Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/288

266 damage. Du Pont actively followed up his victory. Tybee was seized, giving a base for the reduction of Fort Pulaski by the array ; a combined naval and military force destroyed the batteries at Port Royal ferry ; the sounds and inland waters of Georgia south of the Savannah, and of the eastern coast of Florida, were occupied ; St. Mary's, Fer- nandina, Jacksonville, and other places were cap- tured ; Fort Clinch and the fort at St. Augustine were retaken, and fourteen blockading stations were established, all thoroughly effective save that off Charleston, where the vessels at command were insufficient to cover the circuit of twenty-three miles from Bull's Bay to Stono. In recognition of his services, Du Pont received the thanks of con- gress, and was appointed rear-admiral, to rank from 16 July, 1862. Toward the close of the year several armored vessels were added to his command, mostly of the monitor type, one of which destroyed the Confederate steamer " Nashville," under the guns of Fort McAllister. Being the first officer to whom the monitors had been assigned, he carefully tested their offensive powers by several attacks upon this work, on which they were unable to make any im- pression on account of the small number of their guns and the slowness of their fire. Assuming im- mediate command of his nine armored vessals, mounting thirty-two guns, Du Pont made a reso- lute attempt, on 7 April, 1863, to take Charleston. Unable to manoeuvre in the tortuous channels, filled with obstructions, that led to the harbor, the iron- clads were exposed to a terrible cross-fire from a hundred guns of the heaviest calibres, and, dark- ness approaching, the ships were wisely withdrawn, one sinking soon afterward and five others being disabled. This action was fought pursuant to ex- press instructions from the navy department, its probable result not having been unforeseen by the admiral, who had given it as his opinion that the co-operation of troops was necessary to secure suc- cess. Time has fully confirmed the entire correct- ness of Du Pont's judgment ; his able successor, with a larger force of armored ships, was no more fortunate, and Charleston only fell on the approach of Sherman's army. In June, the iron-clad ram " Atlanta " coming out of Savannah, Du Pont sent two monitors to intercept her, one of which, under Capt. John Rodgers, succeeded in capturing her after a brief engagement. This was the last im- portant incident of Admiral Du Pont's command, from which he was relieved on 5 July, 1863. Dur- ing the intervals of more than twenty-five years of service at sea he was almost constantly employed on dtities of importance. He was a member of the board that prepared the plan of organization for the naval academy, and was one of the officers that in after years revised and extended the system then adopted. He served on the light-house board, took part in two revisions of the rules and regulations for the navy, and was a member of the naval re- tiring board of 1855. Admiral Du Pont was the author of various papers on professional subjects, including one on corporal punishment in the navy, and one on the use of floating batteries for coast defence, which has been republished, and is large- ly cited by Sir Howard Douglas in his work on naval gunnery. — Henry Alg-ernoii. soldier, son of Henry, b. near Wilmington, Del., oO >Iuly, 1838, was graduated at the U. S. military academy, 6 May, 1861, at the head of his class, and promoted to 3d lieutenant of the engineer corps. On 14 May he was commissioned 1st lieutenant, 5th artillery, and became captain 24 March, 1864. He was act- ing assistant adjutant-general of the troops in. New York harbor in 1862-'3, and commanded a battery in West Virginia from 1863 until 24 May, 1864, participating in the battle of Newmarket. As chief of artillery of that department from the latter date he connnanded the artillery in engage- ments at Piedmont, Lexington, and Lynchbui-g during the spring and summer of 1864. Later in the year he took part in the battles of Cedar Creek, Halltown, Berryville, Opequan. and Fisher's Hill, in command of the artillery of Crook's corps, being brevetted major for gallant services in the two last-mentioned engagements, and lieutenant-colo- nel, 19 Oct., 1864, for services at Cedar Creek. After the war he was a member of the board to assimilate the tactics for the three arms of the service. Col. Du Pont resigned in March, 1875. Since 5 May, 1879, he has been president of the Wilmington and Northern railroad company.

DUPORTAIL, Louis Lebeqne, Chevalier, soldier, b. in Prance in 1736 ; d. at sea in 1802. He was educated at the military school of Mezieres, and was an excellent engineer. He was one of four French officers engaged by Dr. Franklin and Silas Deane to serve in the American army (see articles DucouDRAY and Deane), they being the only ones engaged by the express authority of congress. He was appointed colonel of engineers on his arrival, promoted to be brigadier-general, 17 Nov., 1777, and major-general, 16 Nov., 1781. He had charge of the engineering operations at the siege of York- town, and was one of the general officers particu- larly mentioned by Washington in his despatches after the capitulation. He returned to France, and in 1788 was named marechal-de-camp. Owing to his intimate relations with Lafayette, whose po- litical views he approved, he was, on 16 Nov., 1790. appointed minister of war ; but, sharing in the mis- fortunes of his friend and patron, he was de- novmced in the assembly for maladministration of his office, and resigned, 3 Dec, 1791. He was then given a military appointment in Lorraine; but, being warned in 1792 that a serious accusation was about to be brought against him, left the army, and, after living two years in concealment, retired to America. He was recalled by the events of the 18th Brumaire, but died on the homeward passage. During his service in the American army the Chevalier Duportail was much impressed by the timidity and bad generalship of the British offi- cers. In 1777 he wrote : " The success of the Americans is not owing to their strength or brav- ery, but to the astonishing conduct of the British forces, to the slowness and timidity of the British general." Referring to tlie battle of Brandywine, he writes : " If the English had followed up their advantage that day Washington's army would have been spoken of no more ; since that time, also. Gen. Howe has. in all his operations, exhibited such slowness and timidity as to strike me with aston- ishment. With 30,000 men, an active, enterprising: general must reduce this country."

DUPRATZ, Antoine Simon, Le Page, author, b. in Tourcoing, France, in 1689 ; d. in Paris in 1775. He entered the French army, saw service in Germany, and. having obtained an interest in the French western land company, sailed from La Rochelle in May, 1718, to take possession of the territory ceded to the association near New Orleans. After several attempts at colonization, he ascended the Mississippi in 1720 and settled among the Natchez Indians, l)y whom he was at first well received, but subsequently became involved in difficulties. These being arranged, he pushed into the interior, visited the region watered by the Missouri and Arkansas, and, after eight years' labor as a pioneer, returned to New Orleans to become treasurer