January 12, 1861, The New York Herald
FORT MORGAN AND MOUNT VERNON ARSENAL.
At the time Louisiana was purchased from France, in 1803, Mobile was claimed and held as a Spanish possession. The French claimed territory to the Perdido river flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, between Mobile bay and Pensacola. When we came into possession Louisiana, we also claimed to be the same boundary, while the Spanish government claimed to a line considerable west of Mobile. The war of 1812 coming, the Spaniards continued in possession until 1813, when the Fort Conde, the principal work in Mobile was surrendered to a force under Gen. Wilkinson, and our claim made good to the Perdido. The Americans on taking possession not only strengthened Fort conde, but also manned the imperfect works at Mobile Point, which measurably commanded the entrance to the harbor. These were attacked in the autumn of 1814 by some British vessels of war – one of which, if our memory serves us, was the Hermes. On this locality has since been constructed Fort Morgan–one of the strongest defensive works on the Gulf of Mexico. With this fort and other works of the entrance of the bay, twenty two miles from the city, in the possession of a reasonable force, no fleet, however formidable, can pass them. Fort Morgan alone commands, the chief entrance to the bay. Vessels of large draft cannot pass over Dog Island bar, some miles below the city.
The arsenal referred to as having been taken possession of by Alabama militia is known as the Mount Vernon Arsenal, and is situated thirty miles in the interior, north of Mobile. It stands on a high hill, which rises some 400 or 500 feet above the surrounding country. From the base of this hill to the city, and, in fact, to the Gulf of Mexico, is almost a dead level. The soil is sandy and covered with an almost unbroken pitch pine forest, interspersed with alluvial creeks, small farms, and with glades and swamps, bearing magnolia trees, live oaks and tangled thickets of undergrowth. The present Mobile and Tennessee Railroad passes near Mount Vernon. The view from the arsenal is magnificent, overlooking towards the Gulf an apparently interminable carpet of green, which is lost in dimness as it disappears at its junction with the distant horizon. The site was well chosen as a safe depository of arms and other munitions of war for the defence of New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola and the contiguous Gulf coast, and it is probably the strongest and best built arsenal to be found in the United States. It contains a vast store of army equipments of all kinds, including a large quantity of muskets, artillery and military apparatus of all kinds, with an ample supply of balls and powder. It is possible that all Alabama with parts of Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana could find the necessary material here to equip all the military forces they could bring into the field. It is needless to state that from the elevated position of the arsenal it could be defended against almost any mount of force that might be brought against it.