Where was naval activity particularly important during the Civil War?

Answer 1

Several areas. All along the southern seacoast the US Navy tried, throughout the war, to enforce a blockade, to prevent supplies from abroad getting in to the Confederacy, and to prevent the Confederates from exporting goods to raise cash. Southerners, mostly private individuals but some government efforts, responded by fitting out fast ships to run the blockade, to export goods and import needed supplies.

In the Civil War the "east" was the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coast, and the "west" was the area between the Appalachians and the Mississippi. In the east the rivers run west to east, the the sea. This helped the Rebels, as the rivers made natural barriers behind which they could defend against the Yankees. In the west, the Rivers run north and south, and this provided a natural pathway for the Union to penetrate into southern territory. The riverine Naval War on western waters was very, very important to the eventual Union victory.

The Confederates had a small number of "commerce raiders". These were fairly large, fast ships, most bought in England. They belonged to the Confederate Navy, and roamed the oceans of the world capturing Yankee ships - mostly cargo ships. This activity tied up a large number of Union Navy ships, trying to hunt down and eliminate the Rebel commerce raiders. One famous naval battle of the war took place just off the coast of France, near Cherbourg, where the USS Kearsarge sank the CSS Alabama.

There was much fighting in or near several southern port cities, such as Charleston, South Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Mobile, Alabama. Ironclads of both sides were used. The Confederates made the first successful submarine attack in the world at Charleston, when the Hunley sank the USS Housatonic.