Lighthouse??????

I was sitting here going through some of my Civil War collection and happened across this old photo. As you can clearly see in the background appears to be the remains of a badly damaged lighthouse (or at least I think it is a lighthouse). I figured someone here would be able to recognize it. I'm sure by the picture that it would have a very interesting story behind it that hopefully someone can share with us. The caption under the photo simply said "Fort Morgan".

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=39661&a=1772159&p=16169613&Sequence=1[/img]

[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=39661&a=1772159&p=16169611&Sequence=1[/img]



[This message has been edited by Gravedigger (edited 02-08-2000).]

Ft. Morgan in Mobile Bay, Alabama, site of an important battle during the Civil War...looks like the poor light was on the receiving end of a few cannonballs...I know its name is in one of my lighthouse books (Lighthouses of the Gulf Coast)...

Fort Morgan is in Alabama, guarding the eastern edge of Mobile Bay. There was an intense Civil War battle there with a few "ironclad" ships bombarding the fort. I don't believe the light still exists anymore, and I don't know the name of it...I assume Fort Morgan Light?

There still seems to be a lighthouse at the point, but it is an iron tower now. The original stone tower from your photo was destroyed during the war. The replacement is really kinda cute for a skeletal structure. The name is Mobile Point Light.

http://aristotle.ipl.org/exhibit/light/GULF/MobilePt.html
[This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 02-08-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 02-08-2000).]

Don't hold me to this but we visited the bay area & were told that the light was named "Sand Island Light".

Sorry but Sand Island Light was built in 1873 and therefore saw no action during the War of Northern aggression . Sand Island Light still stands on a small islet which is eroding badly.

Here is the original light:
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBLIGHTHOUSES/mobilepoint1822.JPG

Mombo
Lighthouse Sleuth

A most intersting posting....great detectives all of you........
I visited the link posted by Rod Watson and then onto the next link listed: (Lighthouses: a Photographic Journey). I explored pictures for a time and bookmarked it as a great site for more visits. The photos are excellent.
Thanks Rod!

[This message has been edited by vsnlex (edited 02-09-2000).]

I tried to let this go but just can't. These Forums have been relatively free of political rhetoric and I think the use of such phrases is inappropriate here. After 135 years I would hope that we could advocate unity rather than division.

Mike

The current Sand Island Light was built after THE WAR but there was another light there. It was built in 1858 and was blown up by the confederates in 1861 to keep the bluebellies from using it for spying on the forts in Mobile Bay.

AB in Alabama (First in your atlas, first in your heart)

Let it go Mike. Can't be sensitive as well as an about to be WACKO. One can call it whatever they wish. It remains history. No one that was there is left alive, so it just doesn't matter. Besides, I took the smiley face as "this is intended to be humorous."

Rich


------------------

For those who still care after all these years I have abided by the Mason-Dixon line:

Quasi-Political Wacko/Newbie Map II
[img]http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=39476&a=775388&p=14223964&Sequence=1[/img]

For newcomers this is a map of forum participants. Someday I will update who's been added and recanvas for additions. This is on an unheated porch in the snowy northeast so please let's wait until spring!

>>...the War of Northern aggression. <<

Shucks - having grown up in Virginia, I thought this was pretty funny. It was true in 1865, when the carpetbaggers rolled into Southern towns to take over the local governments, and apparently, its still true today - some Northerners will never understand the South.

Least thats what my Yankee bride keeps telling me.

Save Your Dixie Cups,
__
/im

Except today, the roles are reversed. It's a southern carpetbagger trying to take over the New York Senate. LOL

I thought *that* carpetbagger was really a flatlander from Illinois.


Better New York than us,
__
/im

.

[This message has been edited by SThompson (edited 02-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by SThompson (edited 10-25-2000).]

Sean,
You really should attend more of the HLA meetings if you have all of your peanuts cataloged. I tossed my over the edge of the nearest circular file. Are all of your boxes cataloged by size, shape and number?

Sunshine

I really like the Mombo map room.
If it wouldn't be a great deal of trouble..........I would love to have you update the locations of forum participants, somhow place the map onto the forum or some such other place so those interested could download it. It would be a great tool to have on "chat nights" or to aid in planning visits to an area to get in touch with folks in that region....

[This message has been edited by vsnlex (edited 02-13-2000).]

Great post gravedigger! I love the photos!

Rusty

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Very interesting.

Ned

I would just like to take a moment to thank Mombo for the great job of keeping the map up and for "politically correcting" the Mason-Dixon Line. Us Marylanders really like those red pins.