Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy 1861-69 - 01102
Gideon Welles served as the Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869. Lincoln referred to him as his "Neptune". As the Southern officers, were resigning en masse, Welles needed to rebuild the Department quickly before the start of the war. His first major action was to order the Navy's most powerful warship, the USS Powhatan to relieve Fort Sumter. On the other hand, Lincoln ordered the Powhatan to both Fort Sumter and Pensacola, Florida. The Powhatan went to Florida and Fort Sumter...
Welles was very successful in implementing the Naval portion of the blockade. The South's inability to export cotton and receive needed supplies was a major contribution to the North's victory.
