Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-03-03
Est b. K.

As the city Of Mobile is threatened with an stack
and is in c7nss euencs the po1t rprn ~iio}, large
DieasHre Of public attention s fE.a VI hay songht
hs: facts 10 relation 10 it, on its etaa,aa and
surroundings might not b. without irage@r. md at
least some little value,
Mobile, according to thu census 1t 1850 contained
population OF co. = ard exported l5 Isl bales Of
cotton. n population vel! US IN exports It had
probably increased fifty Per cent ii the decade between
1850 and 1869. What its present population may he
We unable to say. That, ne preeun2e would be
hard 10 arrive at with any degree of accuracy.
Mobile is Situated in The Southwest corner ii the
State OF Alabama, in piece point OF land about
Fifty miles in breadth and the same ia length which ex-
tends Southwark between Florida and Mississippi,
reaching to the Gulf Of Mexico, The CITY is located on
the Western hank of the Mobile river, inst above the
point where it enters Mobile Bay Il Is about IS miles
from Mobile 10 the bar. TIE ma;p entrance % the
ray is between Mobile point the last AMI Dsuphae
Island the West. This entrance ia defended by Fort
Morgan on Mobile point, and For5 Gaines OF Iou
phlne Island. la addition to this .nan Or Eallern en-
trance there is Western entrance from lississinni
Sound. This entrance which is in great measure ara
tificial is known Grants pasg, being narrow ha
sage with 81 or feet water dredsel out through tie
oyster beds, ETC., forming the shoals wbih virtually
separate the waters of the Sound from those Of the Bay
Ii is called Grants Pass from the name OF the citizen
hy whom, uGder au hority fccm the Legislature the
passage dredged cut, staked off, lighted aud kept
open. This pass IS defended by a pew work known as
Fort Powell, bull a shoai and completely command
log the narrow channel.
Fort Morgan is in North latitude 50 degre-s,l Is
minutes and As seconds, and in longitude so degrees
West from Greenwich Grants Pass is sevel or EIGHT
miles \ orth-West Of the main bar and would admit
vcsses into the bay five miles above it, Should the
Yankees take Fort Powell, it would in great p.ea-
relieve them ro toe necessity OF reducing Forts
Gaines and Morgan by direct attack a. once in the
bay, they might expect to cut them eff from comunni:
cation ffor the city, AID thua compel their surrender
for want OF supplies.
Vessels drawing over twelve feet have to anchor at
what is known as the Lower Fieet, 25 miles from the
city those drawing tweEye feet and under can proceed
up 10 what Is Known az tie Upper Fleet, auchoring
of Aaoama city, some seven miles from Mobile
Ony vessels not drawing Than eight feet can pso
coed up to Mobile. The city Of Mobile is in latitude
50 deg. A. hin north in ioDgStute so deg, 3 min
west from Greenwich.
From Pascagoula Miss, at the mouth OF tbe Pasca
goua River, which empties Into bay Of Mississippi
Sound, the distance to Mobile is some forty miles In
direct line. Pascagoua is Southwest of Mobile. PEN
sacola is si1:y.'ea. miles from Mobile in a drccion
dearly East. We aIIude these two places as they
queny referred to points from which it is
thought that expeditions gh be by land against
No bile. From the Hoath Of the Mississippi 10 Fort
Morgan ia about one hundred miles. From Neg o.
leans to Grants Pass 81 way of the lakes End Aisss
Sippi SQUAD Is aoou Que buudred snd ,Rent, mics
The Aoof!e river on WHICH Sc. city is situated, is
formed by the junotios cfrhe Alabama end ioDbgbee
rivers, abor. tosty6ee niles shovs Mobile. The Ala.
ada o. Eastern 5eapc3 comes down. from the North
Eastero part OF the 5 ats, passing Montgomery, the
capital, three hundred miles above Mo- ic Selma, an
important town City nsies below Non gomary, besides
other points. It 10 navgAbs for large class boats
y all tbs year. and Il tie worst times for light
draft bosta- It drains rich cotton coan-
try. The Tombighee, Or Western branch comes
down from North Eastern Mississippi and
North Weasern Aabams. It Is nayigable fer