Started By
Message
re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 9/12/14 at 9:07 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 9/12/14 at 9:07 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Tuesday, 13 September 1864
The Battle of Mobile Bay was over, but as in all such conflicts, the end of the shooting merely signified the beginning of a lengthy cleanup operation. The one in this case was particularly tricky, since the bay had been extensively loaded with “water torpedoes”, what would in later years be called floating mines. Admiral David G. Farragut chose, for reasons unknown, to have the cleanup of the main channel done by crews in small boats, rather than blowing them up at long-distance with the cannons of the gunboats. His objective may have been to conserve ammunition. In any case, as he wrote to Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles today, that over one hundred such mines had been dismantled and sunk. “This part of the channel is now believed to be clear....though beyond doubt many more were originally anchored here.” He was quite right about that part: overlooked mines would break free from their anchor chains, float downriver, and cause trouble for Union and civilian ships for months to come.
Another report: Rear Admiral Farragut's sailors continued to clear the main ship channel at Mobile Bay of torpedoes such as the one that bad sunk USS Tecumseh on 5 August. He reported to Secretary Welles that 22 torpedoes had been raised. He added: "This part of the channel is now believed to be clear, for, though beyond doubt many more were originally anchored here, report says they have sunk over one hundred to the bottom." Despite the Admiral's efforts, Union ships would be destroyed in the vicinity of Mobile Bay by torpedoes in the months to come.
President Abraham Lincoln favorably responded to a political overture, but made no policy statements.
A Federal expedition began from Morganza, Louisiana, including the Second Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops.
Sporadic skirmishing occurred throughout the day in the Shenandoah Valley.
The Battle of Mobile Bay was over, but as in all such conflicts, the end of the shooting merely signified the beginning of a lengthy cleanup operation. The one in this case was particularly tricky, since the bay had been extensively loaded with “water torpedoes”, what would in later years be called floating mines. Admiral David G. Farragut chose, for reasons unknown, to have the cleanup of the main channel done by crews in small boats, rather than blowing them up at long-distance with the cannons of the gunboats. His objective may have been to conserve ammunition. In any case, as he wrote to Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles today, that over one hundred such mines had been dismantled and sunk. “This part of the channel is now believed to be clear....though beyond doubt many more were originally anchored here.” He was quite right about that part: overlooked mines would break free from their anchor chains, float downriver, and cause trouble for Union and civilian ships for months to come.
Another report: Rear Admiral Farragut's sailors continued to clear the main ship channel at Mobile Bay of torpedoes such as the one that bad sunk USS Tecumseh on 5 August. He reported to Secretary Welles that 22 torpedoes had been raised. He added: "This part of the channel is now believed to be clear, for, though beyond doubt many more were originally anchored here, report says they have sunk over one hundred to the bottom." Despite the Admiral's efforts, Union ships would be destroyed in the vicinity of Mobile Bay by torpedoes in the months to come.
President Abraham Lincoln favorably responded to a political overture, but made no policy statements.
A Federal expedition began from Morganza, Louisiana, including the Second Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops.
Sporadic skirmishing occurred throughout the day in the Shenandoah Valley.
1
Posted on 9/13/14 at 8:25 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Wednesday, 14 September 1864
Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early was under pressure from all sides. Detached from General Robert Edward Lee’s army defending Petersburg, he was supposed to be raiding near Washington, DC, creating panic and a demand for Grant’s troops to be brought back North to defend the capital. This effort had not worked, and now Lee wanted him back to help with the siege defenses. Union General Phillip Henry Sheridan, a cavalry commander, had been brought in and given an army to encourage his departure as well. The only person who didn’t want Early to move South was...Jubal Early himself. He had tried sending back one corps, under General Richard Heron Anderson, but they had run into a large part of Sheridan's army so Anderson wisely withdrew back towards Early’s lines at Opequon Creek near Winchester, Virginia. Lee was becoming insistent, though, so today Early decided to try again at sending Anderson’s men South.
Another report: In the Shenandoah Valley, General Richard H. Anderson’s Confederate corps left Jubal Early’s army to reinforce the Army of Northern Virginia at Petersburg. This seriously depleted Early’s force. Pressure increased on Philip Sheridan’s Federals to break Early’s hold on the Shenandoah and his threat to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.
Skirmishing also occurred in West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Missouri.
Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early was under pressure from all sides. Detached from General Robert Edward Lee’s army defending Petersburg, he was supposed to be raiding near Washington, DC, creating panic and a demand for Grant’s troops to be brought back North to defend the capital. This effort had not worked, and now Lee wanted him back to help with the siege defenses. Union General Phillip Henry Sheridan, a cavalry commander, had been brought in and given an army to encourage his departure as well. The only person who didn’t want Early to move South was...Jubal Early himself. He had tried sending back one corps, under General Richard Heron Anderson, but they had run into a large part of Sheridan's army so Anderson wisely withdrew back towards Early’s lines at Opequon Creek near Winchester, Virginia. Lee was becoming insistent, though, so today Early decided to try again at sending Anderson’s men South.
Another report: In the Shenandoah Valley, General Richard H. Anderson’s Confederate corps left Jubal Early’s army to reinforce the Army of Northern Virginia at Petersburg. This seriously depleted Early’s force. Pressure increased on Philip Sheridan’s Federals to break Early’s hold on the Shenandoah and his threat to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.
Skirmishing also occurred in West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Missouri.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News