- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Location
- Central Massachusetts
On December 4, 1865, Secretary of the Navy presented to Congress his Annual Report, in which he summarized the activities of the U. S. Navy during the course of the Rebellion. The 661 page document included extensive Appendices including reports from officers commanding just about every U.S. naval vessel and shore facility; as well as an accounting of every vessel captured or destroyed, its cargo, date and place of capture/sinking and name of naval vessel responsible.
One interesting section of Welles' report was a tally of
Note the gleeful digs at British losses, with whom "we had treaties and were on friendly terms, which had publicly pledged itself to a strict neutrality, and manifested its sincerity, so far as we were concerned, by withdrawing hospitality to our national vessels."
Secretary Welles' full report is available at: https://archive.org/details/annualreportsna10deptgoog
One interesting section of Welles' report was a tally of
PROPERTY CAPTURED AND DESTROYED.
Naval men, while animated with the noblest feelings of patriotism, and ready to sacrifice their lives for their country whose integrity was imperiled, were impressed at first with the conviction that to them, professionally, the war would offer but limited opportunity, for the rebels were not a commercial people, nor addicted to maritime pursuits. No naval conflicts were anticipated, and it was supposed very few captures would be made, but the efforts of the insurgents, cut off from foreign supplies, and the attempts of unscrupulous foreign adventurers to violate the blockade, have rewarded naval vigilance and fidelity with a large number of prizes, many of them of great value. It is a gratifying circumstance that these prize captures have inured to the benefit of the naval service instead of privateers — differing in this respect from previous wars.
The number of vessels captured and sent to the courts for adjudication from May 1, 1861, to the close of the rebellion, is one thousand one hundred and fifty-one, of which there were:
The numbers of vessels burned, wrecked, sunk, and otherwise destroyed during the same time were:
The number of vessels captured and sent to the courts for adjudication from May 1, 1861, to the close of the rebellion, is one thousand one hundred and fifty-one, of which there were:
steamers, 210
schooners, 569
sloops, 139
ships, 13
brigs and brigantines, 29
barks, 25
yachts, 2
small boats, 139
rebel rams and iron-clads, 6
rebel gunboats, torpedo boats, and armed schooners and sloops, 10
class unknown, 7 —
schooners, 569
sloops, 139
ships, 13
brigs and brigantines, 29
barks, 25
yachts, 2
small boats, 139
rebel rams and iron-clads, 6
rebel gunboats, torpedo boats, and armed schooners and sloops, 10
class unknown, 7 —
making a total of 1,149.
The numbers of vessels burned, wrecked, sunk, and otherwise destroyed during the same time were:
steamers, 85
schooners, 114
sloops, 32
ships, 2
brigs, 2
barks, 4
small boats, 96
rebel rams, 5
rebel iron-clads, 4
rebel gunboats, torpedo boats, and armed schooners and sloops, 11
During the war of 1812 the naval vessels, of which there were 301 in service at the close, made but 291 captures. There were 517 commissioned privateers, and their captures numbered 1,428. That war was with a nation having the greatest commerce on the globe. During the recent war we have had no privateers afloat, and the rebels had but a limited commerce from which the prizes of the navy could be made. Nearly all the captures of value were vessels built in so-called neutral ports, and fitted out and freighted in the ports of a government with which we had treaties and were on friendly terms, which had publicly pledged itself to a strict neutrality, and manifested its sincerity, so far as we were concerned, by withdrawing hospitality to our national vessels.schooners, 114
sloops, 32
ships, 2
brigs, 2
barks, 4
small boats, 96
rebel rams, 5
rebel iron-clads, 4
rebel gunboats, torpedo boats, and armed schooners and sloops, 11
total, 355 — making the whole number of vessels captured and destroyed 1,504.
The gross proceeds of property captured since the blockade was instituted, and condemned as prize prior to the first of November, amounts to $21,829,543.96 ; costs and expenses, $1,616,223.96; net proceeds for distribution, $20,501,927.69 There are a number of important cases still before the courts, which will largely increase these amounts.
The value of the 1,149 captured vessels will not be less than twenty-four million five hundred thousand dollars, and of the 355 vessels destroyed at least seven millions of dollars, making a total valuation of not less than thirty-one million five hundred thousand dollars, much of which was British property, engaged in un-neutral commerce and so justly captured and condemned.
The value of the 1,149 captured vessels will not be less than twenty-four million five hundred thousand dollars, and of the 355 vessels destroyed at least seven millions of dollars, making a total valuation of not less than thirty-one million five hundred thousand dollars, much of which was British property, engaged in un-neutral commerce and so justly captured and condemned.
Note the gleeful digs at British losses, with whom "we had treaties and were on friendly terms, which had publicly pledged itself to a strict neutrality, and manifested its sincerity, so far as we were concerned, by withdrawing hospitality to our national vessels."
Secretary Welles' full report is available at: https://archive.org/details/annualreportsna10deptgoog