battle of mobile bay significance

How did Farragut's brave and clever action in passing the Brooklyn save the Union's fleet? Activity 2: The Perils of New Military Technology The belief was so strong that Canby made a formal accusation, and Page was tried in New Orleans by a three-man council of war to consider the charges. The first day of contact between opposing forces was August 4. The Battle of Mobile Bay Revisited - Mobile Bay Magazine Make one of their objectives determining when the weapon was developed, why, and public response to its use. On August 5, 1864, two lines of Union ships began their progress through the bay's narrow entrance. Mobile Bay Operations and Engagements 1864 Civil War Naval Operations and Engagements: Mobile Bay Alabama 5-23 August 1864 Map of approaches to Mobile Bay, produced by U.S. Coast. Williams. Yet pressures from the United States on these foreign countries limited the South's ability to secure the number of vessels needed for a successful blockade-running operation and for organizing a strong Confederate Navy. 2. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. For in the words of one Confederate soldier reminiscing on the ill-fated ship, "She careens, her bottom appears! This loss did not stop the Union attack. Time period: 1860s. [citation needed], While this was going on, monitors Winnebago, Chickasaw, and Manhattan were engaging in occasional bombardment. Reading 1 was compiled from Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., Confederate Mobile (University Press of Mississippi, 1991); E. Merton Coulter, The Confederate States of America 1861-1865: A History of the South, vol. The 3-mile gap between Fort Morgan Peninsula to the east and Dauphin Island to the west is . In order to communicate with Army forces ashore after the fleet was safely inside Mobile Bay, several members of the fledgling Signal Corps were put on the major ships of Farragut's fleet. A. Tecumseh, sunk by torpedo The Chickasaw and Winnebago were twin-turreted river monitors of light draft; each mounted four guns that were smaller than those carried by the other two. Grant's troops were bogged down at Petersburg. It was widely believed that these warships were unsinkable. Colors of Significance: Historic Flags of Mobile Point The story did not appear in print until several years later, and some historians question whether it happened at all. 9 Questions About the American Civil War Answered, Famous Figures in American Military History Quiz. [25], Galena was now very much like the others, but she had begun life as an experimental ironclad. The battle was marked by Farragut's seemingly-rash but successful run through a minefield that had just claimed one of his ironclad monitors, enabling his fleet to get beyond the range of the shore-based guns. In addition to these was the ironclad ram CSS Tennessee, which, though carrying only six guns, was a far more impressive fighting machine by virtue of her armor. Why? This was opposed by 13 dead and 26 wounded on the Confederate side. Vicksburg Campaign | History, Significance, & Facts | Britannica Despite the relatively low casualties, the victory at Mobile Bay was of great strategic consequence and greatly affected morale on both sides. What besides Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico would have made Mobile a transportation center? Chapter Four: The Civil War, 1861-1865 Flashcards | Quizlet Accordingly, they assembled a small flotilla consisting of the ironclad CSS Tennessee and three gunboats inside the bay. Why was it important for the Union Navy to close the port of Mobile? During his preparations, Admiral Farragut assembled a joint Army and Naval force. Why did the Union Navy want to close down the port of Mobile? Maneuvering to engage the Tennessee, the Union ship Tecumseh struck a "torpedo" and sank with few survivors. Victor:Union Significance:Last port needed to complete naval blockade. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! In the early hours of 5 August his fleet of four monitors and fourteen wooden steamships crossed the bar at the entrance to the harbor on the incoming tide. Without resupply or reinforcements, Fort Gaines surrendered on August 8th, and Fort Morgan fell on August 23th. The Confederate ironclad was bulky and slow, however, so the Hartford dodged easily. Battle of Mobile Bay | C-SPAN.org The battle of Mobile Bay had a far-reaching historical and political significance. After reviewing the evidence, the court found him not guilty of the charges. The Federal fleet had lost 150 men killed and 170 wounded; on the Confederate ships, only 12 were dead and 19 wounded. The shock of discharge of our own guns was especially hard on the ears of those in the turret, and it seemed at times as though the tympanums must give way. At about eight o'clock the fire on our port hand began to slacken, and the word was passed below that the wooden fleet had entered the bay and that the fight was over. Mobile did come under combined army-navy attack, but only in March and April 1865, after Farragut had been replaced by Rear Adm. Henry K. Thatcher. The National Park Service's Maritime Heritage Program works to advance awareness and understanding of the role of maritime affairs in the history of the United States by helping to interpret and preserve our maritime heritage. One of the few ports to defy the blockade was Mobile in Alabama, the most important Confederate port left on the Gulf of Mexico in 1864. Fragments killed or wounded some of the crew; one of the casualties was Admiral Buchanan himself, who suffered a badly broken leg. 7. [40] This took the ship into the torpedoes that had just sunk Tecumseh, but Farragut was confident that most of them had been submerged too long to be effective. The Siege of Vicksburg was a great victory for the Union. The second column was led by Brooklyn lashed to Octorara. This event came about after the battle had opened and smoke from the guns had clouded the air. The trail includes stops at Fort Morgan, Fort Gaines, Blakely State Park, the Magee Farm and the Museum of Mobile. 1. A tiny white comber [a long curling wave] of froth curled around her bow, a tremendous shock ran through our ship as though we had struck a rock, and as rapidly as these words flow from my pen the Tecumseh reeled a little to starboard, her bows settled beneath the surface, and while we looked her stern lifted high in the air with the propeller still revolving, and the ship pitched out of sight like an arrow twanged from the bow. Why or why not? Brooklyn had the lead because she carried four chase guns that could fire forward, while the other large ships had only two. On August 5, 1864, at the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War (1861-65), Union Admiral David Farragut (1801-70) led his flotilla through the Confederate defenses at Mobile,. Questions for Illustration 1. She was eventually reduced to a motionless hulk and surrendered, ending the battle. Admiral Buchanan retreated to regroup, but the battle was far from over. Southern-born, Admiral David Farragut led the Union armada. This campaign was part of a much greater effort in what was known as the Anaconda Plan to cut off all the south's ports from trade. [11], Across the main channel from Fort Morgan on Dauphin Island was Fort Gaines, containing 26 guns, and with a garrison of about 600. Mobile Bay Mobile and Baldwin County, AL | Aug 2 - 23, 1864 In the early fall of 1864, Admiral David Farragut's fleet attacked one of the last open Confederate ports. The first effect of going from the cool air of the turret to the terrible heat of the engine room was that of a curious chilliness. Four of these had been with the West Gulf Blockading Squadron from the start (flagship Hartford, Brooklyn, Richmond, and Oneida) and had fought in its battles on the Mississippi. The city finally fell in the last days of the war. Down, Down, Down she goes to the bottom of the channel, carrying 150 of her crew, confined within her ribs, to a watery grave.". This lesson is part of the National Park Services Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) program. During the Civil War, Union ships imposed a blockade on Confederate ports. It was only marginally, if at all, less bloody than the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the Battle of Hampton Roads. History of Mobile, Alabama - Wikipedia It marks the last attempt of the Confederates under . Beginning with the sentence, "But Mobile Bay was yet before us," underline passages that give clues to the hardships of serving on board a monitor. Ask your students to think about the actions of Admiral Farragut. Activity 1: Decisions in Warfare "[63] The dispersal of Northern gloom assured President Abraham Lincoln's re-election in what was regarded as a referendum on continuation of the war. [34] Following were Hartford and Metacomet, Richmond and Port Royal, Lackawanna and Seminole, Monongahela and Kennebec, Ossipee and Itasca, and Oneida and Galena. Torpedoes were cheap, easily produced underwater mines that could seriously damage or sink ironclad ships. Gen. Learn how and when to remove this template message, 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Blockade runners of the American Civil War, Bibliography of early American naval history, Battle of Mobile Bay Page: Battle maps, photos, history articles, and battlefield news (CWPT), Western theater of the American Civil War, Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, Confederate artworks in the United States Capitol, List of Confederate monuments and memorials, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. Why? The Virginia had devastated the timberclad fleet before nightfall. It still needed to capture the forts. At 150 F. the glass in a lantern will crackle and break, the lamps burn dimly, and it is impossible to handle any metal with the bare hands. All the Federal accounts agree that the USS Tecumseh was sunk by a torpedo, yet Brigadier General Page stated that the torpedoes were harmless. This is the . [c] A few other small islands and shoals lie to the south of Dauphin Island, defining the main channel for as much as 10mi (16km) south of the entrance. Examine Photo 1 closely. Hartford Lincoln was re-elected due to a string of Union victories at Atlanta, Cedar Creek, and Mobile Bay. Find more answers Ask your question Related questions Where did the battle of mobile bay take. [14], The Confederate Torpedo Bureau, directed by Major General Gabriel J. The Union ships were met by the Tennessee, which immediately challenged the Hartford. I have always deemed it unworthy [of] a chivalrous nation, but it does not do to give your enemy such a decided superiority over you. Why? Page. Her rudder chains were parted so that she could not steer. [39] Recognizing hesitation from his subordinate commanders, he took the bold action by ordering Captain Percival Drayton to send Hartford around Brooklyn and into the lead of the column and giving the order, Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!. The monitor USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo and began to sink, causing the rest of the fleet to back away from the mine-infested waters. These installations might be defensive fortifications, supply depots, training facilities, or National Guard Armories. The Union fleet responded, the exchange creating such smoke that Farragut had to climb the mainmast of his flagship USS Hartford to see what was happening. Questions for Reading 2 and charged into the bay. . 1. Fort Morgan, with its forty-seven artillery pieces, was especially dangerous. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. [k], Captain James Alden of Brooklyn was apparently confused by conflicting orders, to stay on the port side of the monitors and to stay to the right of the minefield, so he stopped his ship and signaled Farragut for instructions. Interested in participating in the Publishing Partner Program? TwHP is sponsored, in part, by the Cultural Resources Training Initiative and Parks as Classrooms programs of the National Park Service. Still concerned for his safety, Captain Drayton had Flag Lieutenant J. Crittenden Watson tie him to the rigging again.

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