Clang Of War Research Paper

Oct 10,2011
The Clang of War

When one thinks of the US Navy, the mind conjures up images of aircraft carriers, laser-guided missiles, nuclear submarines, and imposing officers; but during the US Civil War, things were very different. It was precisely during this war that the US Navy grew in power and size immensely, because the Union needed power at sea to win the war. Naval warfare was crucial for the Union to win the US Civil War because it allowed the waging of amphibious warfare, economic control of the South, and technological leadership.
Strategically positioned ships on a river gave great support to ground troops; this battle strategy was used by the Union on several instances during the Civil War. One such example was the Vicksburg…show more content…
Another such example of amphibious warfare was the battle of Port Royal, although troops were not landed until the very end and the Confederates had abandoned their fort. (History of War) The siege led by flag officer Samuel Du Pont proved to the South the difficulty of defending their coastline without a challenging navy. During this brief battle, a fleet of 17 moving warships bombarded the forts at Port Royal while the army “supposedly” attacked by land. (History of War) Hours later, badly damaged, the confederates abandoned the fort and marines raised the Union flag. This battle was one of many battles fought to gain access to an important waterway. A final and fine example regarding the importance of naval force in the US Civil War was the Capture of New Orleans led by the famous Admiral David Farragut. The importance of this campaign was that New Orleans was the largest and busiest port in the South and taking it and defeating its navy would allow the setup of the military blockade on the South. (Britannica) Farragut stormed through the port city…show more content…
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