Naval battles of the American Civil War

The "Battle of Mobile Bay", by Louis Prang.

The naval engagements of the American Civil War changed the foundations of naval warfare due to the first-time use of ironclads and submarines, and the introduction of newer and more powerful naval artillery.

The first shots of the naval war were fired on April 13, 1861, during the Battle of Fort Sumter, by the Revenue Service cutter USRC Harriet Lane and the final on June 22, 1865, by the Confederate raider CSS Shenandoah, in the Bering Strait, more than two months after General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Confederate Army.

Battles

Battle	Start date	End date	Notes
First Battle of Fort Sumter	April 13, 1861	April 14, 1861	First shots of the naval war fired, first battle of the war
Battle of Gloucester Point	May 7, 1861	May 7, 1861	First naval battle of the war
Battle of Sewell's Point	May 18, 1861	May 19, 1861
Battle of Aquia Creek	May 29, 1861	June 1, 1861	First use of torpedos by Confederate forces in combat
Battle of Pig Point	June 5, 1861	June 5, 1861
Battle of Mathias Point	June 27, 1861	June 27, 1861
Sinking of the Petrel	July 28, 1861	July 28, 1861	One of the last naval battles in history involving a privateer ship
Battle of Cockle Creek	October 5, 1861	October 5, 1861
Battle of the Head of Passes	October 12, 1861	October 12, 1861
Battle of Port Royal	November 7, 1861	November 7, 1861	First major naval battle of the war
Battle of Cockpit Point	January 3, 1862	January 3, 1862
Battle of Lucas Bend	January 11, 1862	January 11, 1862	Last naval battle in history involving the use of timberclad warships performing a major combat role
Battle of Fort Henry	February 6, 1862	February 6, 1862
Battle of Elizabeth City	February 10, 1862	February 10, 1862
Battle of Hampton Roads	March 8, 1862	March 9, 1862	First naval battle involving ironclad warships
Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip	April 16, 1862	April 28, 1862	Led to the Union capture of New Orleans
Battle of Island Number Ten	February 28, 1862	April 8, 1862	First Confederate defeat on the Mississippi River
Battle of Plum Point Bend	May 10, 1862	May 10, 1862
Battle of Drewry's Bluff	May 15, 1862	May 15, 1862
Battle of Memphis	June 6, 1862	June 6, 1862	Last time in history civilians with no military or naval experience were permitted to command warships in combat
Battle of Saint Charles	June 17, 1862	June 17, 1862
Battle of Tampa	June 30, 1862	July 1, 1862
Battle of Corpus Christi	August 12, 1862	August 18, 1862
Battle of Galveston Harbor	October 4, 1862	October 4, 1862
Battle of Crumpler's Bluff	October 3, 1862	October 3, 1862
Battle of Fort Hindman	January 9, 1863	January 11, 1863	Led to the largest surrender of Confederate troops west of the Mississippi River prior to the end of the war
Battle off Galveston Lighthouse	January 11, 1863	January 11, 1863
Battle of Fort McAllister	March 3, 1863	March 3, 1863
Battle of Fort Pemberton	March 11, 1863	March 11, 1863
First Battle of Charleston Harbor	April 7, 1863	April 7, 1863
Battle of Wassaw Sound	June 17, 1863	June 17, 1863
Battle of Portland Harbor	June 27, 1863	June 27, 1863
First Battle of Fort Wagner	July 10, 1863	July 11, 1863
Second Battle of Fort Wagner	July 18, 1863	July 18, 1863
Second Battle of Charleston Harbor	August 17, 1863	September 8, 1863
Second Battle of Sabine Pass	September 8, 1863	September 8, 1863	Most one sided Confederate victory of the war
Second Battle of Fort Sumter	September 9, 1863	September 9, 1863
Attack on USS New Ironsides	October 5, 1863	October 5, 1863	CSS David becomes the first torpedo boat to make a successful attack on an enemy warship in combat
Battle of Fort Brooke	October 16, 1863	October 18, 1863
Sinking of USS Housatonic	February 17, 1864	February 17, 1864	H. L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to sink an enemy warship in combat
Battle of Fort Pillow	April 12, 1864	April 12, 1864
Battle of Plymouth	April 17, 1865	April 20, 1864
Battle of Albemarle Sound	May 5, 1864	May 5, 1864
Battle of Cherbourg	June 19, 1864	June 19, 1864	Led to the sinking of the Confederate raider CSS Alabama
Battle of Mobile Bay	August 2, 1864	August 23, 1864	Greatest Union naval victory of the war
Bahia Incident	October 7, 1864	October 7, 1864	Led to the capture of the Confederate raider CSS Florida, international incident with Brazil
Capture of Plymouth	October 29, 1864	October 31, 1864
Jamesville Incident	December 9, 1864	December 9, 1864
Second Battle of Fort Fisher	January 13, 1865	Januery 15, 1865	Largest amphibious assault of the war
Battle of Trent's Reach	January 23, 1865	January 25, 1865	One of the final major naval battles of the war
Blockade of the South	1861	1865	Part of the Anaconda Plan

See also

• Confederate States Navy
• Union Navy
• History of the United States Navy
• History of the United States Coast Guard

References

• "USS and CSS Navy Ships and Battles: American Civil War". http://americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/. 
• Naval History of the Civil War March 1862
• U.S. Coast Guard History