Battery Lincoln (2)

Battery Lincoln (2) (1864-1864) - A U.S. Civil War Union Mortar Battery established in 1864 in front of Fort Morgan on Mobile Point, Baldwin County, Alabama. Established in August 1864 during the Union siege of Fort Morgan. Named Battery Lincoln presumably after President Abraham Lincoln. Removed in 1864 after the surrender of Fort Morgan. Siege Battery Lincoln 2 Mortar Section. Siege Battery Lincoln 2 Mortar Section (only one mounted) Replica of a 4 Mortar Section of Battery Lincoln, the Fort is in the Background. History Battery Lincoln was completed on 18 Aug 1864 at the northern end of the Union siege lines in front of Fort Morgan, Alabama. The battery was listed as armed with 4-10" mortars and 2-8" mortars split into three sections of two mortars each. The mortars were manned by Company K, of the 20th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Captain Mark L. Thompson. Members of Company K not serving the mortars served as sharpshooters along the siege line. At sunrise, on 22 August the final bombardment began with the land-based siege guns and the naval guns bombarded the fort until 8 O'clock when the naval bombardment ceased. The siege mortars continued to fire at a rapid pace. The mortars had an advantage because their plunging fire could drop their exploding shells right down on the fort interior and because of that high angle of fire they were more protected by the battery walls. That evening, exploding shells from the siege batteries ignited the wooden roof of the central citadel of the fort about 10 pm. The massive fire silhouetted the fort and the flames threatened the magazines. Confederate General Richard L. Page, the fort commander, ordered the final 60,000 pounds of powder dumped into the cisterns, some of the guns were spiked and he unconditionally surrendered the fort on the morning of 23 Aug 1864. After the battle Captain Thompson, Lieutenants R.M. Lytle, and W.M. Johnson each received the personal thanks of Union General Gordon Granger for their actions during the siege. Each of these officers had commanded a two mortar section of the battery. Between 5 am on the 22nd and 6:40 am on the 23rd the 4 gun 10" mortar battery fired 298 shells. In all, some 3,000 shells were thrown at the fort in the 12 hours preceding the surrender. The Union Army suffered only 1 man killed and 7 wounded. Days after the siege ended, the battery was packed up and removed to Cedar Point. Current Status Battery Lincoln Readerboard. A replica of the four mortar battery section with three mortars in place and a reader board. Location: Mobile Point, Baldwin County, Alabama. Maps & Images Lat: 30.23047 Long: -88.01931 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' GPS Locations: 30.23047, -88.01931 Battery Lincoln Replica See Also: Fort Morgan (1) Sources: U.S. War Records Office, et al.. The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union And Confederate Armies. Washington: Govt. Print. Off., 18801901. Links: Army History - A Tale of Two Forts Visited: 5 Oct 2021