Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to episode number 39 of our Civil War podcast

my name is Rich and I'm Tracy hello y'all welcome to the podcast in the 10th

weeks leading up to his inauguration Abraham Lincoln probably didn't

spare much thought to the US Navy but almost immediately after taking office

in connection with the crisis at Fort Sumter Lincoln was forced to begin

working his way along a steep learning curve with regard to naval matters it was

a good thing the new president was a quick student because within a week of the

fall of Sumter he would issue a proclamation that would shape a significant

element of the federal naval strategy and after that Abraham Lincoln would then

go on to preside over the development and deployment of the largest naval force

an American history up to that point throughout the Civil War Abraham Lincoln

would take an act of interest in naval matters and in his role as Commander

in Chief he would step in when needed to ensure his larger strategic vision was

being fulfilled but still Lincoln would most often defer to the judgment of two

men who will play key roles in our ongoing story

Gideon Wells and guest of us Fox Gideon Wells was Abraham Lincoln's Navy

secretary and he was one of only two cabinet members to hold his job throughout

Lincoln's administration Secretary of State William H. Seward being the

other right but anyway in his excellent book Lincoln and his admirals Craig

Simon's describes Wells in this way quote the 59-year-old Wells wore a wig

that he had purchased years before when his hair was still light brown and only

tinged with gray he continued to wear that same wig even though his beard was now

...