ACW Naval Books online from Google books

[Jabberwock]

Scribner's three-volume set on the US Navy during the ACW. Downloadable pdfs. Very cool.

The Gulf and Inland Waters by Alfred Thayer Mahan

The Atlantic Coast by Daniel Ammen

The Blockade and the Cruisers by James Russell Soley

Some excerpts from The Atlantic Coast:

p.45
Captain Elliott embarked a force of 300 men in scows from a creek one mile below Seabrook, and landed on the site of the earthwork. Signals from him indicated the position of the enemy, and as requested, the vessels opened fire until signal was made to discontinue ...

... the Seneca could not get over until the following morning, when at 10 A.M. she, in common with the other vessels having heavy pivot guns, shelled the enemy at long range, as requested by army signals.

General Stevens wrote to the flag-officer in relation to the co-operation of Commander Rodgers as follows: "Whether regard be had to the beautiful working of the gunboats in the narrow channel of Port Royal, the thorough concert of action established through the signal-officers, or the masterly handling of the guns against the enemy, nothing remained to be desired."

The official report of the enemy gives a total of 8 killed and 24 wounded, the greater number attributed to shells from the gunboats. The result of the action was an abandonment of any future attempt on the part of the enemy to plant batteries near those waters, or to make prepations with the view of landing troops on Port Royal Island.

p.54
While returning, at a narrow stretch known as the Brick-yards, he was fired on with field artillery and small arms. Of this intended attack he had been given warning, and replied with grape, canister, and small arms, with supposed effect.

Nothing more was seen of the enemy until just above the plantation of a Mrs. Campbell, when a large body of cavalry appeared near the river bank, some twelve hundred yards distant. A few XI-inch shells thrown among them caused great haste and confusion. Three miles below, where the river leaves the high land and enters the marshes, the enemy was discovered in ambush, but before he had an opportunity of firing, the Ottawa opened with XI-canister and from three howitzers, it was supposed with great effect ... One master's mate was seriously wounded, and three of the crew less so.

p.59
The operations against Fernandina led to the abandonment of the entire coast line defense by batteries, and to points sufficiently high up on the rivers to embarass an attack by gunboats ...

p.61
The gunboats thereafter patrolled the navigable waters of the St. John's, to the entire subversion of the Confederates getting arms through the small inlets of Florida, to which they had been compelled to resort through a vigorous blockade of all the harbors for vessels of even ten feet draught. The Confederates were not content, however, with having the gunboats in the upper waters of that river, and again endeavored to exclude them, but the effort proved wholly fruitless, and cost them nine more rifled guns, in the earthwork on St. John's Bluff ...

p.72
... At 4.40 P.M. the Isaac Smith got under way and proceeded up the river above Legareville, for the purpose of making a reconnoissance, and being fired upon from concealed and unsuspected heavy field batteries, hotly engaged them. The McDonough proceeded to her relief, but before getting within supporting distance a white flag was seen flying over the Isaac Smith. A nearer approach showed that the vessel was apparently aground and two of her boats were taking the officers and men on shore. Three field batteries then opened on the McDonough, one of six guns, on John's Island; the fire from the enemy was at once returned, the engines reversed, and the vessel dropped down the stream.

Extensive appendices. The kind of detailed history you can't find on Wikipedia.

[Jabberwock]

These aren't naval.
The rest of the Scribner series - The Army in the Civil War (aka Campaigns of the Civil War)
They have excellent maps and appendices.

Volume I - The Outbreak of Rebellion by John Nicolay
Volume II - From Fort Henry to Corinth by Manning Force
Volume III -The Peninsula - McClellan's Campaign of 1862 by Alexander Webb (not downloadable, full text online)
Volume IV - The Army Under Pope by John Ropes
Volume V - The Antietam and Fredericksburg by Francis Palfrey
Volume VI - Chancellorsville and Gettysburg by Abner Doubleday
Volume VII - The Army of the Cumberland by Henry Cist
Volume VIII - The Mississippi by Francis Greene
Volume IX - Atlanta by Jacob Cox
Volume X - The March to the Sea - Franklin and Nashville by Jacob Cox
Volume XI - The Shenandoah Valley in 1864 by George Pond
Volume XII - The Virginia Campaign of '64 and '65 by Andrew Humphreys
Volume XIII - Statistical Records of the Armies of the United States by Frederick Phisterer

(The three books in the first post are volumes XIV - XVI; aka The Navy in the Civil War)

A great compilation of primary sources:
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War by Robert U. Johnson, Clarence C. Buel

Volume 1
Volume 3
Volume 4 aka The Way to Appomatox

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies by Scott, Lazalle, et. al.

The Military and Naval History of the Rebellion in the United States by William Tenney

The Rebellion Register by Robert Campbell

Memoirs of Gen. W. T. Sherman by William T. Sherman (not downloadable, full text online)

Flawed but interesting, a sort of proto-McPherson:
The History of the Confederate War: Its Causes and Its Conduct; a Narrative and Critical History by George C. Eggleston

A History of the Civil War in the United States, 1861-5 by Walter Wood & James Edmonds

[Jabberwock]

This one is naval.

Several good chapters on the Civil War:
Autobiography of George Dewey: Admiral of the Navy

[Jabberwock]

Non-naval, non-reference, good reads:

If you want details about St. Louis, this is the guy who smuggled the State Militia its artillery. That's just Chapter 3 ...
Reminiscences of General Basil W. Duke

Soldier's life in the AotP:
Hard Tack and Coffee by John D. Billings (not downloadable)

[Ian Coote]

Good book from the southern point of view,"Memoirs of Service Afloat" by Raphael Semmes,CSN Captain of the Alabama.Big book over 800 pages, but well worth the read.

[Jabberwock]

Here it is online:
Service Afloat: Or, The Remarkable Career of the Confederate Cruisers Sumter and Alabama
That book has been published under several different names. The Log of the Alabama and the Sumter is not one of those names. Semmes says that one isn't worth your time.

Here's a nice complement to it:
The Life of John Ancrum Winslow by John Ellicott

[themoores1us]

Most all of the Scribner series books are downloadable, if you scroll down the page and look under other editions. This is from the links posted above.

Jim

[Jabberwock]

Thanks Jim - I've updated the links. The only one I didn't find downloadable was The Peninsula.

[themoores1us]

Sherman's Memoirs also downloadable in 2 volumes here

http://books.google.com/books?id=gsMEAAAAYAAJ

http://books.google.com/books?id=bcMEAAAAYAAJ

Have to dig to find some of these !!!

Jim

[marecone]

Sherman's Memoirs also downloadable in 2 volumes here

http://books.google.com/books?id=gsMEAAAAYAAJ

http://books.google.com/books?id=bcMEAAAAYAAJ

Have to dig to find some of these !!!

Jim

How do I download it?
BTW, great finds everyone . Thanks

[Jabberwock]

Under the image of the book there are 'Read this book' and 'Download PDF' buttons. Also on the 'Read this book' page, there should be a 'Download PDF' link in the top right corner.

[Jabberwock]

The ultimate reference:
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion

Series 1 - Volume 1
The Operations of the Cruisers: 1/19/61 - 12/31/62

Series 1 - Volume 2
The Operations of the Cruisers: 1/1/63 - 3/31/64

Series 1 - Volume 3
The Operations of the Cruisers: 4/1/64 - 12/30/65

Series 1 - Volume 4
Operations in the Gulf of Mexico 11/18/60 - 6/7/61
Operations on the Atlantic Coast 1/1/61 - 5/13/61
Operations on the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers - 1/5/61 - 12/7/61

Series 1 - Volume 5
Operations on the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers - 12/7/61 - 7/31/65
Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 4/4/61 - 7/15/61

Series 1 - Volume 6
Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 7/16/61 - 10/29/61
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 10/29/61 - 3/8/62

Series 1 - Volume 7
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 3/8/62 - 9/4/62

Series 1 - Volume 8
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 9/5/62 - 5/4/63

Series 1 - Volume 9
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 5/5/63 - 5/5/64

Series 1 - Volume 10
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 5/6/64 - 10/27/64

Series 1 - Volume 11
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 10/28/64 - 2/1/65

Series 1 - Volume 12
North Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 2/2/65 - 8/3/65
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 10/29/61 - 5/13/62

Series 1 - Volume 13
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 5/14/62 - 4/7/63

Series 1 - Volume 14
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 4/7/63 - 9/30/63

Series 1 - Volume 15
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 10/1/63 - 9/30/64

Series 1 - Volume 16
South Atlantic Blockading Squadron: 10/1/64 - 8/8/65
Gulf Blockading Squadron: 6/7/61 - 12/15/61

Series 1 - Volume 17
Gulf Blockading Squadron: 12/16/61 - 2/21/62
East Gulf Blockading Squadron: 2/22/62 - 7/17/65

Series 1 - Volume 18
West Gulf Blockading Squadron: 2/21/62 - 7/14/62

Series 1 - Volume 19
West Gulf Blockading Squadron: 7/15/62 - 3/14/63

Series 1 - Volume 20
West Gulf Blockading Squadron: 3/15/63 - 12/31/63

Series 1 - Volume 21
West Gulf Blockading Squadron: 1/1/64 - 12/31/64

Series 1 - Volume 22
West Gulf Blockading Squadron: 1/1/65 - 1/31/66
Naval Forces on Western Waters: 5/8/61 - 4/11/62

Series 1 - Volume 23
Naval Forces on Western Waters: 4/12/62 - 12/31/62

Series 1 - Volume 24
Naval Forces on Western Waters: 1/1/63 - 5/17/63

Series 1 - Volume 25
Naval Forces on Western Waters: 5/18/63 - 2/29/64

Series 1 - Volume 26
Naval Forces on Western Waters: 3/1/64 - 12/31/64

Series 1 - Volume 27
Naval Forces on Western Waters: 1/1/65 - 9/6/65
Supply Vessels

Series 2 - Volume 1
Statistical Data
Muster Roles
Letters of Marque
Confederate Departmental Investigations

Series 2 - Volume 2
Navy Department Correspondence with Agents Abroad

Series 2 - Volume 3
Proclamations, Appointments, etc. of President Davis
State Department Correspondence with Diplomatic Agents

I could swear that I have stumbled across a General Index to these records in the past, but now I can't find it. If anyone can locate it, please post.
If someone would like to post links to the official records of the armies in this format, please feel free.

[Le Ricain]

Jabber,

I helped in supplying the names of the USN & CSN ships used in AACW. My source for this information was The Official Records of Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. However, I used the Cornel University site which includes an index. Hopefully, this is what you are looking for.


http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/moa/browse.monographs/ofre.html

[Jabberwock]

Hi Le Ricain -
Yes and no. I was aware of the Cornell site, which is a great resource, although not my prefered way of reading. I'm looking for an index in a separate volume ... a 31st volume ... I think series 3 volume 1.

[themoores1us]

Now all you need is a Sony Reader to read all of these PDFs,

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665245739

I have one and it works great with most of the PDFs after you convert them to LRF with pdflrfwin, a free utility.


Jim

[Le Ricain]

Hi Le Ricain -
Yes and no. I was aware of the Cornell site, which is a great resource, although not my prefered way of reading. I'm looking for an index in a separate volume ... a 31st volume ... I think series 3 volume 1.

According to Wikipedia:

Series I
Records of all naval operations including all inland waterways

Series II
Records relating to statistics and condition of both forces at the outset of conflict, returns of captured materials, and records of naval prisoners of war

A proposed third series was deemed unnecessary; the final volume of series two was published in 1922. The Navy Department did not publish a comprehensive index to these volumes.

[Jabberwock]

Ok then. Maybe I was thinking of something from s2v1, or the Cornell site.

[Jabberwock]

How did I miss posting this one?

History of the Confederate States Navy from Its Organization to the Surrender of Its Last Vessel by John Thomas Scharf