The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Monday, August 9, 2010

The Battle of Mobile Bay-- Part 1

From the August 8th Baldwin County (Al) Press Register "Southern Soapbox: Battle of Mobile Bay more than trivia" by Guy Busby.

This time of the year, it's hot, but imagine how hot it was in Mobile Bay 146 years ago, especially when you had men in wool uniforms digging trenches and earthworks and hauling heavy cannons and equipment. And, this was before we had such a thing as a heat index indicating how hot it feels besides what it says on the thermometer.

Then there were other men in wool uniforms toiling away in iron ships where temperatures could reach 130 degrees plus.

For three years, Union ships and Confederate forts had stood off each other with three miles in between. This was the effective range of cannons at the time

This all ended August 5, 1864 when the Union fleet attacked.

A Hot Time in the Old Fort Tonight. --Old B-Runner

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