Soon after the start of the Civil War, during the naval buildup on the central Mississippi River, celebrated civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr., formed the Ram Fleet under U.S. secretary of war Edwin M. Stanton. Perhaps the most bizarre unit organized by the Union, the rams were shunned by both the army and navy as superfluous instruments of war. However, on June 6, 1862, they proved their worth by defeating the Confederate River Defense Fleet ironclads at Memphis while the U.S. Navy simply watched. In this lively study, Chester G. Hearn details the formation and wartime exploits of Ellet's fleet, reviving the history of this fascinating but forgotten brigade.
On April 24, 1862, Federal gunboats made their way past two Confederate forts to ascend the Mississippi, and the Union navy captured the city of New Orleans. How did the South lose its most important city? In this exhaustively researched, authoritative, well-argued study, Chester Hearn examines the decisions, actions, individuals, and events that brought about the capture of New Orleans - and forever weakened the Confederate war machine. Hearn directs his inquiry to the heart of government, both Union and Confederate, and takes a hard look at the selection of military and naval leaders, the use of natural and financial resources, and the performances of all personnel involved. The decisions of Jefferson Davis, Stephen R. Mallory, and three Confederate secretaries of war, he holds, were as much to blame for the fall of New Orleans as David Farragut's warships. Hearn also scrutinizes the role of Major General Mansfield Lovell and evaluates the investigation that ended his career. Hearn's explorations bring us into a flourishing New Orleans and introduce Louisiana leaders Thomas O. Moore and the debilitated old men sent to prepare the state for war: Major General David E. Twiggs and Commodore Lawrence Rousseau. We follow their trifling efforts to defend the lower Mississippi and General Lovell's frustrations in attempting to arm forts and obtain cooperation from the navy, and we come to understand the dismay of such leaders as P.G.T. Beauregard and Braxton Bragg as they witnessed this bungling. Hearn traces the building of the ironclads Manassas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and investigates the reason for their failure to defend New Orleans.
Revered for its tough training regime and "hit-the-beaches" philosophy, the U.S. Marine Corps has fought in every overseas conflict in which America has been involved since George Washington's first amphibious operations during the Revolution.
Powerfully illustrated with the dramatic works of famous artists, contemporary images, and specially commissioned photographs of historic artifacts, this superb book also describes the furious battles the Navy has fought and major weapons it has used.
This book tells the story of the scientific talent and technological prowess of two nations that joined forces to connect themselves with a communications cable that would change the world. In 1855 an American visionary named Cyrus West Field, who knew nothing about telegraphy, sought to establish a monopoly on telegraphic revenues between North America and Europe. Field and the wealthy New Yorkers who formed the first Atlantic cable-laying company never suspected that spanning the vast and stormy Atlantic would require 11 years of frustration and horrific financial sacrifice. The enterprise would eventually engage some of the most brilliant minds in England, Scotland, and the United States, attracting men of science, men of wealth, and men of curiosity. Message time would be cut from more than four weeks to about two minutes. Such a feat would not have been possible without the massive ship the Great Eastern, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Britain's foremost engineer, or the financial backing of Thomas Brassey, the era's greatest builder of railroads. Despite four failed attempts and the enmity that developed between the Union and Great Britain during America's Civil War, Field never stopped urging his British friends to perfect a cable that could function in water as deep as two and a half miles. Without the unified effort of this small cadre of determined engineers, decades may have passed before submarine cables became reliable. This is the story of these men, their ships, and the technology that made it all possible. Behind the scenes were tough and worthy competitors who tried to beat them to the punch, adding a sense of urgency to their monumental task. Some called the Atlantic cable the greatest feat of the 19th century—with good reason. It perfected transoceanic communications and connected the world with circuits in the sea.
On April 24, 1862, Federal gunboats made their way past two Confederate forts to ascend the Mississippi River, and the Union navy captured New Orleans. News of the loss of the Crescent City came to Jefferson Davis as an absolute shock. In this exhaustive study, Chester G. Hearn examines the decisions, actions, individuals, and events to explain why. He directs his inquiry to the heart of government, both Union and Confederate, and takes a hard look at the selection of military and naval leaders, the use of natural and financial resources, and the performances of all personnel involved. His vivid, fast-paced narrative provides fascinating reading, as well as penetrating insight into this crucial campaign.
From its Revolutionary War beginnings as the Continental Army to its leadership of the “Coalition of the Willing” in today’s Iraq, for more than 200 years the United States Army has fulfilled its solemn charge: to provide for the common defense, at home and abroad. To a significant degree the U.S. Army’s story is the story of the United States, as becomes clear in this absorbing, illustrated history of the U. S. Army from its beginnings in a rag-tag force of colonial militia to its current incarnation as the world’s most powerful and sophisticated land-combat force. With an emphasis on post-Vietnam operations and detailed information on the technological component of the force’s military might, distinguished historian Chester Hearn follows the U. S. Army through its combat history—the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, various Indian wars, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, the first Gulf war, and Afghanistan and Iraq—offering a complete and thoroughly fascinating account of an armed force ever remaking itself to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.
In the Civil War, both sides understood that closing the South's ports would halt the introduction of war materiel to the industrially weak region. Though the North captured New Orleans in 1862, they did not attack the Confederate navy in Mobile Bay or the city of Mobile, Alabama, until 1864. The two-year delay allowed much needed supplies to enter the Confederacy and changed the face of the ensuing Mobile Campaign, as technological advances in ships submarines, mines and fortification made a striking difference in the fighting. This book examines the politics, preparations, leaders, and battles that made the Mobile Campaign a microcosm of the overall conduct of the Civil War.
At the beginning of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln and his highest-ranking general, George B. McClellan, agreed that the United States must preserve the Union. Their differing strategies for accomplishing that goal, however, created constant conflict. In Lincoln and McClellan at War, Chester G. Hearn explores this troubled relationship, revealing its complexity and showing clearly why the two men -- both inexperienced with war -- eventually parted ways. A staunch Democrat who never lost his acrimony toward Republicans -- including the president -- McClellan first observed Lincoln as an attorney representing the Illinois Central Railroad and immediately disliked him. This underlying bias followed thirty-five-year-old McClellan into his role as general-in-chief of the Union army. Lincoln, a man without military training, promoted McClellan on the advice of cabinet members and counted on "Little Mac" to whip the army into shape and end the war quickly. McClellan comported himself with great confidence and won Lincoln's faith by brilliantly organizing the Army of the Potomac. Later, however, he lost Lincoln's trust by refusing to send what he called "the best army on the planet" into battle. The more frustrated Lincoln grew with McClellan's inaction, the more Lincoln studied authoritative works on military strategy and offered strategic combat advice to the general. McClellan resented the president's suggestions and habitually deflected them. Ultimately, Lincoln removed McClellan for what the president termed "the slows." According to Hearn, McClellan's intransigence stemmed largely from his reluctance to fight offensively. Thoroughly schooled in European defensive tactics, McClellan preferred that approach to fighting the war. His commander-in-chief, on the other hand, had a preference for using offensive tactics. This compelling study of two important and diverse figures reveals how personality and politics prolonged the Civil War.
“Profusely illustrated with dramatic paintings, evocative photographs and informative maps, this book conveys the fascinating history of the U.S. Navy. It tells of the officers and men who fought the battles and created strategies, tracing the progress and expansion of technology and tactics from the early colonial days through the furious combat of World War II at sea against Japan to shielding the nation from the threats of the Cold War and today facing the challenges of the twenty-first century.” Accent on Tampa Bay Magazine “In 1775, a new congress formed what would evolve into one of the world’s greatest military organizations: the U.S. Navy. NAVY celebrates this, using paintings, photos, and maps to trace the evolution of the Navy during the wars it fought. Both black and white and color illustrations, from photos to artistic representations, make NAVY an excellent survey – and it comes from a military historian who has already written several Navy history books. It’s an excellent choice for any military library and for any general-interest collection seeking an accessible, lively format documenting Navy strengths and evolution.” California Bookwatch In 1775, the newly created American Congress took the first step in the formation of what, some two centuries later, would become the largest and greatest navy in the world. From those days of John Paul Jones and his associates who dared to challenge Britains Royal Navy, the mightiest navy the world had ever seen, Americas Continental Navy has grown, along with the country, to become the worlds foremost naval force. Today, the United States Navy is a highly sophisticated armed force that is capable of projecting military power to all corners of the world. This in-depth volume describes the battles, the ships and aircraft, and the great naval captains of American history who shaped it into the premiere seaborne military force in the world today.Profusely illustrated with dramatic paintings, evocative photographs and informative maps, this book conveys the fascinating history of that force. It tells of the officers and men who fought the battles and created the strategies, tracing the progress and expansion of technology and tactics from the early colonial days through the furious combat of World War II at sea against Japan to shielding the nation from the threats of the Cold War and today facing the challenges of the twenty-first century.
In this account, Chester G. Hearn tells the story of the confederate cruisers - eight ships built mostly in Great Britain - whose mission was to devastate Union commerce and draw off the blockading Yankee squadron strangling the South's economy. Hearn enriches his tale with biographical detail on the ships' commanders, and examines the British perspective, explaining England's motivation to undertake the clandestine construction of the warships.
While it is commonly known that Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached, less well known are the circumstances that led to the unsuccessful campaign to remove him from office. This account of Johnson's political life in Washington (including brief coverage of his early career in Tennessee) focuses on his conflict with the Radical Republicans, a group of fanatical abolitionists who, after Lincoln's assassination, sought to dominate American government and punish the South as harshly as possible. Johnson's focus on healing the nation and his refusal to submit to the Radicals' demands led to his impeachment. Though Johnson was acquitted, his impeachment clearly illustrates the danger when one branch of government tries to dominate the others. This chronicle of the first U.S. presidential impeachment covers in detail the political forces that nearly removed him from office. Numerous illustrations, a bibliography and an index are included.
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