MOBILE BAY. 642 MOBITTS. Ossi/iic, and Oneida, to each of liicb was lashed a gunboat, to prevent it from drifting if disabled. When the Brooklyn was almost abreast of the torpedoes she stopped and began to back. The captain of the Tecnmscli disobeyed orders, steer- ing to the west of the oi)eii cluinnel, and his ves- sel was blown up. As the ISrooklyn turned across the channel, to prevent fouling, Admiral Farra- gut ordered the course directly across the tor- pedoes. Though the torpedoes were felt to strike the bottom of the vessels, none exploded. Little damage was done by the guns of the fort and the Federal gunboats were released. Soon they sank the Hclina, drove the Gaines aground, and the Moryan under the guns of the fort, aud the fleet prepared to anchor. The ram Tennessee coming out from the shelter of the fort attacked the entire Federal fleet. Though hit many times, and rammed by the Hart- ford, the • Monongahela, and the Lackauauna, her armor suffered little damage, but her smoke- stack was shot away, her steering gear dis- abled, and lier commander had his leg broken by a splinter. Her port shutters were so jammed that it was impossible to use lier guns success- fully and at 10 o'clock she surrendered. General (iranger hail investeii Fort (iaines, August 3d, and on .August 7th that fort surrendered. Fort ^Morgan was immediately invested and surren- dered on August 23d. Xo attempt was made to take the city at this time on account of the shoal water, but the port was effectually closed. The Confederate losses amounted to 12 killed, 20 wounded, and 2S0 taken prisoners. The Federals lost 52 killed, 170 wounded. To this should be added from the crew of the Tecuinseh. 03 drowned and 4 captured. Consult : Loyall Farragut, Life of Da lid tilasyoie Farrayut ("Sew York, 1892) ; and Mahan, Admiral Farraput, in "The Great Commanders Series" (New York, 1892). MOBILE POINT. A name applied to the end of a long, narrow strip of sand which stretches between Xavy Cove and the Bay of Bon Secours to the north and the CJulf of ilexico to the south, at the eastern extremity of the en- trance to Mobile Bay. Fort Morgan is situated here, on the groimd once occupied by Fort Bow- yer (q.v. ). MOBILE mVEK. The western branch of the system of cliaiincls through which the united Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers discharge into ilobile Bay. It is at)OUt .50 miles long, and coni- mnnieates at several points with the Tensas, or eastern branch of the system, the two entering the bay through a common delta at the city of Jlobile. MOBILES, m(>'U-'V. Com-s ni- (Fr. (jarde mo- hile. iii(>alili' guard). . French corps organized in 1870. and consisting entirely of men who had previously been exempted from service in the active armv for reasons other than physical dis- jibility. MOBIL'IAN TRADE LANGUAGE. .
Indian trade jargon formiTly serving the same purpose of intertribal and trade communication in the Gulf Stnte.s that is still served by the Chinook jargon (q.v.) along the Columbia and the northwest coast, by the linqna qeral in Bra- zil, and to n certain extent by the sign language (q.v.) of the Plains. It was based upon Choctaw, •with additions from all the neighboring dialects and from the more northern Algonquian lan- guages, and was the common mcilium of com- munication among all the tribes of the Gulf re- gion, from the Atlantic coast of Florida probably as far west as ^Matagorda Bay in Texas and northward along both banks of the Mississippi to the Algonquian frontier about the entrance of the Ohio. It was called Mobilienne by the French, from Mobile, the great trading centre of the Gulf region. Along the Mississippi it was sometimes known as the Chickasaw trade language. It was evidently by this medium that De Soto's inter- preter from Tampa Bay was able to talk with all the tribes they met until they reached the Mississippi. In au ollicial report upon the Texas tribes in 1805 Sibley stated that the '.Mobilian' was spoken in addition to their native language by all the Indians who had come from the east side of the Mississippi. It was still spoken in Louisiana fifty years ago, but has died out with the general decay of the Indian life. MOBILIER. mi','bft'yS', Cbedit, kra'd.*-'. See CHEDIT Monil.lKU. MOBILIZATION (Fr. mobilisation, from mo- bilisir, to mobilize, from mobile, Lat. mobilis, movable, front movere, to move, Skt. miv, to push). The transformation of an army from its ]ieace establishment to a war footing and its a.s- scmbly at appointed depots or stations. The (ierman method of mobilization, which is typical of Continental Kurojic generally, is as fol- lows: The mobilization order is issued by the Kmperor. and promulgated by all civil and mili- tary authorities. From the moment the order is issued every individual is supposed to know what to do and where to report. The reserves are called in, and the establishment of the standing army completed from their number. The re- mainder are formed into additional regiments; at the same time the levy of hor>cs is commenced. In time of war, the organization of a mobilized army corps differs but little from that obtaining in time of peace. Any additional formations are made into separate cavalry divisions, and are composed of a nimber of cavalry regiments taken from the regular divisions. There would also be reserve divisions, and depot and liindwchr forma- tions of every kind; train columns and sanitary or hospital detachments being also assigiu>d. The landwchr keeps the active army up to strength, and garrisons stations at home. anil, if necessary, those at or near the base of o])erations. .rtillery is distributed in jiart throughout the divisions of the army corps, and in part as the nucleus of an artillery corps, under the separate couunand of a general olTicer. The pioneer battalion is broken up into companies and attached to the divisions; mail, telegraph, balloon, and railway service be- ing similarly assigned. As soon as the army moves the Etappen are organized, maintaining, if possible, by railways the connection with the rear, .dditional information will be found under I'lioNTiK.H. Military. MOBIUS, melx'-us, .XicrsT FERmNAM) (1700- 18(iS). A German mathematician, born in Leip- zig. He studied at the universities of Leipzig and Giittingen. .t first he devoted his attention to law. but later, under the influence of Gauss, he look up niathematical astronomy. In ISlfi he was made professor at Leipzig aud almost immediately afterwards t«'came director of the observatory in the Pleissenhurg. which was built after his plans
