prepare for the voyage to Mobile across the Gulf of Mexico, so the two sisters did not depart New Orleans until 29 July. On the voyage down the Mississippi to the Pass A Loutre, Chickasaw was forced to anchor overnight because of steering problems and the two ships did not cross the sandbar at the mouth of the pass until the evening of the following day. Once in the Gulf, Winnebago was taken under tow by the sidewheel gunboat for the voyage across the Gulf. Farragut inspected the monitor after her arrival and was dismayed to learn that one of her turrets had jammed. He also preferred to have a more experienced officer in command and appointed Commander Thomas H. Stevens, Jr. as her new captain. Farragut's plan for the battle was relatively simple. The larger, more heavily armed monitors and were to keep the ironclad ram away from the vulnerable wooden ships while they were passing Fort Morgan and then sink her. Chickasaw and Winnebago were to engage the fort until all of the wooden ships had passed. The four monitors would form the starboard column of ships, closest to Fort Morgan, with Winnebago in the rear, while the wooden ships formed a separate column to port. The eastern side of the channel closest to Fort Morgan was free of obstacles, but "torpedoes", as mines were called at the time, were known to be present west of a prominent black buoy in the channel. The two Milwaukee-class ships bombarded Fort Morgan for about an hour and a half while the wooden ships passed through the mouth of Mobile Bay; Winnebago beginning at 07:15 even though her forward turret was still jammed in place. About three-quarters of an hour later, Tecumseh struck a "torpedo" and sank rapidly. Winnebago took on board 10 survivors from the ill-fated Tecumseh who had been rescued by a boat from Metacomet under heavy fire and passed Ft. Morgan at 08:30. After Tennessee first attacked Stevens' former command, the gunboat , he was able to interpose Winnebago between the two ships in case the Confederate ironclad turned around for another attack, but it disengaged and briefly sought the shelter of Ft. Morgan's guns. Around 09:10 the traversing gear for the rear turret broke down, only five minutes before Winnebago received the order to attack the Tennessee after it had sortied into the middle of Mobile Bay