Battle of Mobile Bay

Battle of Mobile Bay Began: 2 August 1864 Ended: 23 August 1864 Location: Mobile Bay, Alabama Theater: Naval / Lower Seaboard Campaign: Operations in Mobile Bay (1864) Outcome: Union Victory Combatants Commanders David G. Farragut Rear Admiral, USN Gordon Granger Major General, USA Franklin Buchanan Admiral, CSN Richard L. Page Brigadier General, CSA Strength 4 ironclad monitors 14 wooden warships 5500-man invasion force 1 ironclad ram (CSS Tennessee) 3 gunboats 1500-man garrison stationed within: Fort Morgan Fort Gaines Fort Fisher Casualties 328 Killed: 151 Wounded: 177 1 ironclad sunk (USS Tecumseh) 1,500 est Fleet losses: Killed: 12 Wounded: 19 Captured:123, including 2 vessels Shore Losses: Fort Morgan Killed: 1 Wounded: 3 Captured: 600 est. Fort Gaines Captured: 864 est.

A combined Union force initiated operations to close Mobile Bay to blockade running. Some Union forces landed on Dauphin Island and laid siege to Fort Gaines. On August 5, Farragut’s Union fleet of eighteen ships entered Mobile Bay and received a devastating fire from Forts Gaines and Morgan and other points. After passing the forts, Farragut forced the Confederate naval forces, under Adm. Franklin Buchanan, to surrender, which effectively closed Mobile Bay. By August 23, Fort Morgan, the last big holdout, fell, shutting down the port. The city, however, remained uncaptured.