Confederate States Navy
| Confederate States Navy | |
|---|---|
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Navy of the Confederate States Participant in the American Civil War |
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Seal of the Confederate Department of the Navy, which the Confederate Navy formed a part of alongside the Confederate Marines.
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| Active | February 21, 1861 – November 6, 1865 |
| Leaders |
Stephen R. Mallory (Secretary of the Navy) Samuel Barron (Chief of the Bureau of Orders and Detail) George Minor (Chief of Ordnance and Hydrography) John DeBree (Chief of Provisions and Clothing) W.A.W. Spottswood (Bureau of Medicine and Surgery) Edward M. Tidball (Chief Clerk) |
| Headquarters | Confederate States Navy Department |
| Part of |
 Confederate States of America
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| Allies |
 Confederate States Marines Confederate States Army
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| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | American Civil War |
| Naval jack (1863–1865) | |
| Naval ensign (1863–1865) | |
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The Navy of the Confederate States (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American Civil War, fighting against the U.S. Navy.
The three major tasks of the Confederate 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 merchant ships worldwide and running the U.S. blockade by drawing off U.S. Navy ships in pursuit of the Confederate raiders.
The Confederate navy could never achieve numerical equality with the U.S. Navy, so it used technological innovation, such as ironclads, submarines, torpedo boats, and naval mines (then known as torpedoes) to gain advantage. In February 1861 the Confederate Navy had 30 vessels, only 14 of which were seaworthy. The Union Navy had 90 vessels. The C. S. Navy eventually grew to 101 ships to meet the rise in naval threats and conflicts.
On April 20, 1861 the U.S. was forced to quickly abandon the important Gosport Navy Yard at Norfolk, Virginia. In their haste they failed to effectively burn the facility with its large depots of arms and other supplies, and several small vessels. As a result, the Confederacy captured much needed war materials, including heavy cannon, gunpowder, shot, and shell. Of most importance to the Confederacy was the shipyard's dry docks, hardly damaged by the departing Union forces. The Confederacy's only substantial navy yard with at that time was in Pensacola, Florida, so the Norfolk Yard was sorely needed to build new warships. The most significant warship left at the Yard was the screw frigate USS Merrimack.
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Wikipedia