MAY 9TH, 1864: Rear Admiral Farragut wrote Secretary Welles requesting ironclads for the reduction of Mobile Bay: "I am in hourly expectation of being attacked by almost and equal number of vessels, ironclads against wooden vessels, and a most unequal contest it will be, as the Tennessee .is represented as impervious at Mobile so that our only hope is to run her down, which we shall certainly do all in our power to accomplish, but should we be unsuccessful the panic in this part of the country will be beyond all control. It is imagined that New Orleans and Pensacola must fall."
What Farragut did not know was that Confederate Admiral Farragut was trying to test the use of watertight caissons, or "camels" to float the CSS Tennessee so it could get over the Mobile Bar. Until he figured out how to do that, there was no way he could attack Farragut's fleet.
--Old B-Runner
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