragut's fleet on the night of April 24. During the passage, one Federal warship was lost and three others turned back, while the Confederate gunboats were virtually obliterated. The subsequent capture of the city, achieved with no further significant opposition, was a serious, even fatal, blow from which the Confederacy never recovered.

A second great naval battle occurred atCharleston, South Carolina, in 1863. In this battle, called theFirst Battle of Charleston Harbor, theUnion Navy sent Admiral Du Pont with nine ironclads to attack Charleston. When given the order, the admiral did not expect to be victorious. He would have to steer his ships upriver to the fort and attack it from a standstill, giving theConfederates a valuable edge. The Union Navy was forced to retreat within two hours to prevent too many casualties in a single battle, which would irreparably cripple the navy. Because of this failure, the Union wouldblockade Charleston for two more years, while the Confederacy was able to set up several more forts along the coast of South Carolina.^[1]

TheBattle of Cherbourg was an intense naval battle that ended in the sinking ofCSS Alabama, one of the most powerful ships in the Confederate fleet, byUSS Kearsarge.Alabama fired the first shot, butKearsarge was slightly faster, had more firepower, and carried a larger crew complement thanAlabama, giving the Union the advantage. The Confederate ship took many hits and casualties, and the rising water shut off its engines, leaving the surviving crew with no other choice but to surrender and be rescued byKearsarge.^[2]

The navies on both sides not only engaged in battle, but also transported foot soldiers, equipment, and supplies. Without a navy, neither army would have had the supplies or manpower necessary to successfully carry out the war.^[3]

Thus, one major strategy of the Union navy involved blockading Southern ports, preventing the South from receiving supplies or aid from allies via shipping ports. Vital supplies such as food, water, ammunition, guns, clothes, and medical supplies never made it to the Confederate troops. The Confederates retained a sufficient amount of resources to withstand the blockade for an extended period of time, causing the war to last longer than expected. However, the blockade continued to prevent the Confederate troops from replenishing their supplies, which in part led to their eventual surrender.^[4]

Naval ships on both sides also served as much-needed floating hospitals, housing and treating soldiers who had been injured in battle.

• Union Navy
• Confederate States Navy
• Bibliography of early American naval history
• History of the United States Navy
• History of the United States Coast Guard

• "USS and CSS Navy Ships and Battles: American Civil War".
• Naval History of the Civil War March 1862
• U.S. Coast Guard History

• Naval battles of the American Civil War
• Lists of naval battles
• United States Navy lists

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