From Cape Charles to Cape Fear: The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War (Alabama Fire Ant)

The outbreak of war in 1861 posed a formidable set of challenges for the United States Navy. The relatively small force was given the dual tasks of blockading thousands of miles of coastline while supporting Army operations along the coast, while simultaneously suffering the loss of their facilities in the Southern states and the resignations of hundreds of experienced officers. Their success in overcoming these problems and their contribution to the Union's victory has not received anywhere near the attention of their sister service in the conflict, which is one reason why Robert Browning's labors are so welcome. He has spent much of his career writing a series of squadron-based histories of the U.S. Navy's operations in the war, of show more which this is the first. In it he provides a survey of their North Atlantic Squadron, which was tasked with overseeing naval operations in Virginia and North Carolina. Much of his book is focused on their participation in military operations along their coasts and rivers, with his coverage of the blockade of secondary importance. He makes no secret of his view that the Navy played a key role in the Union's victory, one that may have come sooner had the Army generals in the region made better use of the naval forces assigned to him. While some may disagree with this assessment, there is no denying the value of Browning's account, which shines a long-overdue spotlight on the long unheralded role that the Navy played in the Civil War. show less