USS Dictator (1863)

Union Navy Sea-Going Monitor (1864-1877) The USS Dictator was the largest Civil War Monitor ever built. A seagoing project from Ericsson, to face confederate inronclads being built in Europe. Originally named Protector she was Built by Delamater Iron works NYc in 1862-64 and entered the North Atlantic Blockading Sqn. Postwar until 1877, the North Atlantic … Read more

The Great Clippers (1820-1870)

Introduction For once, we left the guns to rest, and turn the bar back in time, with one of the most glorious page of sail: A long tradition that still is revered around the world, maintained by naval schools and living museums: The magnificent Tall ships and the invention of trading race: The great clippers … Read more

Union Navy 1861-65

THE UNION NAVY (“OLD NAVY”) The goal of this chapter is not to portray every single ship featured during the American Civil War (1861-1865), on the union side – it would be useless and time consuming. But rather we will try here to show the main classes and most important ship, of military or historical … Read more

Confederate Navy 1861-65

THE CONFEDERATE NAVY (CSS) The confederate fleet was actually more the amount of ships that were seized in the Confederate ports and captured or requisitioned vessels than a coherent pre-existing fleet. The Confederates tried to cope with the huge industrial and technical resources of the Union, massive private arsenals, engineers and manpower, while trying revolutionary … Read more