One of the greatest effects of the American Civil War was the destruction of the American Merchant fleet and trade. Confederate cruisers between 1861 and 1865 burned or sank 110,000 tons of American shipping, and drove nearly one-third of the merchant fleet registered for overseas carrying to foreign registry. This ocean trade fleet, which had amounted to 2,496,894 tons in 1861, controlling 65.2 per cent of the United States imports and exports, had shrunk to 1,387,756 tons in 1866, controlling only 32.2 per cent of the imports and exports.

The United States registered tonnage in 1867 reached 1,515,648 and remained at or near the same figures for a decade thereafter — the total registered tonnage in 1878 was 1,589,348. But in this same period the proportion of our imports and exports carried in American vessels had steadily decreased from 33.9 to 26.3 per cent, and after 1878 both total tonnage and proportionate carrying fell together, reaching a tonnage minimum of 726,213 in 1898, and a proportionate carrying minimum of 8 per cent in 1901.

"SELECTED ARTICLES ON THE AMERICAN MERCHANT MARINE", COMPILED BY EDITH M. PHELPS, 1920.

Another effect was the virtual destruction of the United States Navy after the war. Under the leadership of men picked by President U.S. Grant the powerful new ironclad navy was reduced from a 1st rate to a twelfth-rate navy. The new super monitor USS Shackamaxon cost $1,300,000 was sold as junk for $18,500. The USS Waxsaw cost $600,000 was sold as scrap for $3,000. The new steam sloop USS Piscataqua cost $1,000,000 and was sold for $5,000. The new USS Chickasaw cost $390,000 sold for $8,000. The new USS Chattanooga cost $1,000,000 and sold for $18,600. The new $600,000 monitor USS Klamath sold for $7,500. The new $700,000 steam frigate USS Nevada was given to a Mr. John Roach as "part payment" for repairs on the monitor USS Puritan, a $475,000 repair job. Even steam powered ships were converted to sail like the U.S.S. Monongahela.

Also the Navy was embarrassed after the war with lawsuits from captains wanting extra prize money. Making known to the public that some notible heros like Admirial Farragut received $56,000 for capturing Mobile, Admiral S.P. Lee recieved $109,000 in blockade rewards, and Lt. Cushing received $53,000 for sinking the Albermarle. Little known Captain Colvocoresses sued when he protested his $17,000 award and demanded more money. He then was involved in mystery murder (his own?) and possible insurance fraud plot that was a big scandal.

"From Old Navy to New, 1776 to 1897 Picture History of the U.S. Navy, by Theodore Roscoe, 1956

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David Upton