Dauphin Island’s Fort Gaines once again fell to Union forces on Aug. 3, 2014 – this time in a friendly reenactment marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Mobile Bay, one of the pivotal naval clashes of the Civil War.
Roughly 275 costumed re-enactors staged the daylong event for a crowd estimated at 1,000 spectators, according to Matthew W. Capps, executive director of the Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board, which oversees the historic fort. Capps called the land battle portion of the event especially impressive, crediting the volunteer re-enactors for bringing the history to life.
Just before noon, Union vessels opened fire on the fort, staging an assault meant to echo the original 1864 battle before troops came ashore to storm the walls. Cannon and rifle fire produced clouds of smoke as modern-day spectators, many recording the action on phones and cameras, watched from atop the ramparts alongside costumed Confederate defenders.
As Union “soldiers” pushed up the beach, some in the crowd jokingly urged them to turn back, only to watch reenactors playact the fort’s surrender once the invading force breached the gates. Kevin Plant, a Union Navy re-enactor from Baytown, Texas, said storming through the back entrance caught onlookers off guard, since most expected the assault to come from the water side.
Bruce Allen Pate of Grand Bay, portraying a Confederate Marine Corps officer, said the event came together smoothly despite the logistics of coordinating hundreds of participants in period uniforms in the August heat.
Organizers acknowledged a few details, such as the exact landing spot on the beach, were adjusted slightly from the historical record for practical reasons, according to Shawn Baker, who portrayed a Union Marine from the USS Brooklyn. Brien McWilliams, a coordinator with the 6th Alabama Cavalry who helped plan the anniversary events, said one goal was to highlight lesser-known aspects of the war, including growing disillusionment among some Confederate ranks as the conflict dragged on.
For several participants, the reenactment offered a personal connection to history. Jason Whatley, who traveled from Leroy to watch, said the experience left him eager to join a reenactor group himself. Milton Lee Foster, who spent the day in character as Union Admiral David Farragut, said claiming the fort was the highlight of his afternoon.
The anniversary events were part of a broader weekend of programming around Mobile Bay commemorating the 1864 battle, which remains one of the defining Civil War moments tied to the Alabama Gulf Coast.