On Sunday, June 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Kent Wright who will speak on “Conflicted Friendships: John Bull, Uncle Sam and King Cotton – Union and Confederate Naval Strategies.”
The first shots and the final shots of the American Civil War were fired from cannon aboard naval vessels. Between these two, the use of naval power both North and South was integral to the outcome of battles, campaigns, and the very war itself.
Wright will explore Union and Confederate naval policies as they expanded worldwide and the resulting impact on Southern sovereignty. His topics will include the tremendous impact of Jefferson Davis’ largest naval force and the single greatest advantage almost handed to President Lincoln, strategies to win the favor of the British monarchy, the relationship between the Union army and navy, and the almost mythical role of blockage running.
Wright is a Civil War navel historian from Huntsville, Alabama who has presented numerous programs highlighting the importance of major Southern rivers including the Cumberland, Tennessee, Mississippi and Red Rivers. This is his second appearance at the Round Table.