This collection of writings by Confederate naval participants aptly tells the story of the hardships and trials faced by the men of the South on the seas and waterways. The narratives include fond memories of skirmishes in beloved ships, recollections of bitter defeats, dispatches of officers claiming victory, gritty excerpts from journals, accounts of cunning blockade dodges and carefully worded reports reporting the loss of a ship. Each entry lends valuable information and colour as a modern reader tries to understand just what these men faced.