Confederate States of America
Excerpts from an Address to Congress
Vicksburg! Vicksburg, gentlemen! From the darkest hour of the fight, it was our navy that turned the tides!
Many of you might have very well thought that when I asked for us to improve our navy last year that it was useless when our enemy was the navy of the Union, but I firmly believe it has been shown that our efforts shall bear fruit!
If we are to taste this sweet nectar again, though, we must redouble our efforts! No doubt the Union has sought to bolster their own naval forces so as to prevent our gains, and so I call on us to redouble our own efforts, gentlemen!
But more so! We have an abundance of merchants, gentlemen. They seek out our ports. Both to leave them and to enter them, we have a massive resource in them. The people who would seek to do business with us are a great and mighty resource! With the rebellions in India, Europe, now more than ever, needs our cotton! India cannot provide while they are in turmoil, but we can! If we take advantage of this resource, not only will it help our own people, but the people of the world!
- Steven Mallory, Secretary of the Navy of the Confederate States of America (on January 4th, 1863)