the northern blockading squadron was having it share of trouble in 1861 due the slow conversion of its ships that at times the blockade off charleston had only a few ships, the state of the mission in this sector was so frustrating that captain mercer of the lamented to his commander rear admiral silas h. stringham "now flag-officer, you know as well as i do that to blockade this port efficiently with this ship alone is next door to an impossibility." how true were his words? by 10 september of that year, over one-third of the squadron's vessels lay in yards for repairs.