David Dixon Porter Wins Final Poll!

After 15 Weeks of voting, the final winner is finally decided!

A few months ago, we began a series of polls asking readers of the CWN 150 Blog: Who Was the Greatest Naval Officer During the Civil War. Over the course of the following months, readers voted on their favorite naval officer, Union and Confederate, ultimately deciding that Admiral David Dixon Porter (with 27 votes) is the greatest. Admiral Raphael Semmes received 14 votes during this past week's final round. Here is a breakdown of the polls, in case you forgot (Winners are bolded).

Week 1
John Worden
David G. Farragut
David D. Porter
William Goldsborough

Week 2
John Dahlgren
Samuel F. Du Pont
John Rodgers
Charles H. Davis

Week 3
Samuel P. Lee
William Cushing
Charles Wilkes
John Winslow

Week 4
Andrew H. Foote
Silas Stringham
Winfield Scott
Richard W. Meade

Week 5
Raphael Semmes
Josiah Tattnal
French Forrest
Duncan Ingraham

Week 6
James Bullock
Sydney S. Lee
George Dixon
Thomas Lockwood

Week 7
Catesby a.p. Jones
John T. Wood
John M. Brooke
James Montgomery

Week 8
Franklin Buchanan
John Maffitt
Samuel Barron
Matthew F. Maury

Week 9 (Quarterfinals)
David Dixon Porter
John Dahlgren

Week 10 (Quarterfinals)
William Cushing
Andrew H. Foote

Week 11 (Quarterfinals)
Raphael Semmes
John M. Brooke

Week 12 (Quarterfinals)
Thomas Lockwood
Matthew F. Maury

Week 13 (Semifinals)
David Dixon Porter
William Cushing

Week 14 (Semifinals)
Raphael Semmes
Matthew F. Maury

Week 15 (Finals)
David Dixon Porter
Raphael Semmes

From everybody at the CWN 150, thank you for your participation and continued support. We will begin other polls at a future date. If you have any ideas on what you would like to see on this blog, feel free to email Matthew Eng at matthew.t.eng@navy.mil.

Matthew F. Maury Wins Final Quarterfinal Poll; Semifinal Polls Posted

Matthew Fontaine Maury, the intrepid astronomer turned Confederate won the final "Greatest Civil War Naval Officer" Quarterfinal Poll. A brief biography of Matthew Fontaine Maury can be found HERE, courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Thus, the "final four" naval officers will square off each other to determine who will represent their respective organizations in their final round. David Dixon Porter will go up against William Cushing for the Union Navy, and Matthew F. Maury will be pitted against Raphael Semmes in this week's semifinal polls for the Confederate side. BOTH polls will be available to vote on the website, and will be up a few days longer than normal.

Matthew F. Maury wins Week 8 Poll, Quarterfinal Poll Posted

Former U.S. Navy Commander turned Confederate Matthew F. Maury won the final Round 1 poll today. Over the last two months, we have asked our readers: "Who Was the Greatest Naval Officer During the Civil War?" Many of those included were not in fact "officers," but had ties or affiliations closely resembling that of distinguish. After 8 weeks of polls, the first round is over. Maury himself spent a long and distinguished career in the United States Navy before resigned his commission at the outset of war.

Indeed, Maury's influence from his naval career spanned his entire lifetime. He was the Civil War-era equivalent of a "Renaissance Man," as he was a well established explorer, author, historian, lecturer, cartographer, and geologist. You can see a brief biography of Matthew F. Maury HERE, courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

We will now begin the quarterfinal round of polls this week. The eight remaining officers chosen by you (the readers) are as follows: Union - David D. Porter, John Dahlgren, William Cushing, Andrew H. Foote; Confederate - Raphael Semmes, John M. Brooke, Thomas Lockwood, Matthew F. Maury. We will be posting the quarterfinal round of polls over the next month. This week's poll includes a matchup between Union naval officers of high mark and distinguish: David D. Porter and John Dahlgren. There were a lot of votes towards the end of the poll, so vote now, and encourage other enthusiasts to do so!

John M. Brooke Wins Week 7 Poll; Final Poll on Blog

Over the past few months, we have included a series of polls on the CWN 150 blog asking readers this question: "Who Was the Greatest Naval Officer During the American Civil War?" After seven weeks of voting, we are on our last round of voting before going into the next "playoff" round between Union and Confederate officers. After a week's worth of voting, John M. Brooke, creator of the infamous Brooke Rifle, won week 7's poll with 7 votes. You can read a brief bio of John M. Brooke HERE courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Here is a picture of a Brooke Rifle used by a Confederate Battery along the James River:



This week's final Round 1 poll with highlight the last four Confederate naval officers on our list: Franklin Buchanan, John Maffitt, Samuel Barron, and Matthew F. Maury.

Please encourage others to vote in this poll. Although voting for these men may seem a bit superficial, your participation helps CWN 150 participant organization gain a better understanding of exactly what has "stuck" over the past 150 years.

One of the goals of the CWN 150 is to understand who and what enthusiasts and general public alike feel about the Civil War Navy. In a sesquicentennial that is already drawing up much attention in the press, it is important to understand how the Civil War Navy is regarded in public memory. As we approach the final days before the official 150th anniversary of America's most troubling period in its short history, your thoughts and ideas on the "webbed feet" of the war will be greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays from the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial.

1 Day Left to Vote on Week 7 Poll!

Just a reminder that there is 1 day left to vote on this week's poll: Who Was the Greatest Naval Officer During the Civil War (Week 7). This week's choices are Catesby ap Roger Jones, John T. Wood, John M. Brooke, and James Montgomery. Next week's poll will complete the 8 preliminary polls before we go into a series of "playoff" scenarios for the officers you voted for in previous weeks. The final poll will showdown the Union and Confederate officer, ultimately decided by YOU the dedicated readers of CWN 150.

We hope everybody has a safe holiday season as we go "full speed ahead" towards the sesquicentennial years of the American Civil War.

You will also notice a few changes to the blog. We have now included tabs on the top of the page. Each tab offers some useful information on links, publications, and some general info on the ongoing list of bloggers for the Civil War Navy. If you are interested in contributing to the blog, or would like to post your events to the CWN 150 homepage, please email Matthew T. Eng at matthew.t.eng@navy.mil for more information.

Thomas Lockwood Wins Week 6 Poll, Week 7 Poll Up

Over the past six weeks, we have asked our readers to vote who they thought was the greatest naval officer during the American Civil War. Each week, we offer four candidates. After each week's winner is decided, they will essentially go into a weekly "playoff" system to decide who YOU think deserves credit. Thomas Lockwood, the "Dashing Blockade Runner," won last week's poll. This week's poll (Week 7) offers four more Confederate candidates, many of which are highly familiar in Confederate naval lore. Please follow the links for a brief biography.

Catesby ap Roger Jones

John T. Wood

John M. Brooke

James Montgomery

Raphael Semmes Wins Week 5 Poll; Poll 6 Posted

Last month, the CWN 150 announced that it will begin a poll to decide who was the greatest naval officer of the Civil War. The polls will stretch over a few months, ultimately with a showdown between Union and Confederate officers. This past week, we highlighted our first poll with Confederate naval officers: Raphael Semmes, Josiah Tattnal, French Forrest, and Duncan Ingraham. After a week of voting, Raphael Semmes won decisively with 12 votes.We will be posting the second round of Confederate naval officers today: James Bullock, Sidney S. Lee, George Dixon, and Thomas Lockwood. Please vote, and encourage others to! Reproduced is Raphael Semmes' brief biography from the Naval History and Heritage Command:

Raphael Semmes was born in Charles County, Maryland, on 27 September 1809. Entering the Navy as a Midshipman in 1826, he subsequently studied law and was admitted to the bar while remaining in the service. During the Mexican War, he commanded the brig USS Somers in the Gulf of Mexico. She was lost in a storm off Vera Cruz in December 1846, but Semmes was commended for his actions in that incident. While on extended leave after the war, he practiced law in Mobile, Alabama. Promoted to the rank of Commander in 1855, Semmes was assigned to Lighthouse duties until 1861, when Alabama's secession from the Union prompted him to resign from the U.S. Navy and adhere to the Confederacy.

Appointed a Commander in the Confederate Navy in April 1861, Raphael Semmes was sent to New Orleans to convert a steamer into the cruiser CSS Sumter. He ran her through the Federal blockade in June 1861 and began a career of commerce raiding that is without equal in American naval history. During Sumter's six months' operations in the West Indies and the Atlantic, he captured eighteen merchant vessels and skillfully eluded pursuing Union warships. With his ship badly in need of overhaul, he brought her to Gibraltar in January 1862 and laid her up when the arrival of Federal cruisers made a return to sea impossible.

After taking himself and many of his officers to England, Semmes was promoted to the rank of Captain and given command of the newly-built cruiser CSS Alabama. From August 1862 until June 1864, Semmes took his ship through the Atlantic, into the Gulf of Mexico, around the Cape of Good Hope and into the East Indies, capturing some sixty merchantmen and sinking one Federal warship, USS Hatteras. At the end of her long cruise, Alabama was blockaded at Cherbourg, France, while seeking repairs. On 19 June 1864, Semmes took her to sea to fight the Union cruiser USS Kearsarge and was wounded when she was sunk in action. Rescued by the British yacht Dearhound, he went to England, recovered and made his way back to the Confederacy.

Semmes was promoted to Rear Admiral in February 1865 and commanded the James River Squadron during the last months of the Civil War. When the fall of Richmond, Virginia, forced the destruction of his ships, he was made a Brigadier General and led his sailors as an infantry force. Briefly imprisoned after the conflict, he worked as a teacher and newspaper editor until returning to Mobile, where he pursued a legal career. Raphael Semmes died on 30 August 1877.

David Dixon Porter Wins Week 1 Contest

Last week, the CWN 150 announced that it will begin a poll to decide who was the greatest naval officer of the Civil War. The polls will stretch over a few months, ultimately with a showdown between Union and Confederate officers. This past week, we highlighted the first of our poll with four Union officers: John Worden, David G. Farragut, David D. Porter, and Louis M. Goldsborough. After a week of voting, David D. Porter won with 10 votes.

We will be posting the second round of the poll tomorrow. Please vote, and encourage others to!

David Dixon Porter's brief biography from the Naval History and Heritage Command:

David Dixon Porter was born at Chester, Pennsylvania, on 8 June 1813, the son of Commodore David Porter (1780-1843). His naval career began as a midshipman in 1829, and included service in the peacetime cruising Navy, the Mexican War and the U.S. Civil War.

The latter conflict saw him rapidly rise from the rank of Lieutenant to Rear Admiral. In 1862, he was in charge of the Mortar Flotilla during the campaign to capture New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River. He took command of the Mississippi Squadron in October 1862 and led it through the active phase of the Western Rivers campaigns. Rear Admiral Porter spent the last several months of the Civil War in command of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron.

Following the War, Porter was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1866 and served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy. He became the Navy's senior officer, with the rank of Admiral in 1870, and remained an influential figure in naval affairs until his death on 13 February 1891.

Five U.S. Navy ships have been named in honor of David Dixon Porter and his father, Commodore David Porter, including: Porter (TB-6), Porter (DD-59), Porter (DD-356), Porter (DD-800) and Porter (DDG-78).


For more information about these officers, please visit the Naval History and Heritage Command homepage.

Final Poll Winner: The Battle of Hampton Roads

Over the past five weeks, readers of this blog were asked "What was the most important naval battle of the Civil War?" Twenty naval battles were posted during this time period, and readers voted on what they felt was the most important. Many were well known, while others were limited conflicts. This past week's poll included the five top battles from previous weeks. By a slim margin, the Battle of Hampton Roads (8-9 March 1862) beat out both the Union Blockade and the Vicksburg Campaign. Here are the results:

Battle of Hampton Roads - 6 votes
Island No. 10 - 0 votes
Battle of Memphis - 3 votes
Union Blockade - 4 votes
Vicksburg Campaign - 4 votes

This is especially important as we get closer to the anniversary of the event. Many museums around the country, include the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, include many artifacts from the battle itself. Stay tuned to the blog, as HRNM historian Gordon Calhoun and Registrar Mike Taylor are currently working to complete a USS Cumberland interactive center on the Hampton Roads Naval Museum website just in time for the anniversary. Keep up to date with any events and postings concerning the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial by viewing this blog or visiting us on Facebook, keyword "Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial."

Fourth Poll Winner, Final Poll Posted

Readers of the Civil War 150 blog were asked: "What was the most important naval battle during the Civil War. Part 4 of the poll was overwhelmingly in favor of the Vicksburg Campaign, a vital one sealing off access to the Mississippi River. President Abraham Lincoln is famous for remarking that "Vicksburg is the Key." Indeed, the events from June 1863 cannot be overlooked (couple the defeat of Vicksburg and the Battle of Gettysburg) Results from the fourth poll are as follows:

Fort Hindman - 0 Votes
CSS Alabama vs. USS Kearsarge (off Cherbourg, France) - 4 Votes
HL Hunley sinks the USS Housatonic - 0 Votes
Vicksburg Campaign - 12 Votes
Aquia Creek - 0 Votes

The final poll will be the "final five." The top five civil war battles/campaigns (as there was a tie in voting between the battle of Memphis and Island No. 10)will go head to head. It is up to the readers and Civil War Navy enthusiasts to decide what was the most important naval battle of the Civil War. Here are the top five you will be voting on:

Battle of Hampton Roads (Poll 1 winner)
Island No. 10 (Poll 2 co-winner)
Battle of Memphis (Poll 2 co-winner)
Union Blockade (Poll 3 winner)
Vicksburg Campaign (Poll 4 winner)

This should be interesting. Vicksburg received the most votes (12), while the Battle of Hampton Roads is often cited as the "dawn of modern naval warfare." Please vote!

Poll Three Results

Readers of the Civil War 150 blog were asked: "What was the most important naval battle during the Civil War. Part 3 of the poll was quite the heated race between the Union Blockade and the Fort Pillow offensive of 1862. Results are as follows:

Union Blockade - 6 votes
Sabin Pass - 1 vote
Fort Pillow - 5 votes
Cockpit Point - 0 votes
Sewell's Point - 1 vote

A majority of readers of the blog agree: the Union Blockade was a important yet difficult undertaking. The blockade, in large part built on the design of General Scott's "Anaconda Plan," stretched from the Atlantic to the Gulf Coast. Some of the war's greatest naval leaders stood in command of the blockading squadron, including Flag Officer Louis Goldsborough(North Atlantic Blockading Squadron), Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter (North Atlantic Blockading Squadron), Admiral David G. Farragut (West Gulf Blockading Squadron), and Rear Admiral Samuel Francis du Pont (South Atlantic Blockading Squadron).

The final poll will include the following battles and engagements:

Fort Hindman
CSS Alabama vs. USS Kearsarge (off Cherbourg, France)
HL Hunley sinks the USS Housatonic
Vicksburg Campaign
Aquia Creek

Please vote!

Poll Two Completed

Readers of the Civil War 150 blog were asked: "What was the most important naval battle during the Civil War. Part 2 of the poll included battles focusing primarily on the riverine offensives: Plum Point Bend, Port Royal, Drewry's Bluff, Island No. 10, and Memphis. A total of eight votes were tallied, which ended in a tie between Island No. 10 (28 Feb - 8 April 1862) and Memphis (6 June 1862), each with three votes. These two battles will be included in the final voting poll along with the Battle of Hampton Roads. Here is the full list of the recent poll:

Plum Point Bend - 0 votes
Port Royal - 1 vote
Drewry's Bluff - 1 vote
Island No. 10 - 3 votes
Memphis - 3 votes

Please make sure to vote for the next poll, which will include these naval conflicts:

Union Blockade
Sabine Pass
Fort Pillow
Cockpit Point
Sewell's Point

The new poll will appear later today. Please vote, and encourage others to join in on the discussion!

First Poll Results

Readers of the Civil War 150 blog were asked: "What was the most important naval battle during the Civil War." This is part 1 of a series of polls to find out what battle our readers think stands out above the rest in terms of significance to the Civil War. After the first poll was taken, the Battle of Hampton Roads was chosen with the most votes (3).

A new poll is currently posted for readers. Please vote!