USS Sophronia Mortar Schooner
Commander David Dixon Porter’s Mortar Flotilla
Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip
Fort Jackson, Louisiana(70 miles south of New Orleans)
April 18th to 24th, 1862
This is a dio representing the mortar schooner’s mortar crew and a single on board marine. The mortar and all the uniforms are from BGT. The HS are from DML, DID and SST. All nudes are reduced and shortened DML bodies. Base was made with foam, styrene and balsa wood. Other detailes were made from Aves Apoxie.
Assigned to Comdr. David Porter's Mortar Flotilla, the schooner sailed for Key West, Florida, where the other ships of the force assembled before moving on to Ship Island, Mississippi, on 6 March 1862. On the 18th, the mortar boats were towed across the bar at Pass a L'Outre into the Mississippi River. A month later, the flotilla moved upstream to positions below Forts Jackson and St. Philip and opened fire. Sophronia anchored some 3,000 yards from Fort Jackson and began lobbing mortar shells into the fort, at 1000, at the rate of six an hour. The bombardment continued intermittently until Admiral David Farragut had safely dashed past Forts Jackson and St. Philip on the morning of the 24th. New Orleans, Louisiana, fell to Admiral Farragut the next day, and the two forts surrendered on 28 April as they were cut off from their source of supplies and Union forces were prepared to attack them from three sides.
Early in May, Porter took his Mortar Flotilla back to the Gulf of Mexico, but they were recalled to the Mississippi River and ascended the river in June to support Farragut's operations against Vicksburg.
Mortar schooners were known as “bummers” in the Union Navy.
Someday I will try to take better imges. This was for a contest and deadlines mean you can’t wait for the perfect lighting conditions, particularly for such a large piece. For now these will have to do…
Some reference images…
