The Gulf and Inland Waters / The Navy in the Civil War. Volume 3.

The author traces naval operations in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Mississippi and its tributaries during the American Civil War, explaining coastal geography and the strategic aims of controlling river navigation and enforcing the blockade. The account describes combined naval and land campaigns to seize key ports and river positions, the use of ironclads and river flotillas, the opening and clearing of the Mississippi, and actions at New Orleans, Vicksburg, the Red River, Texas, and Mobile. It interweaves official reports, correspondence with participants, and technical descriptions of ships and fortifications to reconstruct movements, engagements, logistical challenges, and the interaction between naval strategy and broader war objectives.