Gideon Welles CDV A seated view of the bearded Welles. Front marked Brady, Washington. Gideon Welles broke with Democrats over slavery, joining the Republican Party in 1855. Appointed Secretary of the Navy by Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Welles served through the Civil War (1861–69), modernizing the Navy. He expanded the fleet, oversaw the development of ironclad ships like the USS Monitor, and implemented the Union’s blockade of Southern ports, crucial to weakening the Confederacy. Known as "Father Neptune,” Welles was a meticulous administrator, maintaining detailed diaries that remain valuable historical sources. After Lincoln’s assassination, he stayed under Andrew Johnson, navigating Reconstruction tensions. Post-Navy, Welles returned to journalism, critiquing Reconstruction policies. His conservative views on race and governance shaped his later years.