Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Atlantic Blockading Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to enforce a blockade of the ports of the Confederate States . It was formed in 1861 and split up the same year for the creation of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron . History . American Civil War . Following President Abraham Lincoln ’ s proclamation of a blockade of Southern ports on April 19 , 1861 the Navy Department found it necessary to subdivide the territory assigned to the Home Squadron . This resulted in the creation of the Coast Blockading Squadron and the Gulf Blockading Squadron in early May 1861 . In orders sent on May 1 , 1861 Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles appointed Flag Officer Silas H . Stringham to command the Coast Blockading Squadron . Stringham received this order and took command on May 4 , 1861 . His new command was to be headquartered at Hampton Roads , Virginia and was given responsibility for the blockading of the coast from the capes of the $ 3 to the southern extremity of Florida and Key West . On May 17 , 1861 the Coast Blockading Squadron was re - designated the Atlantic Blockading Squadron . On September 16 , 1861 Stringham tendered his resignation as commander of the squadron following his receipt of a letter from Acting Secretary of the Navy Gustavus V . Fox that he felt indicated disapproval of his measures to enforce the blockade . Stringham ’ s resignation was accepted on September 18 , 1861 and the same day Flag Officer Louis M . Goldsborough was appointed as his replacement . The transfer of command took place on September 23 , 1861 when Goldsborough arrived at Hampton Roads . In communicating to Goldsborough about his appointment Gideon Welles stated that “ more vigorous and energetic action must be taken ” to enforce the blockade . During the summer of 1861 a four - person board , chaired by Captain Samuel F . Du Pont , was formed to study the implementation of the blockade and make recommendations to improve its efficiency . In the board ’ s report of July 16 , 1861 it was recommended that the Atlantic region be divided into northern and southern sectors . On September 18 , 1861 the Navy Department reached the decision to implement this division with the dividing line being the border between North Carolina and South Carolina . The implementation of this was delayed for a time and on October 12 , 1861 the Navy Department informed Flag Officer Goldsborough that the division of his command would be effective as of the date Flag Officer Samuel F . Du Pont , who was appointed commander of the southern squadron , departed from Hampton Roads with the expedition to capture Port Royal , South Carolina . Du Pont departed on October 29 , 1861 upon which date the squadron was divided to form the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron . The only major operation conducted by the Atlantic Blockading Squadron was the expedition that led to the capture of Hatteras Inlet , North Carolina August 26 – 29 , 1861 . This goal of the operation was to deny use of the inlet to Confederate shipping and this was accomplished with few casualties . The operation was also significant for giving the Union a badly needed victory following the Battle of Bull Run , being the first amphibious landing and the first large scale combined Army - Navy operation of the war . Ships of the Squadron . On May 17 , 1861 there were only fourteen ships assigned to the squadron , along with the Flying Flotilla ( later the Potomac Flotilla ) which was being formed by Commander James H . Ward who had departed for the Chesapeake from the New York Navy Yard on May 16 , 1861 . In effect Ward ' s flotilla acted independently under the direct orders of the Navy Department , though there was some transfer of vessels between the commands . With the acquisition and arming of civilian vessels the Atlantic Blockading Squadron grew to about three times its original allocated strength .