This consideration tends to depreciate the value of Sea Power in the campaign: but it is not to be denied on that account. Northern Sea Power accelerated the end of the Confederate States: it did not cause it, because the war was primarily a land war. Except, therefore, in so far as the Northern Fleet contributed to the destruction of bases or the earthing of Southern corsairs its part in the war was merely of the nature of an auxiliary force to the Army.
In attacks on bases it was not very effectively used: more might have been done in this respect had it been well supplied with soldiers to form landing parties in force.
In its operations against the commerce destroyers, its task was in many ways peculiar.
(1) The fitting out of corsairs in England was a situation which could hardly have been anticipated effectively. The laxity of the British Government has, perhaps, been exaggerated; but still laxity existed. It was to have been met, however, once the situation was realised, by the stationing of a strong force in the Channel to intercept any corsairs issuing from British ports. This, of course, would have weakened the blockade of the Southern coast; but that blockade was (in the circumstances) less essential than the suppression of the corsairs.
(2) Throughout the war both sides were granted extraordinary facilities by neutrals. As already mentioned, coal for the express purpose of carrying on
