Additional information
by Stan Grocki (Author)
War on the Waters sheds light on the critical participation of the Federal Navy in the American Civil War. At the commencement of hostilities with the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, President Lincoln ordered the blockade of the entire southern coast. This would be the primary duty of the navy for which they were totally unprepared. The rivers and any naval vessels on them that traversed the nation were under the control of the army. The army used the vessels primarily for the transportation of troops and supplies, not for military action against the enemy; that would come when naval vessels on the rivers were put under control of the Navy Department. The actions of the navy on the rivers when melded with the army achieved some stunning victories: Forts Henry and Donelson, the captures of Roanoke and Island #10 and Hatteras Inlet were instrumental in crushing the Confederacy.
Author Biography
Stan Grocki was born in Brooklyn, NY, the youngest of eight children. In 1944 with five older brothers already away in the military, Stan joined the 14th Brooklyn NYSM. The regiment had been part of Cutler's Brigade, one of the first Union infantry units to reach Gettysburg, on July 1st 1863. This connection led to his interest in the history of that great battle. In 1950 Stan enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Coral Sea CVB 43 as an aerial photographer. He is an avid reenactor of the 14th Brooklyn Regiment and participated in numerous battle reenactments held in Northeast Tennessee, as well as presentations to school and adult groups. At the urging of his friend Norman Stahl, noted History channel author, he wrote 1863 Year of Lost Opportunities, published in 2002. War On The Waters defines the activities of the Federal Navy during that period and its contribution to final victory. He is a member of the Kingsport, Tennessee, Civil War Roundtable, the USS Coral Sea Association, The US Naval Institute, The National Association of Naval Photography, Company "C" 14th Brooklyn Reenactors, and the Lost State Writers Guild.
