AL Mobile, Alabama

[NH Civil War Gal]

Mikey and I spent Monday morning over at Magnolia Cemetery and at The National Cemetery.

We were real surprised to find fortifications in the middle of one! Does anyone know what that is about?

Some of the writing on some of the stones is very difficult to read as it is very eroded.

We were both surprised about Bragg's grave. After hearing so much about it we thought it would be a lot more than it was. I guess I was expecting a MONUMENTAL Monument!

 

[redbob]

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We were real surprised to find fortifications in the middle of one! Does anyone know what that is about?

Some of the writing on some of the stones is very difficult to read as it is very eroded.

We were both surprised about Bragg's grave. After hearing so much about it we thought it would be a lot more than it was. I guess I was expecting a MONUMENTAL Monument!

After the Battle of Mobile Bay, Mobile expected to come under siege at any time and fortifications were built around the area. Fortifications had also been built near the bay to fend off an attack from that direction. After the war, a large area of downtown Mobile was destroyed by an explosion of collected munitions.

 

[JOHN42768]

Thanks for the tour

 

[Northstep]

Oh, how I love those cemeteries!! I hope to get back there before I die. I'm sorry that I know nothing about the fortification.

I know what you're saying about Bragg's monument. But, did you see the back side that is draped with his officer's coat and a sabre? I think it is special because of the intricate carving/incisions which sets it apart. It is amazing stone work!
Thank you for posting these photos!!

 

[bdtex]

Didja go to the National Cemetery right next to it?

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Didja go to the National Cemetery right next to it?

Yes! That's where we found the small fortification.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Great photo tour !
I haven't been to that cemetery in years.

( Glad to see Spanish conquistador Tristan de Luna now has a historical marker).
Most people have never heard of him. But the man is very interesting. He had nothing but bad luck once he sailed into our gulf waters. I think it took him another two years to even make it to Mexico.

You posted an image of the USS Alabama.
Did ya'll visit that WW II battleship as well ?

Again, great photos !

 

[SWS]

I've always thought Dabney Maury is underrated.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Great photo tour !
I haven't been to that cemetery in years.

( Glad to see Spanish conquistador Tristan de Luna now has a historical marker).
Most people have never heard of him. But the man is very interesting. He had nothing but bad luck once he sailed into our gulf waters. I think it took him him another two years to even make it to Mexico.

You posted an image of the USS Alabama.
Did ya'll visit that WW II battleship as well ?

Again, great photos !

Yes we did and I will post those too.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Yes we did and I will post those too.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Finally made it home to my own bed at 1:45am.

 

[rebel brit]

Finally made it home to my own bed at 1:45am.

Tina great pics, glad you arrived home safe for some well earned rest.

 

[rebel brit]

I know what you're saying about Bragg's monument. But, did you see the back side that is draped with his officer's coat and a sabre? I think it is special because of the intricate carving/incisions which sets it apart. It is amazing stone work!

 

[DixieRifles]

After the war, a large area of downtown Mobile was destroyed by an explosion of collected munitions.

Our guest speaker told us about this explosion. It happened in May, only a few weeks after the surrender. They had collected unexploded munitions and placed it in a warehouse in the city. The explosions killed 300 people and destroyed 8 square miles.

 

[redbob]

As Mobile was laying in ammunition for a long term siege, the city was full of ordnance and it was stored in numerous places as evidenced by a number of years ago while building a hospital expansion, they dug into a large ammunition magazine that had been unknown to the builders or hospital personnel. All worked stopped until they could bring in competent personnel to remove the ordnance.

 

[SWS]

Really? Goes to show just how prolific Confederate munitions production was in spite of handicaps, although I was not aware of the 25 May 1865 incident until today.

 

[redbob]

Really? Goes to show just how prolific Confederate munitions production was in spite of handicaps, although I was not aware of the 25 May 1865 incident until today.

Most of the heavy ordnance was coming down the river from Selma.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Our guest speaker showed us a photo taken after the explosion of Mobile. It was nothing but devastation after that explosion. What seemed utterly incredible to me was, after seeing the care at Fort Gaines (and other forts) on how they store ammunition (and up here in the North during the American Revolution), storing ammunition wasn't a new science.

There had to be ordnance officers in the area - so which civilian had the bright idea to just store all this ordnance in a big warehouse in the middle of the city and think nothing was going to happen? At Fort Gaines, a shell could only be handled one - brought out from the magazine - into the outer chamber and passed on.

Why wasn't any ordnance officers in charge of this warehouse? Our guest speaker said that two workers were observed (but no one really knows if this is true) tossing shells to each other as they stacked them up, and you can't blame them because they wouldn't have had any training in this stuff, so where was the supervision?

 

[MasonDixon]

Our guest speaker showed us a photo taken after the explosion of Mobile. It was nothing but devastation after that explosion. What seemed utterly incredible to me was, after seeing the care at Fort Gaines (and other forts) on how they store ammunition (and up here in the North during the American Revolution), storing ammunition wasn't a new science.

There had to be ordnance officers in the area - so which civilian had the bright idea to just store all this ordnance in a big warehouse in the middle of the city and think nothing was going to happen? At Fort Gaines, a shell could only be handled one - brought out from the magazine - into the outer chamber and passed on.

Why wasn't any ordnance officers in charge of this warehouse? Our guest speaker said that two workers were observed (but no one really knows if this is true) tossing shells to each other as they stacked them up, and you can't blame them because they wouldn't have had any training in this stuff, so where was the supervision?

In any post war period soldiers become slack. We have seen this same happen in the recent 2020 Beirut Explosion. Routine breeds carelessness. In Mobile the war was over. Occupation Armies have high non combat casualty rates due to stupidity actually. Guarding explosive items takes a lot discipline from the leadership which I am sure were enjoying oysters, mint juleps (which I have never tried or readily seen offered), getting their uniforms tailored for the group photo, and left Corporal Johnny Iwanngohome of Ottumwa in charge of the guard detail, who then asked for a light for his cigar. I seriously would dispute saboteurs deciding it was a good idea to blow the ammo dump in the middle of town to bits or tossing cannon balls.

 

[Stryker65]

I've always thought Dabney Maury is underrated.

Ol' Puss 'n Boots...