David Dixon Porter on the Memory of the Civil War

Today, we celebrate Memorial Day.  Originally designated "Decoration Day" as a day to commemorate fallen Union soldiers during the...

Gosport Navy Yard-Welles Defends His Actions

The lost of the Gosport Navy Yard was considered in the North to be disaster of the War. There were many questions on how someone could let ...

Stephen Mallory's Dream Operation

The Confederacy's first and only secretary of the navy Stephen Mallory had many positive leadership qualities. Among them was confidence...

Arming Western Waters

In the spring of 1861, Winfield Scott's plan to bisect the Confederacy was but a dream. The U.S. Navy was solely a saltwater institutio...

Sketches of the USS Brooklyn, 18 May 1861

The images below were sketched by an Engineer Officer onboard the sloop-of-war USS Brooklyn on its way to aid the reinforcement of Fort Pic...

Any Ship Will Do-The Blockaders

This is an 1861  Harper's Weekly engraving entitled "Preparing Merchant Vessels for the Blockade."  When the Lincoln Administ...

Keeping the Nation's Captial Open

USS Pawnee and Freeborn engage Confederate batteries at Aquia Creek, June 1, 1861. In his history of the U.S. Navy in the Civil War, Admiral...

Online Scavenger Hunt #1 Results; Scavenger Hunt #2 Available

Last week, we debuted our first Online Scavenger Hunt for CWN 150 fans.  There were only a few participants, so we are looking for more par...

Fort Clinch, Fernandina, Florida

Construction of Ft. Clinch, located in the town of Fernandina, Florida, began in 1847. The masonry fort was named for Gen. Duncan L. Clinch,...

Annapolis Comes to Newport

---John Pentangelo During the Civil War, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis was relocated to Newport, Rhode Island. Though the mov...

Union Jacks Luncheon Lecture: "A Sailor's Life"

Historian Michael J. Bennett discusses life as a Union sailor during the Civil War in this brief video clip taken from the 28 April HRNM Lu...

HRNM Online Scavenger Hunt #1 now on BLOG

Many of you emailed me asking if the Scavenger Hunt could be posted here on the blog.  Ask and you shall recieve.  Subsequently, I will pos...

The Confederate Cruiser That Got Lost in the Mail

During the Civil War, there were two naval vessels called the CSS Georgia . But did you know there was almost a third? In 1864, the Confeder...

Civil War Navy Scavenger Hunt # 1

CWN 150 Fans, We are pleased to announce the launch of our first Civil War Navy Online Scavenger Hunt.  Participants will use their skills o...

Union Jacks Luncheon Lecture: Getting Clean

Here is a short clip from the 28 April 2011 HRNM Luncheon Lecture "Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War" with Michael J. ...