Siege of Fort Morgan

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Fort Morgan


caption=Fort Morgan, Mobile Point, Alabama, 1864, showing damage to the south side of the fort.
partof=the American Civil War
date=August 9 – August 23, 1864
place=Fort Morgan, Alabama
result=Union victory
combatant1=United States
combatant2=Confederate States
commander1=Gordon Granger
commander2=Richard L. Page
strength1=5,500
strength2=618
casualties1=1 killed
7 wounded
casualties2=3 killed
15 wounded
600 surrendered

The Siege of Fort Morgan occurred during the American Civil War as part of the battle for Mobile Bay in 1864.

Background

Admiral David Farragut had defeated the Confederate navy in Mobile Bay on August 5 and Fort Gaines, guarding the western approach to the bay, had surrendered to the cooperating Union land forces under Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger. Granger and Farragut next turned their full attention to Fort Morgan on Mobile Point east of Fort Gaines. The fort was a powerful but outdated fortification garrisoned by 600 men under the command of Robert E. Lee's cousin, Brig. Gen. Richard L. Page.

iege

Granger's soldiers landed at Pilot Town on August 9 and began moving siege artillery within range. The Union fleet also turned their guns on the fort. For the next two weeks Union forces kept up a heavy and consistent artillery fire. On August 16 the Confederates abandoned two batteries of the outer defenses and Granger moved his siege mortars within 500 yards of the fort and his 30-pounder rifled guns to within 1,200 yards.

On August 23 General Page unconditionally surrendered the fort. Indignant, he broke his sword over his knee instead of surrendering his sword to the Federals. Page's situation was further worsened when he was suspected of destroying munitions and works within the fort after he had agreed to surrender. For this he was arrested by the Federal authorities and imprisoned once he personally surrendered.

Aftermath

The mouth of Mobile Bay had been sealed off by the Union forces. The city of Mobile, Alabama, would fall to Union forces following the Battle of Fort Blakely in 1865. Page remained imprisoned until July 1865. A court of inquiry was convened in New Orleans to investigate the charges against General Page for violating the laws of war. The court, however, found Page not guilty and found that much of the destroyed ammunition resulted from a fire in the citadel and the artillery pieces were spiked before a white flag of surrender was raised.

References

* [http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/library/or/077/0402.cfm Official Records]
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/al003.htm National Park Service battle description for Mobile Bay]

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/73morgan/73morgan.htm "”Fort Morgan and the Battle of Mobile Bay”", a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan]