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Re: Huntsville & Tuscaloosa at Blakely, Spanish Ft

MAR 27, 1865 - Early that morning, Federal warships crossed the Dog River Bar to support Union troops as they besieged Spanish Fort. The fort, part of the city of Mobile’s outer eastern defenses and commanded by Brigadier General Randall L. Gibson, was garrisoned by 1,800 Confederate troops and armed with six heavy guns, twelve Coehorn mortars, and fourteen field artillery pieces.

That same day, the ironclads Nashville and Huntsville steamed up the Tensaw and Blakely Rivers to support the Spanish Fort garrison. The Nashville was, at first, moored between Batteries Tracy and Hugar, “near the bridge over Minette River, which had been partially destroyed by our forces,” but later in the afternoon moved below the obstructions near Battery Hugar. The ironclad was moving to support the Confederate left line of defenses but ran hard aground near the junction of the Apalachee and Blakely Rivers.

MAR 28, 1865 - The Nashville remained hard aground; “being bound on the sands by the currents of the two rivers, one acting on the bow the other on the quarter with great force.”

MAR 29, 1865 – The Nashville was finally re-floated.

MAR 30, 1865 – The Nashville, once again positioned between Batteries Hugar and Tracy, began a continuous harassing fire of Federal forces besieging Spanish Fort. Lieutenant Bennett reported, “Opened upon the enemy's right with good effect, upon their line of skirmishers and sharpshooters, and also driving out twice a working party from entrenchments in course of construction on their extreme right, and distant about 3,200 yards. During the night fired an occasional shell along the investment.”

MAR 31, 1865 – The Nashville was forced to steam out of range of a masked Federal battery set up on the shore of Minette Bay. The large shore battery consisted of six 30-pounder Parrot rifles and eight field pieces. The Parrot guns struck the Rebel ironclad eight times and damaged the after gun carriage. The commander of the Minette battery reported, “We have the range on the ram very well. She has fired but two shots and is moving up the stream...The ram, like the Tennessee, fires only halfway across. Our shots on the ram don't seem to affect her, although several have struck her.” Meanwhile, Lieutenant Bennett reported, “The enemy...opened a rapid and accurate fire upon this ship, in the midst of which we had to weigh our anchor, no gun bearing upon the position. By the time the anchor was up they had our range exactly. We responded with a few shots, but finding our elevation inefficient to reach, we steamed a little above Tracy and anchored beyond range. The ship was struck eight times, but without serious injury. Boats employed during the night removing wounded from Spanish Fort.”

That evening, small boats from the Nashville, anchored above Battery Tracy, were used to transport the wounded from Spanish Fort.

APR 01, 1865 – The Nashville returned to Mobile. Lieutenant Bennett later reported, “The after gun carriage being disabled and a serious leak in one of the boilers, made it necessary for the ship to proceed to Mobile for repairs.”

APR 02, 1865 – Federal troops drove-in the Rebel skirmishers in front of Fort Blakely, the other main Confederate bastion that anchored the outer eastern defenses. The fort was located three miles north of Spanish Fort and ten mile northeast of Mobile, with Brigadier-General St. John R. Liddell in command of 3,500 men and nine redoubts armed with over forty artillery pieces. The ironclad Huntsville, although stationed nearby, was unable to elevate its guns enough to help defend the fort’s garrison.

Meanwhile, Brigadier-General R.L. Gibson, at Spanish Fort, requested, “If you can get the Tuscaloosa [or] some iron-clad to come down and enfilade the right flank of the enemy, I have a plan for attacking the advance line of that flank which will enable me to gain decided advantages, certainly to arrest his progress and pressure against me at that point.”

APR 03, 1865 – The Nashville returned to the Blakely River and, for the next four days, began a continuous bombardment of Federal troops during the day and a slow harassing fire during the night. Lieutenant Bennett reported, “Opened on enemy's right at Blakely at 1 o'clock and con-tinued until 5 p.m. with good effect...Fired during the night at inter-vals of an hour. Ship lying in Blakely near Raft River.”

APR 04, 1865 - The Nashville continued to shell the Federal lines. Meanwhile, elements of General Wilson’s Union cavalry, under the command of General John T. Croxton, captured Tuscaloosa, Alabama, after a brief battle and destroyed the Leach and Avery Foundry, as well as the Roupes Valley Iron Works at nearby Tannehill.

APR 05, 1865 – The Nashville was moved to a point between the Raft Battery and the Upper Tensaw River. Lieutenant Bennett reported, “Both in the forenoon and afternoon fired upon enemy's lines and also at a point in the woods, where we supposed they were erecting a battery...Fired an occasional shot during the night.”

Meanwhile, Lieutenant W.F. Warren, of the United States Army Signal Corps, reported that the “rams Nashville and Huntsville have been at anchor one mile from and short distance above our right, shelling our flanks occasionally; exploded two shells over siege battery, but injured none of working party. [At] 4 p.m. - Nashville moved down toward Blakely, shelling occasionally.”

APR 06, 1865 – That evening, the Nashville returned to Battery Tracy and her small boats were used as pickets to guard the telegraph wire to Spanish Fort. Lieutenant Bennett reported that he “fired a few shots at the enemy’s line of sharpshooters and pickets at request of general commanding. Our ammunition nearly exhausted. Sent requisition in time for our necessities, but owing to some untoward event could not get it ...At 11:45 p.m. I anchored the ship near [Battery] Tracy.”

APR 07, 1865 – General Liddell, commander of the Eastern Division of the District of the Gulf at Fort Blakely, requested from Captain Joseph Fry, that either “the Nashville or the Morgan will take position between [Batteries] Tracy and Huger...[and] make every effort to destroy the bridge which the enemy are using across the mouth of Bay Minette Creek. If it is possible to silence the enemy's battery on Bay Minette, I earnestly desire it may be done.” After returning to Fort Blakely to replenish her ammunition, the Nashville anchored that evening near Battery Tracy.

APR 08, 1865 – The Nashville returned to the junction of the Raft Battery and the Upper Tensaw River and joined the gunboat Morgan and the ironclad Huntsville in shelling the attacking Union troops. The Federal army had launched an all-out attack on Spanish Fort, while a masked shore battery exchanged fire with the Rebel squadron. The Federal shore battery was armed with ten guns, including two 100-pounder and four 30-pounder Parrot rifles, one English-built Whitworth rifle, and two 50-pounder Howitzers. Lieutenant Bennett later reported, “At 8 [a.m.] opened upon the enemy's right, in conjunction with Morgan and Huntsville. About 2 p.m. the enemy opened upon us from batteries masked by the trees at about 1,600 yards...We could only direct our fire by their smoke. The Morgan was obliged soon to retire much damaged. The Nashville continued the action until she had exhausted all her 12-pounder cartridges and fuses of required length. Although not struck by a single projectile, their fire being principally directed at the Morgan, I deemed it prudent to retire for the purpose of procuring and arranging ammunition. We fired this day seventy 7-inch shells.”

During the engagement, the crew of the Nashville aimed 70 shots at the masked battery but soon discovered that many of the new shells received at Mobile were defective. Major General Frederick Steele reported to Lieutenant Colonel Christensen, “Thirty-pounder put seven shots into the Morgan. She is going down Raft River. Nashville took shelter behind earthworks on the enemy's left and is now backing downstream. Huntsville has not moved. She and batteries on shore are shelling our siege battery.”

That evening, the ironclads covered the evacuation of Spanish Fort as its garrison retreated to Fort Blakely. Lieutenant Bennett reported that he placed the Nashville “between Huger and Tracy to cover the troops on the treadway and in the marsh, and to offer her as a target to the enemy's batteries. Some shots were fired by them, but, I believe, without injury to the troops after leaving the mainland. I did not return this fire for reason that the garrison was passing between us and near the ship, and also that I feared to fire our shells over our men because of the frequent crushing of shells by the concussion of discharge. I will here remark that very many of the shells of 7-inch Brooke were broken at moment of discharge, and the fragments fell like canister or grape from 50 to 500 yards off. Many others failed to take the rifle motion and became mere tumblers, of course falling far short of the desired aim. Also many fuses failed to burn. Hence it is not strange that I should report our firing during the whole of these operations, but particularly to-day at Blakely, much inferior to that of the enemy, the accuracy of whose projectiles, both in flight and fuse, was the admiration of all who witnessed it.”

During the siege of the Rebel bastion, 73 Confederate soldiers were killed, while another 350 were wounded and six more were reported missing. During the final assault and subsequent evacuation, another 20 Rebels were killed, another 45 wounded, another 250 reported missing, and 375 soldiers were captured. Meanwhile, the Federal forces suffered 52 men killed, another 575 wounded, and 30 men reported missing during the siege of Spanish Fort.

APR 09, 1865 – While the Nashville steamed to the mouth of the Tensaw River to be re-supplied and to exchange its defective ammunition, Federal troops under the command of General E.R.S. Canby attacked Fort Blakely and carried the earthworks and trenches. 3,700 Confederate soldiers were captured but between 150 and 200 Rebels manage to escape by swimming to the Huntsville, Morgan and Nashville. Lieutenant Bennett reported, “As soon as I discovered the enemy gaining upon our position, as indicated by the firing and cheering, I moved the ship close to the Blakely shore and rescued such of the garrison as were able to float themselves off...The boats of the squadron rescued from the water between 150 and 200 of the garrison. Afterwards we anchored at mouth of Tensas River, being unable to pass its bar at night.”

During the siege of Fort Blakely, 116 Federal soldiers were killed, while another 655 were wounded. During the final assault, another 105 men were killed and another 466 wounded.

APR 10, 1865 – Federal warships anchored abreast of Spanish Fort and began to shell Batteries Hugar and Tracy, located on the Blakely River just above the former Confederate bastion. Battery Hugar was armed with eleven guns and manned by 200 soldiers, while Battery Tracy was armed with five guns and garrisoned by 150 men. Meanwhile, the Nashville was anchored off “Conway's Bayou to guard rear of Batteries Tracy and Huger.”

APR 11, 1865 - That evening, the Confederates abandoned Batteries Hugar and Tracy and began the evacuation of Mobile. Lieutenant Bennett reported, “Got underway and anchored at head of Spanish River. Re-ceived crews and material from the Huntsville and Tuscaloosa. At 11 p.m. the Nashville was underway, steaming up Mobile River.”

APR 12, 1865 – Federal warships steamed up the Blakely River and then entered the Tensaw River until they were about one mile above Mobile, while 8,000 Federal troops under General Granger marched up the bay to attack the city from below. R.H. Slough, the mayor of Mobile, soon afterwards surrendered the city to the Federal troops. However, Commander Farrand refused to surrender the naval squadron.

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Re: Huntsville & Tuscaloosa at Blakely, Spanish Ft
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