, 1862-11-22

Tohd between montgomery The capital OF |
the State, and Mobile; hut steamboats, run |
direct between these places, along the Ala |
bama River, which emptics into the Mobile
River. Tic water distance is 33l miles. L
turnpike road 1uns from B'ale1y, nearly op-
rosite Mobile, to Pensacola, distance OF
about lily miles.
Toa person unac1uainted with the harbor
Of 31aDile it would appear from the map. as
shown above, to be one Of the finest in the
United States. Il, however, is far from being
so, fer large vessels, or vessels Of great
draught, cannot reach the city Of Mobile st
al, but have to anchor a little above the forts
nud take in their eargoes from lighters, &c.
On Sand Island, which is the first land reached
from the sea on entering the harbor Of Mobile,
the government erected lighthouse, aud we're
about constructing tower 150 feet above the
eea. Another lighthouse was also erected and
called Mobile Point light. The lenses OF the
Sand Island editice have long since been re-
moved, as well as al1 other property Of value
or use, It being now used only for rebel
lookout, for which purpose it is most adn1ira-
bly, adapted, beiu5 some fifsy-1lVe feet in hight,
I and strongly built OF masonry Two beacons
we're also erected Oh Mobile Point--tho one
chewing f1cd red light. and the other q
light Of the ordinary color. They hsYe both
been removed By the rebels
| The entrance to the Bay Of Mobile Is sit;1-
ated between sand islands and shoal jatt;ng
from Mobile Point, making long, NARROW
projection fifteen miles in length, the width
Of tho entrance being 3114 miles. On the bsr
Of the deepest channel the wafer is nearly
twenty feet in depth, and all heavy draft YES
sells have to pass immediately under the guns
Of the fort at the entrance Of the bay and the
Notifications upon Mobile Point before they
can reach the city. From Mobile Bay north,
ward, a line Of lo1 sand islands Les parallel
to the coast, forming Mississippi Sound,
which is nayigeb1e for coasters drawing 81
feet Of wafer. This sound communicates
with Mobile through narrow channel Of dvs
feet at loW water, called Grants Pass. Tlert
are several connections between this souni
and the Gulf, Viz, between Duphire and Peti
Beis Islands, between Petit B0is and Hor1
Islands, and beyond Horn Is1ands.
Mobile is about seyenty-iye miles from
, Ship Island, the federal base Of operations
Aside from gunboats, the principal detense
Of the harbor are Forts Gaines and Morgan q
. shown, commanding the channelt hetwee1
= them, but it is supposed that numerous shor
:. batteries have been constructed by the rebels
Fort Morgan is the strongest fortifcation o.
the Southern coast-much more formidable, i
fact, than Pulaski or Sumter but, fortunate1
for our feet, it does not completely comman
- the entrance. Another strong fort at th
:. other side, Is necessary to render Mobile IN
approachable. Fort Gaines is not formias
= bic work, and It Is doubtless Com. Farrasut'
= intention to reduce this smaller Tofk, an
- then paRs into the harbor. The Mobile papel
- Of late date were not at all confident that tt
y, city could be saved. From this and kindge
measures The government is taking it is e1
! dent Fort Sumter is to be left until all tt
Others arc repoEsessed Sumter is destined
mark the end, SIS 1t did the beginning Of tt
rebellion, and viii serve as q sort Of desert
this wsrlike feast Of forts.