PAGE 132-136 from CONFEDERATE MOBILE by Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr.
The anticipated attack on Fort Powell began on February 16, 1864. Six mortar schooners and four gunboats opened fire on the fort about nine o'clock that morning. The Confederates manning the guns in Powell replied infrequently to the enemy bombardment [ed. note: Fort Powell's guns included two SELMA, ALABAMA-made 7 inch Brooke Rifled Cannon, the most accurate naval gun of its day, as well as the Columbiad cannon now located near the Admiral Semmes statue at Government and Royal.] Most of the shells hurled at the fort fell short. A Confederate officer wrote later to his girlfriend: "The damage to the Fort was very trifling." At least five Federal shells exploded in the officers' quarters and destroyed them. Two men in the fort, one of them Lieutenant Colonel James M. Williams, commanding the post, were wounded during the attack. A shell fragment knocked Williams down and stunned him. According to a newspaper report, he barely escaped being killed: "The shell grazed the front of his arm and body, entirely tearing away the sleeve and breast of his coat." At least one Confederate concluded from the results of the bombardment that naval fire alone would not reduce the fort.
Heavy winds from the north prevented the Federal vessels from renewing their attack for a week...
... Farragut's mortar schooners and gunboats renewed their attack on Fort Powell on February 23 and continued the bombardment the two days following. On the twenty third, the Federal gunners fired slightly more than 300 shells at the fort but caused no damage and no casualties. During the attack on the following day, the Federal vessels threw nearly 375 shells toward Fort Powell. Again, few shells struck the target, and those that did had no serious effects. The Confederate artillerymen in Fort Powell initiated action on February 25 by firing on the Federal squadron. Despite the 470 shells fired in reply by the enemy, the fort sustained less damage than it had the previous day, although the garrison lost one man killed and two wounded.
A frustrated Union officer wrote to a comrade about these fruitless attacks: "We are hammering away at the fort here, which minds us about as much as if we did not fire- that is, the fort- for the men skedaddle as soon as the fire is at all brisk, although they will keep up anything like a fair fight, as they did with me for two hours yesterday in the ORVETTA, and until the the others commenced action, when they retired."
Heavy northerly winds, low tides and bad weather prevented Farragut's vessels from renewing their attack on Fort Powell until February 29, but on that day they carried ouOnagain had only negligible results: "Only 20[shells] struck the island and 3, the bombproof, killing or wounding no one and damaging the Fort so slightly that ten men in ten minutes restored it to its former condition." The Confederate gunners fired slightly more effectively than before. Although one of their cannons burst, the men kept on a steady barrage. Five shells struck one of the mortar schooners, forcing her out of action. The commander of the Confederate ram BALTIC wrote to a friend about the engagement:
"I saw some beautiful line shots made...during the bombardment, and am satisfied at least one of the mortar schooners would have sunk if sailors had been handling it [Fort Powell cannon], but unfortunately those who were working it knew not how to sight a gun." Finally, at sunset Farragut ordered his ships to break off the engagement. The fort's flag remained flying as the Federal vessels sailed westward.
The bombardment of February 29 convinced Farragut that further attacks on Fort Powell would yield no better results. He also realized that he could do nothing that would result in the capture of the forts guarding the entrances of Mobile Bay. High winds and low tides had prevented the Federal vessels from getting any closer than two miles to the fort. Several ships ran aground during the two-week demonstration and had to be towed off. The low water had made it almost impossible for small boats to land an assault force near the fort. Buchanan's [namesake for Buchanan Drive] small squadron of gunboats had assumed a position in the rear of Fort Powell where they could take the garrison off or reinforce it. The ironclad TENNESSEE could not get over the Dog River bar, but Farragut mistook the BALTIC or another vessel for the TENNESSEE. Thinking the iron clad ready for action, Farragut did not feel he could run into the bay without monitors or ironclads of his own. Lacking troops to cut off the land approaches to the Confederate forts, the Union admiral decided he could not attack Mobile Bay successfully and chose to end his demonstration.
The anticipated attack on Fort Powell began on February 16, 1864. Six mortar schooners and four gunboats opened fire on the fort about nine o'clock that morning. The Confederates manning the guns in Powell replied infrequently to the enemy bombardment [ed. note: Fort Powell's guns included two SELMA, ALABAMA-made 7 inch Brooke Rifled Cannon, the most accurate naval gun of its day, as well as the Columbiad cannon now located near the Admiral Semmes statue at Government and Royal.] Most of the shells hurled at the fort fell short. A Confederate officer wrote later to his girlfriend: "The damage to the Fort was very trifling." At least five Federal shells exploded in the officers' quarters and destroyed them. Two men in the fort, one of them Lieutenant Colonel James M. Williams, commanding the post, were wounded during the attack. A shell fragment knocked Williams down and stunned him. According to a newspaper report, he barely escaped being killed: "The shell grazed the front of his arm and body, entirely tearing away the sleeve and breast of his coat." At least one Confederate concluded from the results of the bombardment that naval fire alone would not reduce the fort.
Heavy winds from the north prevented the Federal vessels from renewing their attack for a week...
... Farragut's mortar schooners and gunboats renewed their attack on Fort Powell on February 23 and continued the bombardment the two days following. On the twenty third, the Federal gunners fired slightly more than 300 shells at the fort but caused no damage and no casualties. During the attack on the following day, the Federal vessels threw nearly 375 shells toward Fort Powell. Again, few shells struck the target, and those that did had no serious effects. The Confederate artillerymen in Fort Powell initiated action on February 25 by firing on the Federal squadron. Despite the 470 shells fired in reply by the enemy, the fort sustained less damage than it had the previous day, although the garrison lost one man killed and two wounded.
A frustrated Union officer wrote to a comrade about these fruitless attacks: "We are hammering away at the fort here, which minds us about as much as if we did not fire- that is, the fort- for the men skedaddle as soon as the fire is at all brisk, although they will keep up anything like a fair fight, as they did with me for two hours yesterday in the ORVETTA, and until the the others commenced action, when they retired."
Heavy northerly winds, low tides and bad weather prevented Farragut's vessels from renewing their attack on Fort Powell until February 29, but on that day they carried ouOnagain had only negligible results: "Only 20[shells] struck the island and 3, the bombproof, killing or wounding no one and damaging the Fort so slightly that ten men in ten minutes restored it to its former condition." The Confederate gunners fired slightly more effectively than before. Although one of their cannons burst, the men kept on a steady barrage. Five shells struck one of the mortar schooners, forcing her out of action. The commander of the Confederate ram BALTIC wrote to a friend about the engagement:
"I saw some beautiful line shots made...during the bombardment, and am satisfied at least one of the mortar schooners would have sunk if sailors had been handling it [Fort Powell cannon], but unfortunately those who were working it knew not how to sight a gun." Finally, at sunset Farragut ordered his ships to break off the engagement. The fort's flag remained flying as the Federal vessels sailed westward.
The bombardment of February 29 convinced Farragut that further attacks on Fort Powell would yield no better results. He also realized that he could do nothing that would result in the capture of the forts guarding the entrances of Mobile Bay. High winds and low tides had prevented the Federal vessels from getting any closer than two miles to the fort. Several ships ran aground during the two-week demonstration and had to be towed off. The low water had made it almost impossible for small boats to land an assault force near the fort. Buchanan's [namesake for Buchanan Drive] small squadron of gunboats had assumed a position in the rear of Fort Powell where they could take the garrison off or reinforce it. The ironclad TENNESSEE could not get over the Dog River bar, but Farragut mistook the BALTIC or another vessel for the TENNESSEE. Thinking the iron clad ready for action, Farragut did not feel he could run into the bay without monitors or ironclads of his own. Lacking troops to cut off the land approaches to the Confederate forts, the Union admiral decided he could not attack Mobile Bay successfully and chose to end his demonstration.
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