"Admiral David Farragut had wanted to capture Mobile Bay immediately after New Orleans fell. But with the Mississippi River open and Vicksburg calling, Washington would hear none of it. But now, a year and a half later, he was finally about to strike. He had been in the area since the middle of January 1864, and beheld the formidable Confederate defenses, including two forts and a small fleet of ships.
"I am satisfied," he wrote to Washington, "that if I had one ironclad at this time I could destroy their whole force in the bay and reduce the forts at my leisure, by cooperation with our land forces – say 5,000 men."
There were three Rebel forts barring the passage into Mobile. There was Fort Morgan, a star-fort constructed of mortar, and dating from the War of 1812, though it was much-changed by this date. There, too, was Fort Gaines, about half the size of Morgan, and built a decade or so later. The smallest was Fort Powell. In addition to the forts, which boasted a total of ninety guns, was a string of sixty-seven torpedoes, hidden like submerged bouys. In the time since Farragut had written the letter in January, the Confederate Navy had grown from virtually nothing to three side-wheel steamers and even an ironclad, the CSS Tennessee…"
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Amicalement
Armand
couldn't say 'no' to this opportunity!
