Mr. Lincoln's Brown Water Navy: The Mississippi Squadron (The American Crisis Series: Books on the Civil War Era)
The riverine warfare on the Mississippi during the Civil War was an essential component of ultimate Union victory but frequently gets lost in general histories and even broader naval histories. The Mississippi system was vital for Southern commerce and also for penetrating into the Southern heartland. The Union began with two important advantages, for it possessed most of the shipbuilding and metallurgical industries, and its military leadership had keener eyes for strategy (Joiner gives Grant much well-deserved credit). Fighting on the heartland rivers continued after the capture of Vicksburg, but the Red River campaign was a sideshow, and Confederate guerrillas were no more than an annoyance. Clearly written and well researched, Joiner's sound study also offers a superior selection of photographs of the weird and wonderful craft that won the rivers for the Union. Green, Roland