Life on board a blockader

[Peace Society]

In order to convey to his mother what his daily life was like an officer suggested she should:
"go to the roof on a hot summer day,
talk to a half-dozen degenerates,
descend to the basement,
drink tepid water full of iron rust,
climb to the roof again,
and repeat the process
until... fagged out,
then go to bed with everything shut tight."

quoted in The Civil War by Geoffrey Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns
p. 93-94 Random House, NY 1990
Vintage Civil War Library edition Sept. 1994

 

[Ironclader]

I've been researching life on and running the blockade, and more generally life in the Civil War navies, by reading published journals. I've collected 26 so far. Great reading!

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Just reading the title, I was thinking it had to be pretty boring!

 

[Pete Longstreet]

I remember Shelby Foote describing life on blockade duty. He said the men faced extreme boredom, and miserable living conditions, regarding living quarters, the hot weather, etc.

 

[RoadDog]

Compared to the Army, there is not much available when it comes to books about the Navy during the war. Too bad. It was fascinating. And, the general cooperation between the two branches of the military was a significant reason for the North's victory.

RoadDog

 

[Carronade]

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned ... A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."

- Samuel Johnson

 

[jackt62]

The only real benefit to joining the Navy (at least those who were assigned blockade duty), was that naval personnel shared in prize money for capturing or confiscating shipping that was apprehended.

 

[John F Messner]

I've been researching life on and running the blockade, and more generally life in the Civil War navies, by reading published journals. I've collected 26 so far. Great reading!

View attachment 398416

That is quite the shelf! You may be interested in my soon to be published book on the life of Joannes Wyllie, the Scottish commander of the Ad-Vance. You can find details here

 

[John Hartwell]

https://sites.google.com/site/alongtheblockade/

https://sites.google.com/view/texanblockade/home

 

[Bruce Vail]

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned ... A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."

- Samuel Johnson

I've heard variations of this quote many times but never knew it came from Samuel Johnson.

 

[Bruce Vail]

Have you read this one?

Diary of a Contraband
The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor
WILLIAM B. GOULD IV WITH A FOREWORD BY SENATOR MARK O. HATFIELD

 

[Ironclader]

Have you read this one?

View attachment 400265
Diary of a Contraband
The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor
WILLIAM B. GOULD IV WITH A FOREWORD BY SENATOR MARK O. HATFIELD

Yes, thank you.

 

[Ironclader]

That is quite the shelf! You may be interested in my soon to be published book on the life of Joannes Wyllie, the Scottish commander of the Ad-Vance. You can find details here
View attachment 400250

I will check it out.

A.D.Vance / Advance.-- I often wondered if the man's parents were consciously punning.

 

[John F Messner]

I will check it out.

A.D.Vance / Advance.-- I often wondered if the man's parents were consciously punning.

The name of the steamer after it was rechristened from Lord Clyde has been debated since the end of the war! I have used Ad-Vance as this was how Gov. Vance referred to it in contemporary letters/telegrams as well as from the reminiscences of former crew.

The book will be out in the States in August and over here in Scotland in early June.