In this proclamation Confederate President Jefferson Davis advertised for vessels willing to sail under “letters of marque,” a way for the government that had no real navy to create one from armed, private ships. This allowed a shipowner to attack and seize enemy vessels with the approval of his government. Although the Confederacy had authorized the creation of a navy in February of 1861, it had only a tiny number of ships: five small vessels, four revenue cutters, three slavers, two privately owned coastal steamers, and an old side-wheeled steamboat, the “Fulton.” There were few major shipyards and only one foundry for the casting of naval guns. The Union, on the other hand, had a huge shipbuilding capacity. On April 19, 1861, President Lincoln authorized the blockade that would eventually choke the Confederacy.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Jeff Davis’ Proclamation.” April 22, 1861. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-124/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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