Who, What, When and Where The Troop Placements in the U. S. Army Department of the South in the Civil War
The Civil War was not to be won or lost on the Department of the South. The main purpose of the Department was to enforce the U.S. naval blockade of the Confederacy. The Port Royal operation also served as major depot for supplies for the Navy. The almost absolute power of the U.S. Navy gave the army the ability to do coastal raids at a variety of points up and down the coast forcing the Confederacy to keep much valued troops for defense and losing valuable supplies (and slaves) to the invading raiders.
There were some high hopes for the Department. It was felt at various times that they could strike a serious blow against the Confederacy by capturing Savannah, Charleston, or cutting across the Confederacy's breadbasket of Florida. Yet until the arrival of General William T. Sherman on his "March to the Sea" none of those goals were met.