Saturday, August 9, 2014

Battle of Mobile Bay-- Part 6: The Battering Continues and Surrender

The Hartford struck a glancing blow and poured a broadside into the Tennessee from ten feet.  The Chickasaw pounded the ram with heavy shot.  The Lackawanna and Hartford had a collision, but recovered.  The Monongahela and Ossipee were preparing to ram.

Admiral Buchanan, commanding the Tennessee, had been wounded and turned command over to Commander James D. Johnston.  The ship's steering was knocked out, but, unable to maneuver and taking on water,  it struggled on, being pounded mercilessly by the whole Union fleet.

Johnston and Buchanan concurred that further resistance would be of no avail and at 10 a.m., the white flag was hoisted.

The Union now had closed the port of Mobile to the outside world, but the city still remained in Confederate hands.

--Old B-R'er





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