Mobile Bay

Mobile Bay

Richard J. LeFevre (1931 - 2000)

1994

watercolor and mixed media on paper

At this point in the war, the Battle of Mobile Bay fought principally on August 5, 1864, was not of vital significance. The Union Army had already captured and controlled the Mississippi River all the way to New Orleans. The Army of the West was driving across Georgia toward Savannah. I have included this painting because of Knoxville’s [Tennessee] colorful Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, who earned his fame at the Battle of Mobile Bay. Rear Admiral Farragut is shown as the central figure hanging onto the riggings of his frigate. His ship is on the lower right of the painting and, just beneath it, is a Union ironclad ship that has capsized. Behind that ship is another ironclad that signaled Farragut and asked, “What are your orders?” To which he replied, “Full speed ahead!” The captain replied back to Farragut, ”What about the torpedoes?” Torpedoes were what we would call mines today. Then Adm. Farragut spoke his famous line, ”Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Shown on the lower left is Fort Morgan, the site at which the battle took place. Coming up from the fort is the lead ship, the CSS Tennessee under the command of Capt. Franklin Buchanan, who is shown in the photograph on the right side of the painting. This is the same Capt. Buchanan who commanded the CSS Virginia during the battle between the Monitor and the Virginia.

Bequest of the Artist