Harriet Lane and coercive maritime enforcement

Harriet Lane fired one of the Civil War's opening naval shots when the steamer Nashville entered harbour without flying the national flag. Navy ships had let Nashville pass while their crews hesitated, but the cutter answered with a 32-pounder shot and a demand for compliance. She was later captured during the war. The 177.5-foot, 730-ton paddle steamer combined a shallow draft, sail support, and a 13-knot speed with a crew of 95. Light guns suited enforcement against merchant vessels and signalled state authority without the overt threat of a major warship. The cutter looked less threatening than a larger warship, although the naval force behind it gave the demand weight.