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Commanding Lincoln's Navy : Union Naval Leadership During the Civil War by Stephen Taaffe is a history book available to read on EtoBox.

What is Commanding Lincoln's Navy : Union Naval Leadership During the Civil War about?

The Union Navy played a vital role in winning the Civil War by blockading Confederate ports, cooperating with the Union Army in amphibious assaults, and operating on the Mississippi River and its tributaries. To wage this multifaceted war, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles divided the Union Navy into six squadrons. The book examines who Welles assigned to squadron command and why he appointed these officers. Taaffe argues that President Abraham Lincoln gave Welles considerable latitude in picking squadron commanders. Lincoln not only trusted Welles's judgment, but he also understood that the Navy was not as important to the Union war effort militarily and politically as the Army, so there was less of a need for him to oversee closely its operations. Welles used this authority to make appointments to squadron command based on several criteria. Welles factored into his mental calculations seniority, availability, and political connections, but he was most interested in an officer's record, character, and abilities. Although some of Welles's earliest selections left something to be desired, his insight improved markedly as the war continued and he gained a greater understanding of t

Who reads Commanding Lincoln's Navy : Union Naval Leadership During the Civil War?

Author

Stephen Taaffe

Publisher

Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press

Published

2009

Language

EN

ISBN

9781591148555

Category

history

Subjects

Memoir, Political Science, Biography

Rating

4.22 / 5 (56 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14