became famous in paraphrase, as "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!". Farragut would not stop the flagship; he ordered Captain Percival Drayton to send Hartford around Brooklyn and into the lead of the column. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. Does the objective of taking this port look like an easy task? It was widely believed that these warships were unsinkable. Though the city of Mobile would remain in Confederate hands into 1865, the port was now closed to blockade runners. The Battle of Mobile Bay and the Medal of Honor What ports would ships leaving Nassau be most likely to head to? The fleet was not ready to move yet, so the defenders were able to rush additional forces to Fort Gaines. He never gives an alternative explanation for its fate, however. At 6 o'clock A.M. the enemy's ships began to move in with flags flying. Southern ocean trade dropped to one-third of its original level, and the Confederacy began running out of clothing, weapons, and other supplies. For a short time the smoke was so dense that the vessels could not be distinguished, but still the firing was incessant. Is it clear from Webster's account why the USS Tecumseh sank? Furthermore, some of the shutters on her gun ports were jammed, rendering the guns behind them useless. [65], .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}301428N 880311W / 30.2410N 88.0530W / 30.2410; -88.0530. At this juncture, Farragut is said to have orderedHartfordforward with the famous line "Damn the torpedoes! 3. When the Confederates lost the port, it made the Union blockade of the coast virtually complete. During his preparations, Admiral Farragut assembled a joint Army and Naval force. Although neither fort suffered significant casualties or damage, the bombardment was sufficient to reveal the vulnerability of each to fire from the rear. The ironclad USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo and sank almost instantly, and cautious Union captains began stopping their ships while still within range of Fort Morgan. Seminole Admiral Farragut's main objective was to capture the Bay, not the city in order to cut the city from the open seas. Richmond With the fleet no longer facing opposition from the Confederate Navy, Farragut could pay some attention to the forts. Four bells. Topics: The lesson could be used in American history units on the Civil War or science and technology. [34] Following were Hartford and Metacomet, Richmond and Port Royal, Lackawanna and Seminole, Monongahela and Kennebec, Ossipee and Itasca, and Oneida and Galena. Why did captains and ship owners run the blockade? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 Battle of Mobile Bay StudyExcell Ordering his Hartford to take the lead, he hollered, 'Damn the torpedoes!' Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Farragut's last in command service was from 1867, to 1868. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. The Battle of Mobile Bay (also known as the Passing of Forts Morgan and Gaines) took place from August 2-23, 1864 in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Alabama. Lincoln expected to be a one-term President. Those interested in learning more will find that the Internet offers a variety of interesting materials. Farragut also had to contend with two powerful Confederate batteries inside of forts Morgan and Gaines. We strive for accuracy and fairness. I highly recommend you use this site! Assign students a short research paper on an advance in military technology that was controversial when first used. The piles also thwarted early CS Navy plans for cooperation between the defenses of Mobile and New Orleans. [1] In 1763, Britain took control of the colony following their victory in the Seven Years' War. Union Adm. David Farragut explained the dilemma the North found itself facing: "Torpedoes are not so agreeable when used on both sides; therefore, I have reluctantly brought myself to it. On August 5, 1864, Farragut gave the order to ignore the risks: "Damn the torpedoes! Battle of Mobile Bay - NHHC The ironcladUSS Tecumsehstruck a torpedo and sank almost instantly, and cautious Union captains began stopping their ships while still within range of Fort Morgan. How was the installation similar to or different from Fort Morgan? In position, they were able to take in reverse two guns that fired on Farragut's fleet when it was entering the bay. 3. The fort was thus immediately invested, cut off from all communication with Mobile. The Confederacy was cut off from its blockade runners and their necessary supplies. As the North worked hard to tighten its blockade, the South began to look to Europe for procuring not only ironclads to keep Union monitors from closing ports, but fast cruisers to keep trade flowing. L. Morgan and Gaine's course toward Fort Morgan. 6. [citation needed], The mouth of the bay is marked on the east by a long narrow peninsula of sand, Mobile Point, that separates Bon Secour Bay, where the Bon Secour River enters the larger bay, from the gulf. Once the Civil War began, President Lincoln ordered a blockade of Southern ports. Itasca History of Mobile, Alabama - Wikipedia Later, when CSS Tennessee made her unsupported attack on the Federal fleet, Farragut climbed into the mizzen rigging. Many supplies also came via Matamoros to Brownsville, Texas, but transportation to needy areas (such as Richmond, VA) was limited because many small ports had no rail facilities. Ships filled with goods--some for the war effort, others for Southern consumers--left Nassau, the Bahamas; Havana, Cuba; the West Indies; and Bermuda attempting to sneak by the Union Navy. 5. Early in the morning of August 5, 1864, the Federal fleet passed into the harbor. [f], At the western end of the bay was Fort Powell, smallest of the three, with 18 guns and about 140 men. At 6:47a.m., Tecumseh fired the first shot, the forts replied, and the action became general. Rains, contributed a passive weapon to the defense. [44] A little more than three hours had elapsed since Tecumseh had fired the first shot. During 1720, when France warred with Spain, Mobile was on the battlefront, so the capital moved west to Biloxi. The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm. Franklin Buchanan and three forts that guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay The battle was marked by Farragut's seemingly rash but successful run through a . Still, despite the overwhelming odds, the CSS Tennessee, Buchanans flagship, moved forward to meet the Northerners. All rights reserved. Battle of Mobile Bay | Military Wiki | Fandom [citation needed], This time, the ships that he was facing were in motion, and he had to contend with three monitors, not one. Anderson. P. Selma surrendered to Metacomet. Every purchase supports the mission. Her armor had been found to be more hindrance than help, so it was removed. That night, the magazines were indeed threatened when the woodwork of the citadel caught fire. Quiz & Worksheet - Battle of Mobile Bay | Study.com The Union troops could bring their artillery up to close range with impunity, being shielded behind the sand dunes of Dauphin Island. The scream of the shot would arrive at about the same time with the projectile, with far from a severe thud, and then the air would be filled with that peculiar shrill singing sound of violently broken glass, or perhaps more like the noise made by flinging a nail violently through the air. [21], Tennessee was the only armored vessel that the Confederate Navy put into lower Mobile Bay,[h] but there were plans for others. Losses: Union, 1 ironclad of 18 ships, 151 men killed, 177 wounded; Confederate, 1 ironclad and 2 gunboats of 4 ships, 13 men killed, 22 wounded, and (by the time the forts had surrendered) 1,500 men captured. Why did they choose these particular locations? As time passed and a sequence of other Union victories seemed to show that the war was winding down, the battle began to loom larger. But Mobile Bay was yet before us. The heavy shot bent in the iron shield and shattered its oak backing. The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was an engagement of the American Civil War in which a Federal fleet commanded by Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fleet led by Adm. Franklin Buchanan and three forts that guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay. Canby and Farragut recognized that they would not be able to threaten Mobile, but possession of the lower bay would be of great enough use to the blockading fleet that the projected attack should not be canceled. 2. Maneuvering to engage the Tennessee, the Union ship Tecumseh struck a "torpedo" and sank with few survivors. Three hours after the fighting started, the CSS Tennessee surrendered, leaving the bay in Union control and closing the port to Southern blockade runners. Mobile Bay from the Gulf. Marker is on Fort Morgan Road (State Road 180) 1.7 miles west of Dune Drive, on the left when . Perhaps some drowning wretch on the Tecumseh took that cheer in his ears as he sank to a hero's grave, and we may imagine the sound as it pierced the roar of battle, giving courage to some fainting heart as his face turned for the last time to the light of that sun whose rising and setting was at an end for him. " [41], Tennessee lacked the speed needed to ram the Union vessels as they passed, allowing Farragut to order some of his small, faster gunboats to attack the three Confederate gunboats. [30], The army landing force under Granger was ready to launch the attack on August 3, but Farragut wanted to wait for his fourth monitor USS Tecumseh, expected at any moment but delayed at Pensacola. Why do you think this would be the best place to anchor the fleet after the victory? This, in a minute or two, was succeeded by a most copious perspiration, so violent that one's clothing became soaking wet, and the perspiration coursing down the scantily clothed body and limbs, filled the shoes so that they "chuckled" as one walked. No longer able to fight, Commander James D. Johnston, captain of Tennessee, requested and received permission from the wounded admiral to surrender. Finally, early on August 5, 1864, the Federal fleet passed into the harbor. On August 23 Fort Morgan surrendered, too. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. An error occurred trying to load this video. Mobile Bay was actually a challenging target. The 3-mile gap between Fort Morgan Peninsula to the east and Dauphin Island to the west is . The Civil War and Reconstruction: Certificate Program - Study.com Although that was his last. [47], As soon as the surrender of Fort Gaines was completed, Granger moved his force from Dauphin Island to the narrow strip of mainland behind Fort Morgan, where they were landed without opposition about 4mi (6.4km) away, well out of range of its guns. [49], An anecdote of the battle that has some dramatic interest has it that Farragut was lashed to the mast during the passage of Fort Morgan. Printed by Lang & Lang, New York, 1862. 30 13.771 N, 88 1.347 W. Marker is in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in Baldwin County. 3. [7] Grant's Pass was also obstructed by a set of piles and other impediments, which had the effect of diverting the tidal flow to Heron Pass. 12. The fighting resulted . What besides Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico would have made Mobile a transportation center? Aware of the danger near Fort Morgan, Farragut ordered his captains to stay to the "eastward of the easternmost buoy" because it was "understood that there are torpedoes and other obstructions between the buoys. The new rank implied that the ships of the navy would be employed as members of a fleet, not simply as collections of vessels with a common purpose.
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