Battle of Mobile Bay

Dates:

August 2-23, 1864

Other Names:

Passing of Forts Morgan and Gaines

Location:

Mobile Bay, Alabama

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Mobile Bay:

Union: Admiral David G. Farragut and Major General Gordon Granger
Confederate: Admiral Franklin Buchanan and Brigadier General Richard L. Page

Outcome:

Union Victory. 1,822 casualties of which 1,500 were Confederate soldiers.

Overview of the Battle :

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.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries