Defining Blockaders: USS Westfield, USS Hatteras, and their Archaeological Context

Summary

At the commencement of the US Civil War, the Union devised the Anaconda Plan, implementing a series of blockades of major Confederate ports designed to disrupt Confederate trade and cut off supply lines.  For this plan to succeed, the Union had to enlist the support of a nonexistent patrolling naval fleet. The Navy worked quickly to supplement their fleet, acquiring vessels through a variety of means including those that were purpose-built for the navy, purchased for use by the navy, and/or converted for a specific type of service. What then, is a Union blockade vessel? USS Westfield and USS Hatteras were both Union blockade vessels that operated in the Gulf of Mexico and lost off the Texas coast in 1863. Archaeological investigations of both ships unveil a contrast in form, function, and circumstances, while also providing insight into the commonalities of Union blockaders in the American Civil War. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• To "Hazard a Turbulent Sea:" Marine Archaeology in the Gulf of Mexico--Examining 500 Years of Exploration and Exploitation   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 778