September 3, 1864: 100-Gun Salutes and Thanksgiving for Union Victories

These are taken from the Civil War Naval Chronology.

SEPTEMBER 3RD, 1864:  President Lincoln ordered a 100-gun salute at the Washington Navy Yard  at noon on Monday, the 5th  of September, and upon receipt of the order, at each arsenal and navy yard in the United States "for the recent brilliant achievements of the fleet and land forces of the United States in the harbor of Mobile and the reduction of Fort Powell, Fort Gaines, and Fort Morgan...."

The President also proclaimed that on the following Sunday, thanksgiving should be given for Rear Admiral Farragut's victory at Mobile and for the capture of Atlanta by General Sherman.

Theses events, said Lincoln, "call for devout acknowledgement to the Supreme Being in whose hands are the destinies of nations."

Good Times For the Union.  Not So Good for the Confederacy.  --Old B-Runner

USS Glasgow: A Busy Ship

On July 1, 1864, the USS Glasgow fired on an unknown blockade runner also under the guns of Fort Morgan.  When Fort Gaines surrendered to Union forces on August 8, 1864, the Glasgow was there.  Admiral David Farragut came onboard for a brief visit November 26.

During 1865, the Glasgow continued her duties and in addition, due to her speed and light draft, was flagship of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.  She struck an obstruction and sank in shoal water off Mobile 8 May 1865, and was not raised until  19 June.

After that, the ship went to Pensacola, Florida, for repairs and returned to duty 1 July 1866.

The Glasgow was chosen to continue in the U.S. Navy after the war and continued cruising in the Gulf of Mexico.  She served as a storeship and visited  New Orleans, Lakeport and Mexican ports until she entered the Pensacola Navy Yard for repairs 23 January 1868.

The Glasgow departed Pensacola 10 March and spent five months cruising with the squadron on the lower Mississippi River and off Pensacola where she returned 6 August.

Decommissioning came 17 October 1868 and was sold 4 June 1869 to Thomas McClellan.

NOTE.  This ship should not be confused with the USS Eugenie (1862).  This is the first Eygenie I wrote about last week.

This still doesn't clear up the question of which ship captured the blockade runner Alabama.

--Old B-R'er

Remains of Last-Known Slave Ship Clotilda May Have Been Discovered-- Part 3

It is known that the captain of the Clotilda burned it and sank it in 1860.

He had carried 110 slaves from the "Kingdom of Dahomey" modern-day Benin, Africa.  Slavery in the United States was still legal in 1860, but it was illegal to bring in new slaves and had been since 1808.

Wealthy plantation owner Timothy Meaher had made a bet that he could sneak slaves into the United States past the two federal forts protecting Mobile Bay (Forts Morgan and Gaines).

He won his bet and the human cargo was delivered.

The 110 slaves were freed five years later and they asked Meaher to pay their way back to Africa, but he refused.  They then appealed to the U.S. government to no avail either.

They Were Stuck.  --Old B-Runner

Fort Gaines To Be Surrendered

AUGUST 7TH, 1864:  Col. Charles D. Anderson, CSA, commanding Fort Gaines at Mobile Bay, proposed the surrender of his command to Rear Admiral Farragut.

The monitor USS Chickasaw had bombarded the fort the day before and Anderson wrote: "Feeling my inability to maintain my present position longer than you may see fit to open upon me with your fleet, and feeling also the uselessness of entailing upon ourselves further destruction of life< i have the honor to propose the surrender of Fort Gaines, its garrison, stores."

Before 10 a.m., 8 August, the Stars and Stripes were flying over the works.

I'd have to consider this an act of cowardice on Anderson's part.  One for which he should have been court martialled.

--Old B-R'er

Don't Want to Lose Fort Gaines

From the June 10, 2011, Mobile (Ala) Press Register editorial "We Can't Lose Fort Gaines: Piece of the Past."

The fort is best-known for its role in the Battle of Mobile Bay "the last major naval engagement of the Civil War," as the editors called it.  That would be true if they were referring to a ship vs. ship fight, but not for ships versus fort, which would be Fort Fisher and Fort Anderson in North Carolina.

Fort Gaines is losing land to erosion at a startling rate due to fierce storms, rising water levels and dredging for the Mobile Ship Canal.

The fort made the National Trust for Historic Places' "Eleven Most-Endangered List."  In 2009 it was on the list of the Civil War Preservation Trust's Most Endangered Battlefields.

The original cannons and brickwork are "too precious to be washed into the Gulf of Mexico."  The site has already lost 400-feet of shoreline.  One possible solution is beach nourishment where clean sand from near Sand Island Lighthouse could be hauled in.

Let's Hope It Is Saved.  --Old B-Runner