In less than four years. the U .S. Navy evolved from a Force incapable of maintaining a blockade of Southern ports to one of the strongest naval powers in the world. This authoritative 19th-century history. based on official records and other documents. offers a fascinating account of the navy's transformatibn during the Civil War and its crucial but much-neglected role in the conflict. Beginning with the opening shots at Fort Sumter and concluding with the desperate final months of the war, this work features gripping accounts of battles along the way the fight between the Monitor and the Merrimac. the capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, the Red River Expedition, the daring exploits of the Confederate "pirate" vessel Alabama, and much more. Highlights include a lively account of the Trent Affair, in which the Federal powers intercepted a shipboard quartet of Confederate agents and nearly precipitated a war with Great Britain; the dogged seven-month resistance by Confederates at Vicksburg, during which the Rebels exhibited such bravery and endurance that they won the respect of their conquerors; and numerous other intriguing events. Many fine black-and-white engravings of battle scenes. individuals, and maps enhance the well-written and absorbing text. Civil War buffs, naval historians, and other readers will treasure this expert account, reproduced from a rare originai volume, of an often-overlooked facet of one of the defining chapters in American history.