Decisions on Western Waters: The Twenty-Seven Critical Decisions That Defined the Battles

The long-running Decisions Series tackles the Brown Water Navy.

At the outset of the Civil War, General Winfield Scott drafted the Anaconda Plan, an ambitious strategy to blockade southern ports and use army forces supported by naval gunboats to secure control of the Mississippi River for the Union, effectively dividing the Confederacy in two. Over the course of the campaign, General Grant’s ground forces closely cooperated with river forces under the leadership of Flag Officers Andrew H. Fo...