At the start of the American Civil War, neither side had warships on either side of the Mississippi River and in the first few months of the war, both sides scrambled to gather a flotilla, converting existing riverboats for naval use. These ships wrere converted into powerful naval weapons, despite a lack of resources, trained manpower and suitable vessels. The creation of a river fleet was a miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics, particularly for the South. This title describes their design, development and operation throughout the American Civil War.