USS Milwaukee (1864)

The first USS "Milwaukee", a double turreted river monitor, was launched by James B. Eads at Carondelet, MO, 4 February 1864; and commissioned at Mound City, IL, 27 August 1864, Acting Volunteer Lieutenant James W. Magune in command.

The new monitor departed Mound City 15 October to join the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and arrived New Orleans, LA on 27 October. There she prepared for action against Mobile, AL. On 22 November Lieutenant Commander James H. Gillis took command of the ship.

Rear Admiral David Farragut had won a decisive victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August, closing that port to the Confederacy. However, the city was still in Confederate hands. To defend it, the South heavily mined the shallow water which led to the city, filled it with formidable obstructions and erected batteries to shell any ships which managed to penetrate the fixed defenses.

New Year’s Day found "Milwaukee" in Mobile Bay ready for action. In the following months, with other light–draft Union Navy ships, she swept mines, bombarded Confederate works, removed obstructions and transported Army troops.

General Edward Canby, the Union Army commander, decided to attack the city from the east by the rivers which connected it with the bay, rather than the west where it was protected by strong ports. Strong forts also guarded the river approaches, but there the Navy could be of maximum help. The key to the city was Spanish Fort which lay on the east bank of the Blakely River.

Canby began to deploy his forces 17 March, and 10 days later reached Spanish Fort and put it under siege, beginning the Battle of Spanish Fort. That day, 27 March, "Milwaukee" and five other Union ships crossed Dog River Bar to cut communications between the fort and Mobile. On the afternoon of 28 March "Milwaukee" and "Winnebago" steamed up Blakely River to attack a Confederate transport supplying Spanish Fort. After forcing the Southern ship back, she dropped down stream but struck a torpedo to port and quickly sank. Her entire crew was saved by the "Kickapoo".

"Milwaukee’s" hulk was raised in 1868, towed to St. Louis, MO where her material was used in the construction of the Eads Bridge across the Mississippi River which bears the name of her builder.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m11/milwaukee-i.htm