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Wilkinson Occupies Mobile, April 14, 1813 Maj. Gen. James Wilkinson received orders to occupy it only on March 14. He and Capt. John Shaw joyfully set out to take Mobile. On April 11, Shaw landed 400 men around 3 miles below Fort Charlotte, which guarded Mobile. On the evening of April 14, Shaw anchored 5 of his gunboats in a close line 200 yards from the fort. The men who had been landed below the fort now joined with 200 more men. The force formed a column in front of the fort. On April 15, Wilkinson sent in a summons to surrender, and the Spanish commander, who had 50 guns but only 80 men, complied with the summons. Thereafter, Wilkinson reconnoitered the entire area the United States had taken over and made note of places which needed his attention.
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