Captain (Confederate States Navy)

Confederate States Navy
Navy of the Confederate States Participant in the American Civil War
Seal of the Confederate States Department of the Navy, which the Confederate Navy formed a part of alongside the Confederate States Marine Corps.
Active	February 21, 1861 (1861-02-21) – November 6, 1865 (1865-11-06)
Leaders	Stephen R. Mallory (C.S. Secretary of the Navy)
Headquarters	Confederate States Navy Department, (Richmond, Virginia)
Part of	Confederate States
Allies	Confederate States Marines  Confederate States Army
Opponents	United States of America U.S. Revenue Cutter Service United States Navy United States Marine Corps United States Army
Battles and wars	American Civil War (1861–1865)
Naval jack (1863–1865)
Naval ensign (1863–1865)
Naval jack (1861–1863)
Naval ensign (1861–1863)

United States of America

The Navy of the Confederate States (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting against the Union Navy / United States Navy.

The three major tasks of the Confederate States Navy during the whole of its existence were the protection of Confederate harbors and coastlines from outside invasion, making the war costly for the U.S. by attacking American / Northern merchant ships worldwide, and running the U.S. blockade by drawing off U.S. Navy ships in pursuit of the Confederate commerce raiders and few warships.

The Confederate navy could never achieve numerical equality with the United States Navy, (then known as the Union Navy), with its near 70 years of traditions and experience, so it used technological innovation, such as ironclads, submarines, torpedo boats, and naval mines (then known as torpedoes) to attempt to gain advantage. In February 1861, the Confederate States Navy had 30 vessels, only 14 of which were seaworthy. The opposing Union Navy had 90 vessels. The C. S. Navy eventually grew to 101 ships to meet the rise in naval conflicts and threats to the coast and rivers of the Confederacy.