Siege of Fort Morgan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Fort Morgan
Part of the American Civil War
Fort Morgan, Mobile Point, Alabama, 1864, showing damage to the south side of the fort.
Date August 9 – August 23, 1864 Location Fort Morgan, Alabama Result Decisive Union victory Surrender of Fort Morgan to Union Forces in August 23, 1864
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
Gordon Granger	Richard L. Page
Strength
5,500	618
Casualties and losses
1 killed 7 wounded	3 killed 15 wounded 600 surrendered

The Siege of Fort Morgan was an important event during the American Civil War. It happened in August 1864 in Alabama, as part of the larger Battle of Mobile Bay. Union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, surrounded and attacked Fort Morgan. This fort was held by Confederate soldiers under General Richard L. Page. When the Confederates gave up, it helped to close down Mobile, Alabama, as a key port for the Confederacy.

Why Fort Morgan Was Important

After Admiral David Farragut won a big naval battle in Mobile Bay on August 5, he and General Gordon Granger turned their attention to Fort Morgan. Another fort, Fort Gaines, had already surrendered. Fort Morgan was located on Mobile Point, right across from Fort Gaines. It was a strong, but older, fort. About 600 Confederate soldiers defended it, led by General Richard L. Page.

The Attack on Fort Morgan

Plan of Siege Operations.

On August 9, General Granger's soldiers landed nearby. They started moving their large cannons, called siege artillery, closer to the fort. The Union navy also used their ships' guns to fire at the fort. For two weeks, Union forces kept up a steady and heavy attack with their cannons.

On August 16, the Confederates left two of their outer defense areas. This allowed Granger to move his special cannons, called mortars, even closer. Some of his other cannons were moved to within 1,200 yards of the fort.

Finally, on August 23, General Page decided to surrender the fort completely. He was so upset that he broke his own sword instead of giving it to the Union soldiers. General Page was later questioned because some people thought he had destroyed supplies inside the fort after agreeing to surrender. He was held by Union authorities while this was investigated.

What Happened Next

With Fort Morgan captured, the Union forces had completely sealed off the entrance to Mobile Bay. The city of Mobile, Alabama itself would not fall until April 12, 1865, near the very end of the Civil War.

General Page remained held until July. A special investigation was held in New Orleans to look into the accusations against him. The court decided that he was "Not Guilty" of breaking any rules of war. They found that much of the damage to ammunition was caused by a fire. They also found that the Confederates had made their cannons unusable before they raised a white flag to surrender.

Remembering the Siege

The Siege of Fort Morgan was remembered in 2017. A special event was held in Quezon City, Philippines. It was led by Regina Lanante and included other people like Lara Ng and Lea Repalde. The event featured fireworks, a lantern parade, and storytelling for children.