In which we continue to tell the story of the world’s first battle between two ironclad warships, the USS Monitor & the CSS Virginia, which took place on March 9, 1862.
Our book recommendation for this episode is “Hampton Roads 1862: First Clash of the Ironclads” by Angus Konstam.
In which we discuss the April 19, 1861 proclamation by which Abraham Lincoln declared a blockade of the Confederacy. We also look at the Confederate seizure of the important Gosport navy yard in Virginia a few days later.
Stephen Mallory (ca. 1813-1873)
Our book recommendation for this episode is War on the Waters: The Union & Confederate Navies, 1861-1865 by James M. McPherson. “With all the narrative grace, original scholarship, and equal grasp of both big picture and telling detail, Civil War historian James McPherson has provided his admirers with another authoritative entry in his roster of essential books. McPherson never argues that the Union navy won the Civil War, but readers will argue that no Civil War library will ever be complete without this volume.” ~ Harold Holzer