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| light-house at Fort Morgan. |
August 9, 1864. |
August 22. |
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abandoned that Fort, and blew up the works, as far as possible, on the night after the capture of the Tennessee. they fled in such haste, that they left the guns behind them.
Aware of this, and seeing, the National fleet in full possession of the Bay, Anderson knew that further resistance would be useless.
At nearly 10 o'clock in the morning of the 7th, the Fort and its garrison of six hundred men were surrendered, and the National flag was unfurled over the works.
It was greeted by cheers from the fleet.
Stronger Fort Morgan, on Mobile Point, still held out. It was in charge of General Richard L. Page, a Virginian.
Being on the main land, he had hopes of receiving re-enforcements.
He had signaled to Anderson to “Hold on,” and when that officer surrendered Fort Gaines, Page cried out “Coward!”
and the entire Confederacy echoed the slander.
Page's turn for a similar trial came, and he met it with less honor than did Anderson.
Granger's troops were transferred
from Dauphin Island to the rear of Fort Morgan, and there lines of investment were constructed across the narrow sand-spit.
When every thing was in readiness, the fleet and these batteries1 opened fire upon the fort at daylight,
and bombarded it furiously about twenty-four hours. The main work was not much injured; but the sturdy light-house, standing near, and in range of Farragut's guns, was reduced to the condition delineated in the engraving.
Page made no resistance after the bombardment was fairly be gun, but simply endured it until the next morning, when he displayed a white flag, and surrendered the post and garrison to Farragut, unconditionally, after damaging the guns and other materials of war to the extent of his ability.2 With the three forts, the Government came into possession of
1 Farragut had landed four 9-inch guns, and placed them in battery, under the command of Lieutenant H. B. Tyson, of the Hartford.
2 When the Confederate officers were assembled on the outside of the fort, it was discovered that most of the guns within were spiked, many of the gun-carriages wantonly injured, and arms, ammunition, provisions, &c., destroyed. “There was every reason,” said Farragut, “to believe that this had been done after the white flag had been raised. It was also discovered that General Page and several of his officers had no swords to deliver up, and further, that some of those which were surrendered, had been broken.” Farragut added, that “the whole conduct of the officers of Forts Gaines and Morgan presented such a striking contrast in moral principle” that he could not fail to remark it. He mentioned the absolute necessity for a surrender imposed upon Colonel Anderson. and said, “From the moment he hoisted the white flag, he scrupulously kept every thing intact, and in that condition delivered it over; whilst General Page and his officers, with a childish spitefulness, destroyed the guns which they had said they would defend to the last, but which they never defended at all, and threw away or broke those weapons which they had not the manliness to use against their enemies; for Fort Morgan never fired a gun after the commencement of the bombardment, and the advanced pickets of our army were actually on its glacis.” --Farragut's Additional Report, August 25, 1864.
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