Admiral Farragut, himself, made all his arrangements for the worst, though hoping for the best. He wrote to his wife, "I am going into Mobile in the morning, if God is my leader, as I hope He is, and in Him I place my trust. If He thinks it is the place for me to die, I am ready to submit to His will. God bless and preserve you, if anything should happen to me."
At sunrise the fleet moved steadily toward Fort Morgan, the stars and stripes flying from every masthead.
The four ironclads were sent ahead, close to the forts. The wooden war vessels followed, lashed together in pairs. This was done so that if one vessel became disabled it could be towed by the other. Farragut wished to lead the fleet in his flagship, the Hartford, but his officers dissuaded him, and the Brooklyn went first, the Hartford following.
The admiral climbed up in the rigging, where he could command a view of the entire fleet. As the shells from the forts began to fall about the vessels, he climbed higher and higher, in order to see above the smoke.
Fearing that a shot would cut the ropes, one of his officers climbed up to him and wound a rope around his body. The end of this was secured to the mast.
The ironclad Tecumseh was now leading the fleet. Suddenly there was a muffled explosion. The stern of the Tecumseh rose out of the water and she plunged bow foremost to the bottom of the channel.
At this, the Brooklyn stopped, and with reversed engines began to back water. Admiral Farragut signaled, and asked, "What's the trouble?" "Torpedoes," was the reply.
This was the critical moment of the battle. The backing of the Brooklyn caused confusion among the vessels following so closely upon each other. There was tremendous cheering and firing from the Confederates. They were sure that the victory was theirs.
A signal was made to the Brooklyn to go ahead, but she remained motionless.
What should be done? To remain there, under the guns of the fort, with the other vessels coming up behind, was out of the question. Ahead lay the dreaded line of torpedoes. Everything depended upon prompt decision.