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Union blockade: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Proclamation And Legal Basis —
Union blockade.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
On the 19th of April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports. The document declared that an insurrection had broken out in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. It stated that laws for collecting revenue could not be executed there as required by the Constitution. Lincoln warned that any vessel attempting to enter or leave these blockaded ports would be captured. He further declared that anyone molesting a United States vessel would be held amenable to federal law for piracy. This proclamation set the legal stage for what became the largest naval blockade ever attempted. In 1863, the U.S. Supreme Court validated this action in the Prize Cases. Attorney Richard Henry Dana Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast, argued the government's case successfully. The Court found the blockade constitutional despite Congress not having formally declared war at that time.
Navy Expansion And Strategy
At the start of the conflict, the Union Navy possessed only 42 ships in active service. Another 48 were laid up and listed as available once crews could be assembled. Half of these vessels were sailing ships, some technologically outdated, while others patrolled distant oceans. One ship served on Lake Erie and could not move into the ocean, and another was missing off Hawaii. Only three ships were suitable for immediate blockade duty when the order came down. Navy Secretary Gideon Welles quickly moved to expand the fleet. Warships patrolling abroad were recalled, and a massive shipbuilding program launched. Civilian merchant and passenger ships were purchased for naval use. Captured blockade runners were also commissioned into the navy. By 1861, nearly 80 steamers and 60 sailing ships joined the fleet. The number of blockading vessels rose to 160. Some 52 more warships were under construction by year end. By November 1862, there were 282 steamers and 102 sailing ships. At war's end, the Union Navy had grown to 671 ships, making it the largest navy in the world.
Blockade Runners And Economics
Ordinary freighters proved too slow and visible to escape the Union Navy. Blockade runners relied instead on new steamships built in Britain with low profiles, shallow drafts, and high speed. Their paddle-wheels, driven by smokeless anthracite coal engines, could make significant speeds. Because the South lacked sufficient sailors and shipbuilding capability, these runners were mostly commanded and manned by officers and sailors from the British Merchant Marine. Profits from blockade running were high. A typical runner could generate profits equal to about $1 million U.S. dollars in 1981 values from a single voyage. Private British investors spent perhaps £50 million on these runners. The pay was substantial. A Royal Navy officer on leave might earn several thousand dollars per round trip. Ordinary seamen earned several hundred dollars. These runners operated out of Bermuda, the Bahamas, or Havana in Spanish Cuba. They carried compact, high-value cargo like cotton outbound and rifles, medicine, brandy, lingerie, and coffee inbound. Charges ranged from $300 to $1,000 per ton of cargo brought in. Two round trips a month could generate revenue around $250,000.
Economic Impact On The South
The interdiction of coastal traffic meant long-distance travel now depended on the rickety railroad system. This infrastructure never overcame the devastating impact of the blockade. Throughout the war, the South produced enough food for civilians and soldiers but struggled to move surpluses to areas of scarcity. Lee's army, at the end of the supply line, nearly always lacked supplies as the conflict entered its final two years. Cotton exports fell 95%, dropping from 10 million bales before the war to just 500,000 bales during the blockade period. Shortages of bread led to occasional riots in Richmond and other cities. Land routes remained open for cattle drovers until Union forces seized control of the Mississippi River in summer 1863. After that point, it became impossible to ship horses, cattle, and swine from Texas and Arkansas to the eastern Confederacy. A significant secondary impact was a resulting scarcity of salt throughout the South. Salt was necessary for curing meat. Its lack led to significant hardship in keeping Confederate forces fed. Union forces actively destroyed attempts to build salt-producing facilities at Avery Island, Louisiana, Port St. Joe, Florida, Darien, Georgia, and Saltville, Virginia.
Global Cotton Famine And Egypt
The southern cotton industry heavily influenced the British economy. On the eve of the war, Great Britain imported over 1.3 billion pounds of cotton. The United States supplied about five-sixths of this total. Following the U.S. announcement of its intention to establish an official blockade, foreign governments began recognizing the Confederacy as a belligerent. Great Britain declared belligerent status on the 13th of May 1861. Textile manufacturing areas in Britain and France entered periods of high unemployment due to the shortage. The price of cotton rose rapidly by 150% by the summer of 1861. The blockade led to Egypt replacing the South as Britain's principal source of cotton. In 1861, only 600,000 cantars of cotton were exported from Egypt. By 1863, Egypt had exported 1.3 million cantars. Nearly 93% of tax revenue collected by the Egyptian state came from taxing cotton. Every landowner in the Nile river valley started growing cotton instead of food. This created inflation caused by the shortage of food. The wealth created by the cotton boom led to redevelopment of much of Cairo and Alexandria.
Major Naval Engagements
The first victory for the U.S. Navy during early phases occurred on the 24th of April 1861. The sloop Cumberland and a small flotilla seized Confederate ships near Fort Monroe off the Virginia coastline. Within two weeks, Flag Officer Garrett J. Pendergrast captured 16 enemy vessels. Early battles included the Blockade of the Chesapeake Bay from May to June 1861 and the Blockade of the Carolina Coast from August to December 1861. In March 1862, the James River blockade was threatened by the ironclad CSS Virginia. Only the timely entry of the Union ironclad Monitor forestalled this threat. Two months later, Virginia and other ships were scuttled. The port of Savannah was sealed by the surrender of Fort Pulaski on the 11th of April 1862. New Orleans fell after forts Jackson and St. Philip were bombarded between April 16 and 22, 1862. The Battle of Mobile Bay on the 5th of August 1864 closed the last major Confederate port in the Gulf of Mexico. On the 17th of February 1864, the submarine H.L. Hunley attacked the USS Housatonic. Both ships sank with total loss of life for their crews.
When did President Abraham Lincoln issue the Proclamation of Blockade against Southern ports?
President Abraham Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Blockade on the 19th of April 1861. The document declared that an insurrection had broken out in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
How many ships did the Union Navy have at the start of the conflict compared to war's end?
At the start of the conflict, the Union Navy possessed only 42 ships in active service. By war's end, the Union Navy had grown to 671 ships, making it the largest navy in the world.
Where did blockade runners operate from during the Civil War?
Blockade runners operated out of Bermuda, the Bahamas, or Havana in Spanish Cuba. They carried compact, high-value cargo like cotton outbound and rifles, medicine, brandy, lingerie, and coffee inbound.
What percentage decrease occurred in cotton exports due to the Union blockade?
Cotton exports fell 95%, dropping from 10 million bales before the war to just 500,000 bales during the blockade period. This shortage led Egypt to replace the South as Britain's principal source of cotton.
When was the Battle of Mobile Bay fought and what port did it close?
The Battle of Mobile Bay took place on the 5th of August 1864. This engagement closed the last major Confederate port in the Gulf of Mexico.