Life In Jefferson Davis's Navy

Life in Jefferson Davis' Navy is a full-length study that explores the wartime experience of officers and men in the Confederate States Navy, including shipboard routine, Sabbath, liberty, entertainment, diet, health, medical care, discipline, imprisonment, desertion, and combat experience. It draws on diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, and published works to offer a fresh look at the experiences of those who served on gunboats, ironclads, ships, and at Mobile Bay, as well as on the high seas aboard the Confederate raiders Sumter, Alabama, Florida, and Shenandoah. The book also explores the work of Confederate Navy surgeons and surgeon's stewards, as well as the daily life, deprivations, and suffering of those who were captured and spent time in Union prisoner of war camps.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 352 pages
\n Publication date: 30 April 2019
\n Publisher: Naval Institute Press
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The Civil War is often perceived as a conflict solely fought by soldiers, but Life in Jefferson Davis' Navy offers a comprehensive perspective that recognizes the invaluable contributions of the officers and men of the Confederate States Navy. In this extensive study, author Timothy J. Tomblin delves into every facet of a Confederate sailor's life, encompassing shipboard routines, Sabbath observances, liberty periods, entertainment, diet, health, medical care, discipline, imprisonment, desertion, and combat experiences.

To support a rapidly expanding fleet, the Confederate Navy Department established recruitment rendezvous or relied on foreign seamen, who were shipped in foreign ports or enticed by commerce raider captains to enlist. Drawing from a wealth of sources such as diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, and published works, Tomblin presents a fresh and insightful examination of the wartime experiences of officers and men in the Confederate Navy. These individuals served on gunboats along western rivers, ironclads, ships along the coast, and at Mobile Bay, as well as on the high seas aboard Confederate raiders like Sumter, Alabama, Florida, and Shenandoah.

The narrative also sheds light on the work of Confederate Navy surgeons and surgeon's stewards, who provided essential medical care for naval personnel suffering from a diverse range of illnesses, including malaria, dysentery, smallpox, and yellow fever, as well as injuries sustained through accidents or during combat. Additionally, Tomblin explores the daily hardships, deprivations, and suffering endured by those who were captured and held in Union prisoner of war camps, such as Point Lookout, Elmira Johnson's Island, and Fort Delaware. Confederate prisoners' journals and letters provide a poignant account of their struggle to survive the monotony, poor rations, and deplorable living conditions of imprisonment, with limited opportunities for escape or prisoner exchange.

Tomblin does not overlook the significant contributions of the Torpedo Service and various other branches of the Confederate Navy. By examining the experiences of these sailors, Life in Jefferson Davis' Navy offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the Civil War, challenging the traditional narratives that solely focus on the land battles. This book is a valuable addition to the literature on the Civil War and provides a deeper appreciation for the bravery, endurance, and resilience of the officers and men who served in the Confederate States Navy.

\n Weight: 682g\n
Dimension: 162 x 235 x 24 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781682471180\n \n