The National tribune., 1907-01-24
Stories Eminenty Worth Telling Of Experiences and Adventures
in the Great National Struggle
THE MOBILE BAY FORTS.
The Finishing Strokes to the Great
Rebellion.

Rebellion.
Editor National Tribune: As a par.
ticipant in the Mobile campaign, in.
volving the siege and capture of Span.
ish Fort and Blakeley, practically tn,
last struggle anu crowning success ir
the field of the Union arms. finishing
the civil war, / have perused with
much interest the statements of differ
ent comrades which have lately been
published In the columns of your excel
lent and ever welcome National Trib-
une
All of the comrades who took part in
that memorable and important cam
paign, whether they belonged TO the
Thirteenth or Sixteenth Corps or the
command of Gen. Steele, which march
ed from Pensacola, Fla, to operate
against Fort Blakeley, have just reason
to feel proud that they We're in action
at the real finish of the rebellion, and
that they were members of either of
those military organizations, whose
combined efforts resulted in the cap
ture of Spanish Fort and Blakeley
In the general outcome and grand
results of that campaign there was and
is sufficient military honor and glory to
go around among all who participated
actively in those stirring events.
Coming down to the details, however,
1t is not to be wondered that some of
the comrades in discussing this matter
have naturally become a little ,"er en-
thusiaStic, and a little inaccurate as to
a. few dates and facts concerning The
advance upon, the siege. and the final
capture of Spanish Fort and Fort
Blakeley.
The 95th Ill.
During the closing months of the -e-
bellion I had the pleasure of preparing
in manuscript a history of the 35th ILL.,,
as Adjutant of that regiment, and in
the Fall of 1865, Immediately cfter
muster-out, the same was issued IN
printed volume. Among other marches,
campaigns, battles and sieges in which
this regiment was engaged, the move
ment of Gen. Candy early in the Spring
of 1865 against Mobile, and the siege
and capture of the outlying forts. Span
ish Fort and Blakeley, were therein
considered and related, more cspec-
tally showing, of course, what part my
own regiment took in that important
campaign.
Refreshing my memory, therefore.
from the records thus written about
that time, / am able to state, quite ac-
curately, what occurred, particularly
in our immediate front and locality,
during that campaign: The 95th Ill.
Third Division, Sixteenth Corps, Col.
Blanden commanding the regiment, Col.
Moore the brigade, Gen. Carr the divi-
sion. and Gen. A. ]. Smith the corps.
In the afternoon of March %, 1865,
the 95th Ill. embarked at Cedar Point,
on the west side of Mobile Bay, on
gunboat No. 4S, crost the foot of the
bay, and anchored that night near the
mouth of Fish River. Early the next
morning the boats conveying our whole
brigade proceeded up Fish River and
disembarked near Dauley's Landing,
where Gen. Canby's army was then
assembling
Gen. Smiths Corps (Sixteenth) had
now all arrived there, and the Thir-
teenth Corps, under Gen. Granger, rem
dezvoused at that point nearly at the
same time.
F0rward-March!
At an early hour on March 25 fol-
lowing both corps, led by Gen. Candy