is attention. But how well he completed
this grand work, he being the real supervisor and superintendent, has
been referred to in a previous chapter and is told in every history of
our country.

[Illustration: CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS--ATTACK ON FORT PHILIP.]

The skill and courage displayed by Farragut in the capture of New
Orleans attracted national attention and added greatly to his
reputation. In the latter part of June he ran the batteries of
Vicksburg, but notified the Government that though he could go up and
down the river as he chose and silence the batteries when he pleased, no
substantial good would result unless a land force of ten or twelve
thousand men attacked the town from the rear. It was this plan which
brought about the capture of Vicksburg by General Grant and the opening
of the Mississippi River. Farragut, who had been made rear admiral,
afforded great aid in taking Port Hudson and cleaning out all rebel
fortifications along the Father of Waters.

This immense work having been accomplished, the Government now gave its
attention to Mobile, another of the Confederate strongholds in the
South. The campaign arranged was to attack it with a land force under
the command of Generals Canby and Granger and a naval force under
Farragut. In January, 1864, he made a reconnaissance of Mobile Bay and
informed the Government that if it would supply him with a slight
additional force he would attack and capture it at once. He knew that
the defences were being strengthened every day and repeatedly urged that
he be furnished with the means of making an immediate assault. But the
ill-advised and disastrous expedition of Banks up the Red River took
away the available troops and the appeal of Farragut remained unheeded
until the summer was well advanced.

By that time the defences of Mobile were well nigh impregnable. Fort
Gaines, on Dauphin Island, had a garrison of 864 men and mounted three
10-inch columbiads, four 32-pounder rifled guns and twenty smoothbore
guns of 32, 24 and 18-pound calibres. The principal pass to Mississippi
Sound was commanded by Fort Powell, with one mounted 10-inch gun, one
8-inch columbiad and four rifled guns. The main fortification was Fort
Morgan, whose heavy guns were placed in three tiers. It mounted seven
10-inch, three 8-inch and twenty-two 32-pounder smoothbore guns and two
8-inch, two 6.5-inch and four 5.82-inch rifled guns. The exterior
batteries were also heavily armed and the ga