A BGES Civil War Field University Tour: The Battles for Mobile, Last Port on the Gulf A 150th Commemoration Tour

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1 A BGES Civil War Field University Tour: The Battles for Mobile, Last Port on the Gulf A 150th Commemoration Tour Mobile was one of the most attractive ports in the Southern United States and it was made even more significant with the fall of New Orleans in April Known in some circles as the Paris of the South, it had been spared the ravages of war by the Lincoln Administration s focus on opening the Mississippi River and the political imperative of restoring Louisiana to the Union as a signal the war was being won. Mobile was on the short list of military objectives but somehow never came to the forefront until the summer of Until that point Mobile was a port under blockade with limited commercial intercourse with sources of imports being directed through Havana and filtered by a net of blockading vessels serviced in the Florida Keys and from Ship Island. So it was that the West Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral David Farragut assembled in Pensacola and at the servicing ports. The assault would be a joint operation with land forces landing behind Confederate fortifications at Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines. In August the assault came and by the end of the month the mouth of Mobile Bay was under Union Control and Mobile would have no more commerce she was a dead city. Still Confederate forces would not leave her and minimal forces under the command of Major General Dabney Maury manned fortifications in and around the city. Come spring it was time for the final act indeed the Confederacy was Bout up the Spout! and it was time for the war to end we will do so. Wednesday, October 28, PM: Meet at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Mobile where Len will offer an introductory lecture Death by 1000 Cuts the Confederacy in In this lecture, Len will note the decisive nature of military operations in the west as a vehicle to bring the war to the brink of closure it was a high- risk strategy that paid considerable dividends and eventually got Lincoln reelected. At 7, Steve Wise will lecture on A Port to Far, The Vital Role of the Blockade Runner in the Gulf. IMPORTANT NOTE: This program screams for a water component; however, that is a very expensive proposition. We need at least 20 paid registrations to add that feature. The last time we used a boat here was in 2005 and it was $1500 for 4 hours. I am looking into this and there will be two itineraries for each day. The one marked with a * is the schedule if we use a boat in the tour. If we do not do that or you do not want to do the boat then the default program will be executed.

2 Thursday, October 29, :30 AM: We will start the day with a discussion of the fortifications protecting Mobile. We will look at the lines of communications and how Mobile fit within the southern infrastructure. We will note how the war had affected this role and then do a visit to Fort Condi The Museum of Mobile. We will then head to Fort Morgan with drive byes of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. Following lunch which is included, we will visit Fort Morgan and do the battle of Mobile Bay and the siege of Fort Morgan. We will then take the ferry to Fort Gaines and do the land assault against that position and discuss the evacuation of Fort Powell. The balance of the day will be at Fort Gaines. *7:30 AM: We will depart to pick up our boat which will either be out of Gulfport or Dauphin Island. We will make a quick visit to Ship Island and discuss the importance and use of that site by the Federal fleet. We will then travel the Mississippi Sound past Fort Powell to the entrance to Mobile Bay. There we will enter the Gulf of Mexico and recreate the naval operations running the Fort and discussing the sinking of the USS Tecumseh and the capture of the CSS Tennessee. We will then disembark at Dauphin Island where we will be picked up to do the assault and capture of Fort Gaines. We will then return to the hotel. Friday, October 30, AM: The surrender of the forts at the mouth of Mobile Bay closed Mobile to the outside world and placed it on a lower order of magnitude for Federal land operations indeed Sherman goes to Savannah instead of Mobile. In February 1865 Mobile is again on the agenda and Federal land forces plan to reduce the forts protecting it prior to capturing the city. We will start the day by going to the first of two Federal infantry staging areas at Fort Barrancas. I will give you some time at this very cool fortification and then we will finish the morning with an off task visit where you can have two hours at the Naval Aviation Museum, admission and lunch there is included. After lunch we will head back towards Fort Morgan turning off to follow the route of the Federal forces that had been encamped at Fish River. We will move with them to Spanish Fort where we will finish the day attempting to tell the heroic story of that destroyed battlefield. There is an interpretative display at the visitors center which we will use. We will then return to the hotel with actions pending at Fort Blakely. *8 AM: This morning we will pick up with a visit to Fort Morgan to discuss the siege and surrender of that site. From that point we will drive along the Gulf Coast to Pensacola where we will have lunch at the Naval Aviation Museum which is included and then I will give you 90 minutes to visit this awesome museum. We will then head to Fort Barrancas to see this very unique fortification and staging area for the move against Mobile. We will then leave and follow the Federals to Fort Blakely and then return to the hotel.

3 Saturday, October 31, :30 AM: We will follow the same itinerary regardless of the status of the boat tour. This morning we head for the battle of Fort Blakely that was fought the day after Spanish Fort fell and on April 9th at the time Robert E. Lee was surrendering at Appomattox. After a walk around this commemorative site we will discuss the Confederates withdrawal and the Federal pursuit. Heading into Mobile we will stop at the spot where the mayor surrendered the city and then following lunch we will discuss the end of Confederate operations in Alabama and then head to Magee Farm where the negotiations for surrender took place and then over to Citronelle where the forces under Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor to Major General Canby. We will then return to the hotel the program complete. The last time we did this program it sold out with 45 people, as one of the last sesquicentennial programs, I hope you will join us. About the Faculty: Len Riedel is a retired Air Force officer and is the founder and Executive Director of the Blue and Gray Education Society, a position he has held since Holding a Master of Arts in History with an emphasis in Policy and Strategy, Riedel plans all BGES programming over 270 tours in the past 21 years. He also conducts leadership training and facilitates preservation projects around the country. He personally conducts several tours each year as well. He is the historical consultant for a coming National Geographic Society Guide book for the sites of the Civil War due for publication in Dr. Stephen Wise is the director of the Marine Corps Depot Museum at Parris Island, SC. Steve was recently commended by the SC Humanities Council for his contributions to the understanding of SC history. Steve is an accomplished tour leader and author whose books Lifeline of the Confederacy concerning blockade running and Gate of Hell about the 1863 siege of Charleston are singular and definitive. Hotel Information: This program is based at the Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District Mobile, 301 Government St., Mobile, AL ( ). We have a block of rooms under the name of Blue and Gray Education Society at the rate of $105 +tax. This block goes away October 14th and may not be available after that date. Parking is complimentary for guests. Transportation:

4 The servicing airport is Mobile (MOB) 14 miles from the hotel a straight shot down Airport Blvd that becomes Government Blvd. The hotel does not have a hotel shuttle but they do provide shuttle service within 3 miles of the hotel good service for evening meals etc. A taxi or limo can get you to and from the airport or you can rent a car but it isn t necessary. Additionally, the regional airport at Pensacola (PNS) 50 miles east is serviced by Southwest Airlines and is within an hour of Mobile via I- 10. Recommended Reading: You will be provided with a reading book and maps upon arrival. The following books are suggested to enhance your readiness for the program. All prices are inclusive of shipping. Jack Friend: West Wind, Flood Tide, The Battle for Mobile Bay $35 Chester Hearn: Mobile Bay and the Mobile Campaign $40 Arthur Bergeron, Confederate Mobile $22 Sidney Schell: Fort Powell and the Civil War, Western Approaches to Mobile Bay $35 Stephen Wise: Life Line of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the Civil War $30 Registration Form A BGES Civil War Field University Sesquicentennial Tour The Battles for Mobile, Last Port on the Gulf Presented by Len Riedel & Stephen Wise October 28-31, 2015 from Mobile, AL Name: Address:

5 City/State/Zip: Phone: Registration includes three lunches, a reading book with maps, the academic program, support of two professional historians and transportation appropriate to the registration and all admissions. We will also provide snacks, bottled water and a limited selection of sodas. We will register this program at the with boat rate. Please do not send more than a deposit of $250 per person. We will adjust your registration fee to the (lower figure) if we do not schedule or are unable to do the boat tour. The boat tour is a scheduled part of the program no adjustment will be made for skipping that trip. As it is a boat trip that folks may enjoy we will permit boat trippers only space permitting. Registration $875 ($725) Current BGES member $810 ($660) Teacher/full time student with identification $750 ($600) Boat tour only with lunch $175 I am not a member but would like to join so that I can get the member s rate or I am a member who is past due to renew. Please accept my donation of $ (must be $75 or more which is tax deductible) Send me the books indicated, I have enclosed $ I am sending a deposit of $250 plus full payment for any books and or memberships. Total enclosed is $ I will pay the balance due before the event. Check enclosed Charge my (circle one) MC VISA AMEXP Discover $ # Exp: CVV: Signature:

6 Mail to BGES Seminars, PO Box 1176, Chatham, VA or fax credit cards to

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