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Commanding Lincoln's Navy: Union Leadership During the Civil War is the story of how the Union's Navy leadership, particularly President Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, contributed to winning the American Civil War. From blockading Confederate ports to cooperating with the Army in amphibious assaults to controlling the Mississippi and its tributaries, the Navy's success in its role can be traced to Welles' overall talent for choosing good leaders - though some of his early choices may have lent too much priority to political connections, seniority, and availability over record and individual character, his skill improved as the conflict continued, and he became increasingly efficient at finding the right man for the job. An inset handful of black-and-white photographic plates illustrates this thoughtful, well-researched account.
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Taaffe reviews naval leadership through the prism of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles and the officers he chose to command naval squadrons during the Civil War. In general, he credits Welles (and his alter ego Gustavus Vasa Fox) with overcoming entrenched bureaucracy and constant politicking to make excellent personnel decisions that resulted in winning commanders. Excellent when read with Craig Symonds' Lincoln and His Admirals.
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The author brings his considerable talents to the US Navy during the Civil War, their mission and their management. As with "Commanding the Army of the Potomac", we look less at battles than management. This produces a non-standard history that can be a challenge to read. The author understands we do not know the Admirals as well we know the Generals. He takes the time and writes a series of mini biographies of the main characters by way of an introduction. In doing so, he shows us the difference between the pre-war Navy and Army, underscoring how these differences affect the war. One major difference is no VIP tries to get command of a ship. Another is the Navy Department is under stable political control throughout the war. While strengths, these two items created their own set of problems. Seniority was everything in the Navy. Until death or retirement, no one moved up. Since there was no real retirement officers served well past their physical abilities and often the intellectual abilities as well. This is not a tale of Washington politics and influence peddling, although there is a good deal of that. This is a story of building a Navy, selecting men for major commands and their actions. Battles and blockades command much of the narration. While there are few naval battles, attacks on forts and the problems of the blockade take center stage. While not always a "page turner", this is a book of solid information on an ignored subject. This is either an excellent introduction to or a short history of the Navy's activities in the Civil War. Either way, it is well worth reading and a book that should be in your Civil War library.
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