ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR TRAIL

The Battle of Mobile Bay Civil War Trail comprises more than a dozen Alabama Civil War sites where action took place during both the Battle of Mobile Bay and the Overland Campaign.

FIND CIVIL WAR TOURS & EXPLORE THE TRAIL!

The stories of ship captains, fort commanders and common fighting men are told through firsthand accounts, historical references and detailed illustrations displayed on interpretive signs placed at many of the sites along the trail for those on Civil War tours.

The sites marked with below are sites with interpretive signs onsite to illustrate the action that took place during the campaign. If the sign location is at a spot other than that indicated on the printed trail guide, the location is described below.

The Battle of Mobile Bay

In one of the most famous Civil War battles, Union ships from nearby coastal forts in Mississippi and Florida converged for the battle of the bay.

  • Site C: Fort Morgan
    Historic Fort Morgan still stands at the mouth of Mobile Bay. The fort and museum are open to the public

  • Site D: Fort Gaines
    Fort Gaines, Alabama offers interpretive civil war tours as well as printed exhibits to visitors.

  • Site E: Fort Powell
    Few overlooking Mississippi Sound north of Dauphin Island could identify the spot where Fort Powell once stood.
    This interpretive sign is located at Fort Gaines, Alabama on Dauphin Island.

Civil War Tours
Redoubt bristling with heavy guns as at Spanish Fort.

The Overland Campaign

Heading north on the eastern side of the bay, troops started up the bays and rivers and continued on foot in their quest to overtake Fort Blakeley, Spanish Fort and eventually Mobile.

Farragut Ship
Farragut’s Ships Passing Fort Morgan, a painting by Xanthus Smith, who served with the Federal Fleet.
(Courtesy AmSouth Collection of Naval Paintings)
  • Site 1: Fort Gaines
  • Site 2: Fort Morgan

  • Site 3: Salt Works
    It is believed that there were salt works on both sides of the river, although no remains of them have been identified. This interpretive sign is located on County Road 10, on the north side of Bon Secour River, near Billy’s Seafood.

  • Site 4: Mouth of Fish River
    This site along U.S. Highway 98 is a public boat launch and park site. This sign is located on the West side of Fish River, south of the bridge.

  • Site 5: Smith’s & Dannelly’s Mills
    The exact location of the mills is not known, but interpretive displays at the Baldwin County park offer a contrasting view of the river in Civil War and current times.Signs marking this site are located at the Baldwin County Public Park on Fish River, on Honey Road, just off of County Road 9.

  • Site 6: Troops camped in this area, now fields and orchards, during their march toward Blakeley, prior to crossing the Bay into Mobile. The interpretive sign for this site is located at the Auburn Agricultural Experiment Station on State Highway 104.

  • Sites 7 & 8: Fort McDermott & 8th Iowa Line
    The street names of Spanish Fort tell much of the story of the battles fought here. Interpretive signs describing these sites are located at the Eastern Shore Overlook, the Welcome Center of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, on Highway 98 just north of I-10.

  • Site 9: Blakeley State Park
    Historic Blakeley State Park is open to the public daily. Miles of original breastworks and pristine battlefields are set amid hiking trails and campgrounds, all on the largest National Historic Register site east of the Mississippi.

  • Site 10: Starke’s Landing
    This site is now a Daphne City Park overlooking the bay.

  • Site 11: Dog River Point
    Visitors must imagine the action, as the view of the bay across to Starke’s Landing on the Eastern Shore is all that remains the same here.

  • Site 12: Mobile & Ohio Railroad Machine Shop
    The machine shop, the last remnants of the old railroad operation, was recently demolished on this site.

  • Site 13: Magee Farm
    Built in 1848 by Jacob Magee, this is the last remaining original surrender house of the Civil War.

  • Site 14: Citronelle Surrender Site
    This site is currently the home of the Pushmataha Boy Scout Camp in Citronelle. (Misidentified as Cuba Station in the printed guide.)