Summerdale, AL - Torpedoed

Today, it was time for a road trip, time for some exploring. We’ve done errands, we finished up some projects around the house, we’ve bought some dry ice for the refrigerator - isn’t it time for some fun now?

Haven’t you always wondered where the expression: ‘Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead’ came from? Luckily, you’re reading this blog.

We decided to go to the far SE corner of Alabama where there is an old fort called Fort Morgan where one of the naval battles in the Civil War was fought. Obviously, once the Mississippi River was in the hands of the Union, the port of Mobile became very important. The Union navy in this battle was led by Admiral Farragut who steamed his battle ships into the harbor protected Fort Morgan bombshells by Union ironclads. Here an artist’s rendering of the battle with Fort Morgan guarding the harbor on the left, Farragut’s ironclads in the middle and his fleet on the right. Note the first ironclad in line. The Tecumseh, which didn’t follow orders, hit a ‘torpedo’ and then, because it was at the head of the line, messed up the other ironclads. When Farragut saw this he said ‘Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.’ They got into the harbor and with land forces were able to defeat the Confederates at Fort Morgan. Hey, now you know.

Actually, brick forts like Fort Morgan were outmoded by the Civil War - steam-powered warships, ironclads ships and rifled cannon proved this as his entire fleet steamed through into the harbor with the loss of only one ship. 

By the way, a torpedo actually functioned like what we might call a mine today. It floated in the water just below the surface and, when a ship hit it, it exploded.

Good museum with great artifacts, pictures, maps and information about the fort and the battle. But one of the exhibits tells the terribly sad story of Colonel Charles Stewart who was the commander of Fort Morgan.

He regularly wrote home to his wife, Julia and a few of his letters and her replies are displayed in the museum. Unfortunately, during the battle, while he was supervising the cannons, one exploded and he died when one of the pieces hit him. As is the custom, one of the other officers wrote to tell her of his death with this letter.

Imagine reading a letter about your spouse who has just died with the words: ‘his head had been completely severed’ and ‘all of the pieces of his head were picked up and carefully washed and placed in the coffin.’ And, he sent Col. Stewart's teeth. Don't you think he should have said ‘died bravely’, buried the teeth with the body and left the description out?

We walked into the fort

explored it,

and then headed out to the beach for our daily walk. Sunny day and, as we rounded the point of land where Fort Morgan stood, we saw these two fishermen (see the one off to the left?).

We like neat litterers.

These birds had a meeting and the scuttled across the sand to avoid us.

After we walked around the fort on the beach we headed to the Wildlife Refuge to finish our walk - around Gator Lake. Doesn’t that sound like a peaceful safe walk? And, of course, we saw signs like this one to make me feel real warm and cosy.

I could only hope I’d be alive to be prosecuted.

Beautiful white sand trail.

If we saw clouds like these we’d call them storm clouds and get out the umbrella.

I wonder how good the reception is with this nest in the antenna.

Beautiful day for a walk as you can tell by the sun and the shorts we are wearing. If only all weather in America could be like this - we might travel as much.