This is the first published comprehensive survey of naval action on the Mississippi River and its tributaries for the years 1863-1865. Following introductory reviews of the rivers and of the U.S. Navy's Mississippi Squadron, chronological Federal naval participation in various raids and larger campaigns is highlighted, as well as counterinsurgency, economical support and control, and logistical protection. The book includes details on units, locations and activities that have been previously underreported or ignored. Examples include the birth and function of the Mississippi Squadron's 11th District, the role of U.S. Army gunboats, and the war on the Upper Cumberland and Upper Tennessee Rivers. The last chapter details the coming of the peace in 1865 and the decommissioning of the U.S. river navy and the sale of its gunboats.
Chapter 1. The Western Waters, Topography, Towns, and Navigation
Chapter 3. Isaac Newton Brown and John Hunt Morgan
Chapter 4. Harrisonburg, Little Rock, and Chattanooga, 1863
Chapter 5. Gunboats in the Cumberland Mountains, 1863–1864
Chapter 6. The Red River Campaign, 1864
Chapter 7. Forrest Visits Paducah and Fort Pillow, 1864
Chapter 8. War on Mississippi River Commerce, 1863–1865
Chapter 9. The White River After Little Rock, 1863–1865
Chapter 10. The Tennessee River, 1864–1865
Chapter 11. Nashville, 1864–1865
Chapter 12. War’s End, Squadron’s End, 1865