Category Archives: Navies

History in Pieces

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Dwight Hughes

History comes in many pieces. My good friend Hal, a retired navy captain, collects Civil War naval artifacts. He acquired items that caught his eye over the years without any particular theme in mind only to find threads and connections … Continue reading →

Posted in Material Culture, Memory, Navies | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tracking the Lost Silver of the Benjamin F. Hoxie

Posted on September 19, 2019 by ECW Guest Post

Emerging Civil War welcomes back guest author Neil P. Chatelain Throughout the Civil War, the Confederate navy’s commerce raiders captured hundreds of Union merchants. A major task of these raiders included efforts to intercept vessels shipping bullion, both gold and … Continue reading →

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ECW Weekender: Exploring Columbus, Georgia with Kennesaw State University’s Upcoming Bus Tour

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

Looking to explore some history and museums in Columbus, Georgia? The National Civil War Naval Museum stands on the bank of the Chattahoochee River. It preserves the largest surviving Confederate warship, the CSS Jackson, as well as the wreckage of … Continue reading →

Posted in ECW Weekender, Navies, Upcoming Events | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

An Ancient and Fearsome Weapon: The Ram

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Dwight Hughes

The ram—the main armament of sleek and swift Greek triremes powered by 180 rowers—turned back a Persian invasion at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC and launched Western Civilization. Rowing galleys ruled the Mediterranean for two more millennia, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Navies, Weapons | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Fall of Fort Henry and the Changing of Confederate Strategy

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Kevin Pawlak

Fort Donelson has “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. It has an early morning Confederate attack, a breakout by Nathan Bedford Forrest and, in short, the stuff that makes good history. But from this outsider’s perspective looking in on the Western Theater, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Battles, Campaigns, Leadership--Confederate, Navies, Politics, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Sink Before Surrender: The CSS Virginia Gets Underway

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Dwight Hughes

In the dawn of that fateful Saturday, March 8, 1862, the CSS Virginia lay alongside the Gosport Shipyard quay on the west bank of the Elizabeth River across from Norfolk, Virginia, and just upriver from Hampton Roads. The storm passed … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Emerging Civil War, Navies | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Confederate Navy’s Order of Battle at New Orleans: A Reflection of Political Tensions

Posted on March 11, 2019 by ECW Guest Post

ECW welcomes back guest author Neil P. Chatelain. The ECW post on September 27, 2018 titled “Order of Battle – Why Those Lists Matter” reminded me of my own research, and I began doing what historians do: using thoughts and … Continue reading →

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ECW Weekender: View from the Ramparts – Fortress Monroe, Virginia

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Dwight Hughes

In the gathering dusk of Saturday, March 8, 1862, a young Union telegrapher, John Emmet O’Brien, stood on the ramparts of Fortress Monroe on Old Point Comfort dominating the entrance to Hampton Roads, Virginia. He looked to the right and … Continue reading →

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, ECW Weekender, National Park Service, Navies | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The First Contraband Combatants

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Dwight Hughes

“The scene on board the flag-ship was novel and thrilling. The thunder of the conflict drowned all other noises,” wrote historian John S. C. Abbott.[1] In one of the first Civil War histories, written while it happened, Abbott employed elegant … Continue reading →

Posted in Navies, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

At Sea: Fighting For Freedom

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

African Americans hazarded their lives and freedom against the nation’s enemies in the colonial and United States navies while achieving a level of respect, relatively fair treatment, and economic opportunities generally not available ashore. (Dwight Hughes, 2018, ECW Blog) In … Continue reading →

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