After the capture of New Orleans, Admiral Farragut was ordered at once
to proceed up the river. He was to pass, or to attack and capture, all
the Confederate forts between New Orleans and Memphis.
But for many reasons, he thought it unwise to attempt this expedition.
The increasing shallowness of the river would make it almost impossible
to use his best sea-going vessels. The upper forts were located on high
bluffs, and it would be difficult to attack them from the river.
Admiral Farragut knew that, should he be able to pass these forts, or
even to silence their guns, he could not hold them without a large land
force. But he was too good a soldier to do anything in disobedience to
orders.
[Illustration: GENERAL N.P. BANKS.]
In the face of all these difficulties, he passed and repassed the forts
at Vicksburg and Port Hudson. He made it plain to the Confederates that
none of their batteries on the Mississippi could stop the movements of
his fleet. But he found, as he had expected, that the forts could not be
held until armies came to his assistance.
A large land force under General Grant besieged Vicksburg until it
surrendered on July 4, 1863. Five days later, an army under General
Nathaniel P. Banks succeeded in capturing Port Hudson.
These were the last Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi. Their
capture gave to the Union forces the entire control of the river.
The command of the Mississippi squadron was given to David D. Porter,
who had likewise been rewarded with the rank of rear admiral. He took
charge of all the river boats of the fleet, while Farragut, with most of
the sea-going vessels, sailed for the Atlantic coast.
[Illustration: ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER.]
These vessels were all in need of repairs. His flagship, the _Hartford_,
which was in the best condition of all, had two hundred and forty scars
from shot and shell.
After the loss of New Orleans, Mobile was the best Gulf port left to the
Confederates. This city stands at the head of the broad, shallow bay of
Mobile, thirty miles from the Gulf.
The entrance to the bay is very narrow, and it was protected by two
strong forts,--Fort Morgan on one side, and Fort Gaines on the other.
Admiral Farragut was ordered to capture these forts. This would prevent
the South from using the port of Mobile.
On January 18th, 1864, his ships having been repaired, Captain Farragut
sailed again into the Gulf of Mexico.
He was anxious to make the attack early in the spring, but it was August
before his fleet was ready.
In the meantime, the Confederates had made their fortifications
stronger. The only channel through which the vessels could pass was near
Fort Morgan. The Confederates strengthened this fort with every defense
possible.
A double line of torpedoes, or submarine mines, was stretched across the
channel. Above this, lay the Confederate fleet. One of these vessels,
the _Tennessee_, was a huge iron ram like the _Merrimac_.
The squadron of Admiral Farragut was a strong one. There were
twenty-four wooden war vessels and four ironclads like the _Monitor_.
On the night of August 4th, every preparation was made for the attack.
The seamen, with determined faces, gave their messages and keep-sakes to
their messmates, for they hardly expected to come out of this fray
alive.
Admiral Farragut, himself, made all his arrangements for the worst,
though hoping for the best. He wrote to his wife, "I am going into
Mobile in the morning, if God is my leader, as I hope He is, and in Him
I place my trust. If He thinks it is the place for me to die, I am ready
to submit to His will. God bless and preserve you, if anything should
happen to me."
At sunrise the fleet moved steadily toward Fort Morgan, the stars and
stripes flying from every masthead.
The four ironclads were sent ahead, close to the forts. The wooden war
vessels followed, lashed together in pairs. This was done so that if one
vessel became disabled it could be towed by the other. Farragut wished
to lead the fleet in his flagship, the _Hartford_, but his officers
dissuaded him, and the _Brooklyn_ went first, the _Hartford_ following.
The admiral climbed up in the rigging, where he could command a view of
the entire fleet. As the shells from the forts began to fall about the
vessels, he climbed higher and higher, in order to see above the smoke.
Fearing that a shot would cut the ropes, one of his officers climbed up
to him and wound a rope around his body. The end of this was secured to
the mast.
The ironclad _Tecumseh_ was now leading the fleet. Suddenly there was a
muffled explosion. The stern of the _Tecumseh_ rose out of the water and
she plunged bow foremost to the bottom of the channel.
At this, the _Brooklyn_ stopped, and with reversed engines began to back
water. Admiral Farragut signaled, and asked, "What's the trouble?"
"Torpedoes," was the reply.
This was the critical moment of the battle. The backing of the
_Brooklyn_ caused confusion among the vessels following so closely upon
each other. There was tremendous cheering and firing from the
Confederates. They were sure that the victory was theirs.
A signal was made to the _Brooklyn_ to go ahead, but she remained
motionless.
What should be done? To remain there, under the guns of the fort, with
the other vessels coming up behind, was out of the question. Ahead lay
the dreaded line of torpedoes. Everything depended upon prompt decision.
Admiral Farragut ordered the _Hartford_ to go ahead, "full speed." She
passed the _Brooklyn_, and made straight for the mines that had sunk the
_Tecumseh_. As they crossed the line of torpedoes, the sailors could
hear them grating against the hull of the vessel. None of them exploded,
however, and the _Hartford_ passed the fatal line in safety.
The effect of this daring deed was wonderful. Men sprang to the guns,
and the air was filled with the roar of cannon. The other vessels all
followed the _Hartford_ across the torpedoes, into the bay. They then
attacked the Confederate fleet, and soon either captured or destroyed
all but the ram _Tennessee_. This vessel had taken refuge under the guns
of Fort Morgan.
Admiral Farragut then anchored about four miles up the bay. While his
men were having breakfast the iron ram steamed out boldly from the fort
to attack the whole fleet.
[Illustration: ADMIRAL BUCHANAN.]
Admiral Buchanan, the commander of the Confederate fleet, was a brave
officer. Not until after a fierce combat, which lasted over an hour, was
he forced to surrender the _Tennessee_.
This ended the battle of Mobile Bay. "It was one of the hardest earned
victories of my life, and the most desperate battle I ever fought since
the days of the _Essex_," said Farragut.
Not quite three hours had passed from the time that Fort Morgan fired
its first gun until the _Tennessee_ surrendered.
With the Confederate fleet destroyed, and Mobile Bay in possession of
Farragut, the forts were soon captured.
While Farragut had been winning these victories in the Gulf, a very
brilliant naval battle had been fought off the coast of France.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN RAPHAEL SEMMES.]
During the whole of the war, England had allowed the Confederates to fit
out armed cruisers in her harbors, and to send them out to prey upon the
United States commerce. The most famous of these cruisers was the
_Alabama_, commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes. For two years this
vessel had roamed the sea, burning and destroying nearly forty United
States merchantmen, but always eluding the war vessels.
At last, in June, 1864, the United States war vessel _Kearsarge_
discovered this enemy in the harbor of Cherbourg, France. As it would
have been against the laws of nations to fight a battle in the harbor,
the _Kearsarge_ remained outside to prevent the _Alabama_ from getting
away.
Finally on Sunday, June 19th, the _Alabama_ suddenly put to sea and
attacked the _Kearsarge_. The vessels were evenly matched.
The battle following was terrific. But the crew of the _Kearsarge_
proved to be the better marksmen, and after an hour's furious fighting
the _Alabama_ suddenly gave a great lurch and plunged to the bottom of
the ocean: The crew were picked up by the _Kearsarge_ and some English
vessels which happened to be near.