Dixie Victorious: Chapter 2, CSA Navy Triumphant

SYNOPSIS | Just for the fun of it, we're going through the scenarios in Stackpole's new offering, Dixie Victorious: An Alternate History of the Civil War (Peter G. Tsouras, ed.). I'll compile my comments on the scenarios and post them Sunday. (Note that the title of this post is a link to the book description on Amazon.)

Chapter 2. "Ships of Iron, Wills of Steel"

Rebel SecNav Mallory demands and receives the financial backing he needs to build a navy. Rebel special forces seize U.S. naval yards in Virginia in advance of Virginia seceding, securing important machinery. Radical new ironclad designs are implemented in crash building programs. After Virginia secedes, McClellan begins an attack on Richmond by advancing on the peninsula between the York and the James. The Virginia attacks the Union navy, with historic results, then retires. McClellan proceeds with his advance, despite losing naval support, which must now concentrate to meet naval threats. While Mac besieges Yorktown, Rebel navy sallies with three ironclads and several wooden ships. After a desperate battle, Goldsborough surrenders the Union fleet on 4/12/62. McClellan's army begins to starve: McClellan surrenders the AoP. Peace is signed by June 30, 1862.

Tomorrow: Lee plants a phony order and tricks McClellan.