Fort Gaines
51 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL
Dauphin Island, AL
A five-sided brick fort standing guard at the tip of Dauphin Island, where the Battle of Mobile Bay and the cry damn the torpedoes made history in 1864.
Fort Gaines is a five-sided masonry fort standing at the eastern tip of Dauphin Island, guarding the western approach to Mobile Bay. Built in the decades before the Civil War, its thick brick walls, corner bastions, and rows of cannon were meant to keep enemy ships from entering one of the Gulf Coast's most important harbors. It is remarkably well preserved, and a walk along its ramparts puts you right at the mouth of the bay.
The fort's great moment came in August 1864, during the Battle of Mobile Bay, when a Union fleet under Admiral David Farragut fought its way past Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan across the channel. It was here, amid the mines the Confederates called torpedoes, that Farragut is said to have shouted the words that became famous, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Fort Gaines fell soon after, and today it stands as one of the best-preserved Civil War forts on the Gulf.
What Guests Love
- Walking the brick ramparts with the Gulf on one side and the bay on the other
- The original cannon and the tunnels and bastions of the old fort
- The story of Admiral Farragut's fleet running past the guns in 1864
- Watching ships enter Mobile Bay from the same spot the fort once defended
Worth Knowing
- The fort welcomes visitors and pairs naturally with the neighboring Estuarium aquarium
- Sun and wind are strong on the exposed ramparts, so bring a hat, water, and sunscreen
- The masonry, tunnels, and stairs are historic and uneven, so wear sturdy shoes and watch your step
- Erosion has long threatened the shoreline near the fort, so parts of the grounds may shift over time
Details
Dauphin Island, AL
Learn about Fort Gaines
Guarding the mouth of Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay was a vital port, and its narrow entrance was flanked by two forts meant to seal it against enemy ships: Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island to the west and Fort Morgan on the peninsula to the east. Fort Gaines was constructed of brick in the years leading up to the Civil War, a five-sided design with heavy walls, protected bastions at the corners, and gun positions covering the channel.
The fort was named for Edmund Pendleton Gaines, an army officer of the early 1800s. Its purpose was straightforward: any hostile fleet trying to enter the bay would have to pass within range of its guns and those of Fort Morgan across the water, running a deadly gauntlet before reaching the harbor and the city of Mobile beyond.
The Battle of Mobile Bay
By 1864 Mobile was one of the last major Confederate ports still open on the Gulf, and the Union set out to close it. On August 5, Admiral David Farragut led a fleet of wooden ships and ironclads straight into the bay, past the guns of both forts and through a field of underwater mines. When one of his ironclads struck a mine and sank, the advance faltered, and Farragut, lashed to the rigging of his flagship, is remembered for ordering the fleet onward with the cry about the torpedoes.
The fleet broke through and defeated the small Confederate squadron inside the bay, including the ironclad ram Tennessee. Cut off and bombarded, Fort Gaines surrendered within days, and Fort Morgan held out only a few weeks longer. The victory tightened the Union blockade and was a significant blow to the Confederacy in the final year of the war.
Walking the fort today
Fort Gaines survives in good condition, and visitors can walk its brick ramparts, climb into the corner bastions, explore the tunnels and passageways below, and stand among original cannon aimed out over the water. Interpretive signs explain the fort's construction and the battle, and the setting, with the Gulf on one side and the bay on the other, makes the strategic value of the spot plain.
From the walls you can watch ships pass through the same channel the fort was built to defend, and on a clear day make out Fort Morgan across the mouth of the bay. The exposed position means strong sun and wind, so a hat and water help, and the historic stairs and masonry reward sturdy shoes and careful footing.
Dauphin Island and the eroding shore
The fort sits on Dauphin Island, a long, low barrier island reached by a high bridge from the mainland. It shares the island's eastern end with the Estuarium marine aquarium, and the two make a natural pairing, one telling the human history of the bay's mouth and the other the natural. The island's beaches and bird sanctuary are a short drive away.
Like all barrier islands, Dauphin Island is restless, and the sea has been steadily eating at the shoreline near the fort for many years, a slow contest between the old brick walls and the Gulf. Preservation efforts continue, and the setting only adds to the sense of a place holding its ground at the edge of the water.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Dauphin Island
Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab
About 1 mile
A public marine aquarium exploring Mobile Bay, the delta, the barrier islands, and the Gulf, next door to the fort.
Fort Morgan
Across the bay by ferry
The sister fort guarding the eastern side of the bay's mouth, reachable by a ferry that crosses the channel.
Audubon Bird Sanctuary
About 1 mile
Wooded trails on Dauphin Island that serve as a critical stopover for songbirds migrating across the Gulf.
Dauphin Island Beach
On the island
Quiet Gulf beaches with soft sand, a low-key alternative to the busier coastal resort towns.