Rear Admiral David G. Farragut was commanding the naval forces of the Union at the Battle of Mobile Bay during the War between the states. He had planned to run his ships into Mobile Bay and capture the city of Mobile, Alabama for the Union. His ships had to pass the narrow passage between Fort Morgan on the east and Dauphin Island on the west of the entrance to Mobile Bay.

The Confederate ship, the CSS Tennessee was also there at the entrance. One of the Union ships was not moving as Farragut expected through the entrance and Farragut was told that the CSS Tennessee was firing torpedoes. That is when he is reported to have made the statement "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead".

The Union forces went on to take the town of Mobile. The Union fleet lost 150 men killed and 170 were wounded. On the Confederate ships, only 12 were dead and 19 wounded. Union Army losses were very light; in the siege of Fort Morgan, only one man was killed and seven wounded. Confederate losses, were only slightly greater.

The continued presence of a Union Army near Mobile constrained the Confederate Army in its last desperate campaigns.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org