Admiral Farragut fought his most famous battle aboard the USS Hartford at Mobile Bay during the Civil War. Mobile was defended by three Confederate forts, Morgan, Gaines and Powell, and the channel approaching Mobile was thoroughly mined as Farragut's fleet, consisting of 14 ships in all, steamed opposite the first, Fort Morgan. The Monitor Tecumseh ran into a torpedo and sank immediately. The Brooklyn immediately stopped and thereby threw Farragut's whole line into partial confusion. Farragut, lashed to the main shrouds to prevent falling, brought the Hartford to the front. Passing the Brooklyn, whose hail of "Look out for the torpedoes" brought forth Farragut's historic reply, "Damn The Torpedoes 4 Bells Captain Drayton Go Ahead, Full Speed"