CSS Selma was a fast and troublesome Confederate gunboat until Union vessels cornered her inside Mobile Bay. Farragut captured the ship and commissioned her into the United States Navy the next day. The rapid transfer meant that the defeated squadron lost a useful vessel while the victorious fleet immediately gained one. The episode shows the material consequences of destroying or capturing an opponent's small combat force beyond possession of the battlefield.
Notable Point · 48:18-49:20
CSS Selma changes fleets in a day
Selma's capture and immediate Union recommissioning show how a local victory could transfer useful combat power between fleets.