Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-09
MOBILE.

The announcement from New Orleans that
Admiral Farragut had succeeded In passing
the guardian forts at the entrance Of Mobile
bay and the subsequent doubts thrown upon
the accuracy OF the dispatches, have had the
effect OF concentrating public attention upon a
point which has been nvested with consider
war, but which is now looming ur into special
Importance as the prospective scene OF one Of
the most exciting episodes Of orr combined
naval and military strife.
Mobile river Immediately above its entrance
into the bay, and about 80 miles from the Gulf
There are two passages between the Bay and
the 6 nlf OF Mexico, the main channel between
the long sandy peninsula called NJ obile Point
and Dauphin Island, which is about three
miles in width, and an outlet called Grants
Pass, north of Dauphin Island, communicating
with Mississippi sound. The apex Of Mo-
bile point is the site Of Fort Morgan, q
work constructed by the United States Gov
ernment upon the site Of the old Fort Bowyer
st an expense of S1,250,000. 1t mounts
one hundred and thirty six guns, two tiers In
classmates, and one en- barbrtte. Situated on the
right side of the entrance from the bay il com.
mands both the middle channel and the swash
chanEel between the point and an outlying
island called Sand Island. Upon the left side
of the main channel, on Dauphin's Island, is
Fort Gaines, casemated work mounting m ore
than fifty guns. To assist these defenses It is
said that there are long lines OF water batteries
and a series Of earthworks or sand batteries,
one OF which, Fort Powell, at Grants Pass,
Instructions Of the most formidable character,
not easily passed or removed, and is also plant
ed with torpedoes. The Rebel flotilia, under
the command OF Admiral Buchanan, consists
Of twelve vessels, including four iron -clads
and mounting fifty guns.
To oppose these heavy Notifications, rams,
and gunboats, Admiral Farragut has for some
time past been collecting feet, which, In point
Of. numbers and the character OF the ordnance,
is superior TO any squadron yet employed upon
our coast. There are nine screw sloops, the
Hartford, (fagship,) Richmond, Brookiyn'
Ossipee, and Genesee; four Mississippi iron.
clads;s four iron-clad turreted monitors, the
Winnebago, Chickasaw, Tecumseh, and Man.
haitian; four defenders, the Metacomet,
screw gunboats, the Kennebec, Penola, Penn
bina, Penguin, 1tasca, and Tennessee; and fye
tugs, each mounting two guns; IN all, thirty.
two vessels, carrying two hundred and thirty
one guns. Some of these vessels have been on
block ading duty and In consequence q ,.d, sneis
seaport town into an inland town. Had IL not
been for General Banks misfortune az Hed
River, requiring for his relief and exTicauon
the aid Of the army Intended 70 cooperate with
Farragut these vessels would long ago have
accomplished more mpor tant mission than
that OF guarding the harbor Some OF them
were temporarily Withdrawn to meet immedt.
ate Yequirements in Virginfa, but now that
one Of the finest squadrons that ever fioated,
Weshall soon have evidence that the long pro.
iecfed attack on Mobile was only DELAYED. not
Abandoned. The troops that have returned To
New Orleans, General Oanby can dispatch to
Great AZ were the ~impediments at New Or
leans, II the accounts received are correct, they
are surpassed In diGhculty and magnitude by
the defences OF Mobile. At the time Farragut
succeeded In passing Forts Philip and Jack