American Civil War
The Virginia Navy existed briefly from the time the state of Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861, until Virginia joined the Confederate States of America and turned over its military on June 8. One of the state's first actions was to appoint Robert E. Lee as head of its army and navy.
The first, and only, flag officer of the Virginia Navy was Commodore French Forrest, formerly of the United States Navy. The command center was the newly acquired naval base at Virginia, abandoned by Union forces on April 20, 1861.
Read more about this topic: Virginia State Navy
Famous quotes containing the words civil war, american, civil and/or war:
“A war between Europeans is a civil war.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“What a terrible thing has happened to us all! To you there, to us here, to all everywhere. Peace who was becoming bright-eyed, now sits in the shadow of death; her handsome champion has been killed as he walked by her very side. Her gallant boy is dead. What a cruel, foul, and most unnatural murder! We mourn here with you, poor, sad American people.”
—Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)
“To the cry of “follow Mormons and prairie dogs and find good land,” Civil War veterans flocked into Nebraska, joining a vast stampede of unemployed workers, tenant farmers, and European immigrants.”
—For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“It is a war against the pines, the only real Aroostook or Penobscot war.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)