Series 32. Ensign D.W. Mullan (1861, 1864-1865)

The series consists of one volume: journal entries form the bulk of its contents. The first nine pages were originally held together separately with metal fasteners and contain navigational calculations dated 1861. On many of the journal entry pages, the ink has soaked through to the reverse side, making the writing illegible in places. Inserted in the volume was an undated typed transcript of the entries from January 16, 1864, to April 3, 1865, titled "Mullan D.W., Ens., USN, Private Journal of: NY Hist Soc MSS Collection." The materials in this collection have been digitized and are available online to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.

Historical Note

Mobile Bay, a center of Confederate blockade-running during the Civil War, was protected on land by formidable fortifications and was heavily mined in the water (with so-called naval torpedoes). On August 5, 1864, Admiral David Farragut purportedly issued the order there "Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!" USS Monongahela was among the 18 Union vessels under Farragut's command as part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, which bombarded Confederate forts and then rammed CSS Tennessee. Combined heavy gunfire from the other Union ships forced Tennessee to surrender, ending the battle and closing the last major Gulf port to Confederate access.