Southern School, 19th c., "Mobile Bay, Aug. 5, 1864", oil on canvas, unsigned, titled lower left, 10 in. x 14 in., framed. Provenance: Long Island Estate; Christie's, New York, Jan. 19, 2007, lot 324. Note: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” The painting offered here depicts the August 5, 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay. At the time, Mobile was one of only two functioning ports in the Confederacy. The bay was guarded by torpedoes and a small flotilla, including the ironclad CSS Tennessee (represented on the right). While navigating the hostile waters, the USS Tecumseh sunk upon striking a torpedo, prompting a widespread hesitation of the advancing Union fleet. Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, undeterred, shouted at his men, “Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!,” which with its generations of recounting has been transformed into the famous catchphrase above.Ref.: “Mobile Bay.” American Battlefield Trust. www.battlefields.org. Accessed Mar. 3, 2022.

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