Mobile, Alabama. At first light, the Union fleet, led by the battleship Tecumseh, opens fire on Fort Morgan and attempts to force the blockade of the strategic, mined bay. A few minutes later, it hits a mine and sinks. At this point, Admiral Farragut orders the Brooklyn to attack, but she does not move. So, with cries of “To hell with the mines! We’ll go ahead!” Ferragut orders his crew to move ahead with the Hartford. Some mines thud against the hull without exploding. To the sailors, it feels as if death itself is knocking on the ship’s sides with its bony knuckles. But the ship passes. This is only the beginning of the battle, which will also involve the Tennessee (conf.), the Monongahela (un.), the Lakawanna (un.), and the Chickasaw (un.). In the end, the Unionists manage to take control of the bay. A blessing for Lincoln as the presidential elections approach. Although the city of Mobile would hold out until April 1865.
