november served united_states senate senator democrat florida home state outbreak american_civil_war period chairman time rapid naval reform insisted ships united_states_navy capable great_britain france foremost navies world time wrote bill guided congress provided compulsory retirement officers meet standards profession leader movement followed state union formed named secretary navy administration president held position existence confederacy indifference naval matters confederacy able shape according principles learned serving senate ideas incorporation armor warship construction successful standard navies world hand navy handicapped administrative war weakened politically congressional investigation failure defense new_orleans months taking testimony investigating committee concluded evidence wrongdoing resigned confederate government fled richmond end war colleagues cabinet imprisoned charged treason year prison public mood granted parole president returned florida supported family final years practicing law unable hold office terms parole continued opinions known writing letters newspapers health began deteriorate end died november father representative senator florida early life born trinidad parents charles father construction engineer originally connecticut met married irish born trinidad couple sons family moved united_states settled florida young stephen sent school near mobile alabama education interrupted father death elder brother john died time support surviving son ellen opened boarding house seamen sent son away schooling academy pennsylvania life practicing catholic praise education received academy years mother longer afford pay tuition schooling ended returned home adulthood florida young prepared profession reading law office judge geographical position sought port refuge ships caught storms reason near frequent recognized authority maritime law particularly applied laws wreck salvage argued admiralty cases reputed best young trial lawyers state career courted member wealthy spanish speaking family living pensacola marriage produced children died young surviving adulthood daughters margaret sons buddy buddy followed father politics eventually serve senator florida held minor public offices beginning selection town marshal paid positions inspector customs earned dollars day later president appointed marriage joined army took war elected judge years differences eventually culminated civil war led convention held nashville tennessee purpose defining common course action southern slave holding states held statewide offices regarded sufficiently powerful state democratic_party chosen alternate delegate convention personal considerations kept attending expressed agreement purposes convention letter widely reprinted florida newspapers senate term office senator florida expired sought aligned strongly fire commercial interests state favored working union dominated florida politics successfully sought place radical selection process florida state legislature somewhat irregular protested carrying protest way senate body determined florida legislature acted authority seated senator florida senate described typical sponsorship legislation benefit state sponsorship senate passed bill aid railroads florida sell live oak reservations maintained federal government navy bills failed house_of_representatives successful bills aimed ongoing campaign indians problem bills provide compensation persons suffered indian raids process removing state introduced bills provided marine hospitals port cities florida considered exceptional era placed assignment significant president message congress december recommended congressional action issues problem ineffective officers navy time promotion based solely policy existed removing officers fulfill duties second issue discipline enlisted rates practice outlawed previous congress old captains believed discipline warships deteriorating wanted return old ways reasonable substitute enable exert authority major speech congress favor return argued needed order captain able control seamen battle position unpopular nation congress refused lift ban views good ill forgotten turned energies second president proposals reforming officer corps navy time chairman law congress passed recognized coming hand established senior naval officers examined qualifications commissioned officers deemed incapable rank placed retired list compulsory retirement history navy accounts board work officers adversely affected agree forced early retirement crippled sea study ocean currents formed basis new science enlisted senators support cases debate renewed end views prevailed parliamentary skills lasted remainder lives distorted performance civil war men sided south tenure came time great innovation naval warfare kept abreast developments navies sure navy incorporate latest thinking new ships britain france foremost navies world process converting fleets sail steam screws committee recommended passage bill providing addition new screw frigates fleet delivered considered best frigates world committee persuaded senate authorize war entered navy beginning verge civil war innovation considered armor somewhat ahead time enthusiastically supporting iron ships fledgling metals industry country supply quantities armored vessels commissioned senate fault lay spoke extending armored vessel intended defense named stevens battery designer builder laid incomplete gave argument pleading unsuccessful senate agree continue funding project supporting speech expressed principles guided thinking later confederate secretary navy crisis representing state hardly avoided taking public stance issues tearing nation apart occasion arose senate considered admission kansas union constitution allow slavery kansas citizens extending practice new territories seized widespread irregularities adoption procedure oppose senator new_york mounted hour attack constitution southern policy general following replied biographers describe probably effective speech senate segment talk presented rationale slave holders accept majority rule addressing question constitution ratified people said states conferred time political power minority dependent tenure estate payment tax militia duty color skin state chooses political authority people decline relative power slave holding states time believe necessarily lead concluded remarks pledge follow south happened indicate path south wisdom pursue sir heart find undivided affections despite willing adherence southern position issues dividing country prominent movement advocated reconciliation moment florida passed ordnance occurred january making florida state south_carolina mississippi leave union january delivered farewell speech united_states senate days abraham_lincoln took office parties states disagreed proper course action concerning forts domains florida forts remained possession united_states_army fort taylor dry near pensacola proposed taken immediately force needed beginning fort cooler heads hoped avoid gain possession negotiation words selected secretary state incoming administration florida senator senators alabama sent respective governors urging caution southern senators lent support president elect agree end won attack fort hardly political opponents later perceived stance excuse attack confederate secretary navy nomination confirmation governmental structure newly formed like parent united_states executive branch departments headed secretary equivalent advise president constitution provided navy directed department president nominated confederate states secretary navy chosen principal reasons extensive experience nautical affairs home later washington second florida bow principle states rights davis spread representation cabinet states requirement geographical representation meant best person available selection process worked case nomination secretary navy submitted soon act establishing navy passed despite evident qualifications drew significant opposition detractors cited fort incident evidence strongly pro ultimately confirmed naval organization operations persons confederate government interested naval matters free shape department navy controlled according views result product prior experience organized separate offices equivalent bureau system united_states_navy navy orders detail dealing personnel function met porter served chief naval title start position officially established title end war functions lay outside bureau system small marine_corps men sent europe acquire vessels reported directly torpedo bureau start faced problems encountered chairman united states high ranking officers old sea came confederacy created navy promising men resigning navy enter old rank hoping avoid result promotion process proposed promotion depend solely conduct war proposal quickly law completely satisfied initiated creation effect established officer corps officers advisers deemed incapable combat retained young presumably aggressive officers transfer officers fighting ships drawn promoted regard served distinction able shape naval policy doctrine viewing manufacturing facilities confederacy union set forth plan navy send commerce raiders destroy enemy marine build ironclad vessels southern shipyards defensive purposes obtain purchase construction abroad armored ships capable fighting open seas employ new weapons techniques warfare attacks union commerce start main efforts counter blockade ports believed attacking merchant shipping carried trade northern ports force union counterpart secretary navy divert small fleet defend raiders early days war confederacy tried enlist services private service offering letters issuance letters aware saw plan reasons success hoped ventured war success ceased end year directly involved activities commissioned raiders ships sent destroy capture enemy commerce proposed use early april avoided union blockade new_orleans june war small group raiders plundered union shipping inflicting damage american merchant marine present day failed primary purpose maintained union blockade international trade continued carried ships flying foreign flags naval reform ironclads aspect tenure secretary navy better known advocacy armored vessels argued confederacy produce ships compete industrial union ship ship basis saw south build ships individually far superior opponents dominate words perfection warship combination greatest known ocean speed greatest known floating battery power resistance hoped armored warships prove ultimate weapon opponents produce armored vessels rapidly important parts navies furthermore navies notably great_britain france stepped conversions fleets wood iron certainly change way civil war broke legacy consists forcing change sooner ironclad created urging virginia burned scuttled raised armored built hull armament carried guns fitted iron ram march attacked union fleet enforcing blockade near norfolk sank major union warships uss cumberland congress minnesota grounded attempt action damages suffered day battle demonstrated basic validity belief armored warships destroy best wooden ships damage return known virginia returned battle day intending finish minnesota encountered union monitor armored vessels fought demonstrating flaw argument ultimate weapon truly decisive virginia confederate ironclads best limited success complete failures particularly embarrassing contracted built service mississippi_river arkansas entered combat way intended crew steam tennessee destroyed stocks mississippi hastily launched burned avoid capture louisiana merely floating battery battle forts jackson fate new_orleans decided blown surrendered parties confederacy acquitted losses bear large blame poor administration foremost reasons delays hindered completion vessels failing construction allowed louisiana mississippi compete scarce resources delegate responsibility details construction virginia letting problems concerning ships unresolved accepted role assigned service secondary army navy work materials funds left army satisfied needs mission europe backward condition shipyards states convinced look abroad obtain vessels thought able challenge selected men primary representatives lieutenant north disappointment proved effective agents confederacy europe sought england acquire ships purposes government working framework neutrality laws host nation raiders purchased britain florida georgia alabama probably liked record shows commissioned adequate efforts purchase built ironclad warships unsuccessful despite best efforts buying seriously considered royal_navy care best ships foreign power matter favorably disposed contracts private shipyards britain france build confederate naval specifications ultimate purpose disguised directly violated neutrality laws american union officials immediately informed governments existence majesty government chose turn blind eye developments union victories caused reconsider september ambassador sent message foreign minister lord informing ironclads leave point means war ship permitted leave later seized royal_navy french government agreed follow britain lead concerning north_america contracts new weapons civil war provided testing ground numerous innovations warfare position provide support advocacy armored vessels described development closely associated encouraged development weapons example favored use rifled guns opposed muzzle favored gun rifle designed head lieutenant rifle gave rebel gunners advantage yankee counterparts persisted end war torpedo office officially named developed underwater explosive devices known torpedoes time mines today office initially led enemy later lieutenant ship lost mines december subsequently vessels types lost combat mines torpedoes causes combined army captain supported general developed small boat carry torpedo craft known david successfully exploded torpedo uss new severely damaging later famous lee torpedoes sink uss ship sunk submarine provided active support lee experiments successful result led use torpedoes ships fleet favorably rebel cause torpedoes immediately adopted october sink ironclad investigation navy department loss new_orleans came tremendous shock confederacy followed members congress noting failure ironclads blamed navy particular suggested need separate hoping proposal able persuade congress instead investigate conduct department house members investigating committee chairman senator known friends representative partially balanced representative persistent critic entire davis administration weighing senator chairman member investigating committee appear prosecution witness committee continued meet months ended finding neglect investigation weakened politically certainly diverted duties drive office replace absorbed shafts aimed president davis retained cabinet end war surrender lee army remained davis cabinet members fled deeper south virginia north_carolina charlotte south_carolina finally washington georgia submitted resignation went georgia temporarily reunited wife children war capture imprisonment large population northern states believed davis government involved assassination abraham_lincoln evidence political reality dealt result political able force government prosecute led war union confederate leaders charged treason things sleep midnight taken custody taken confined political prisoner months demand public vengeance increased feared face death penalty convicted bill specify precisely acts constituted treason presented increasingly clear confederate government guilty president period vengeance passed trial hope revived prison cell began write letters personal campaign gain release petitioned president directly enlisted support colleagues senate wife angela visited washington president johnson persons influence johnson granting popular harsh punishment began end year march johnson granted partial parole longer jail required stay daughter connecticut oath allegiance release return florida june visited washington called old friends political adversaries including president johnson secretary war received got permission return florida return somewhat delayed problems health july arrived home pensacola terms parole permitted hold public office living reopening old law practice nominally excluded politics managed views known writing letters editorials florida newspapers urged acceptance union policies reconstruction soon came opposition particularly black suffrage long suffered occasional attacks continued plague postwar years winter began complain heart health began deteriorate remained active end came quickly said november night began fail morning november died buried pensacola florida
Stephen Mallory