The Civil War at Sea: The Blockaders (review)

Abstract

210CIVIL WA R HISTORY myth" for Lincoln, sums it up—"the man was fine enough to stand every test of history." Robert W. Johannsen University of Illinois The Civil War at Sea: The Blockaders. Vol. I (January, 1861-March, 1862). By Virgil Carrington Jones. ( New York: Holt, Rinehart, Winston, I960. Pp. xxvi, 483. $6.00.) In the recent flood of Civil War books, no author has attempted to describe the complete story of the Union and Confederate navies. Now, Virgil Carrington Jones undertakes this ambitious and necessary task. The Civil War at Sea: The Blockaders is the first volume in a projected trilogy. It begins with the provisioning of the Star of the West in January, 1861. and concludes with the often told tale of the Monitor and the Virginia (ex-Merrimack) in March, 1862. Chapters correspond to months and the author compresses into each the naval events, major and minor, which transpired during that period whether in the Atlantic, the Gulf, the Mississippi River, Washington, Richmond , Havana, or London. In the never ending tug-of-war between journalist and scholar as to the relative importance of style, research, and interpretation, The Civil War at Sea is an example of a "popular book" designed for the "general reader" compared to the thoroughly researched opus of the professional historian. On the credit side, the book is fast-paced, generating excitement with each chapter; the battle scenes are excellently handled; the dialogues, duly footnoted, are inserted to give the maximum effect for interesting reading. Unfortunately, like other recent authors, Jones leans heavily upon the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies for evidence, By depending primarily upon this source, which errs not in commission but in omission, Jones presents nothing new and neglects the vital areas of shipbuilding , ordnance, supply and recruiting. Although he inspected some of the manuscript collections relating to the navies in the Library of Congress, National Archives, and the Southern Historical Commission. Jones by no means searched them all and missed significant holdings elsewhere. Had he worked more with manuscripts, he might have presented a fresh interpretation , integrated naval operations with the general course of the war, evaluated the commanders afloat and ashore, and given a much-needed appraisal of the Union blockade. While this reviewer admires Jones's courage to attempt such a gigantic project and heartily applauds his spirited style, seamen who call "a wall," "a bulkhead," might be nettled by such landlubberly expressions as "renting" instead of "chartering" steamboats. James M. Merrill Whittier College ...