Our second issue of 2021 explores some new directions in the naval history of the war as well as the period of Reconstruction. The Union's Mississippi Squadron fought an unconventional war against Southern soldiers, guerrillas, and civilians who attacked Northern supply lines. Under the direction of David D. Porter, the squadron used a strategy of exhaustion to wear down Southern resistance but could never fully defeat its foe. As Robert Gudmestad argues, Northern sailors hated their service in the brownwater navy and viewed their time in the war as transactional in nature. The fleet underwent a massive turnover in 1864, but the North used its advantages in economics, technology, and population to compensate for a fleet of sailors who lacked motivation and discipline. While the Union did not defeat its foe along the western waters, it provided enough protection to the logistical network to assist in victory on the battlefield.