Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/99

 FARRAGUT 91 The fight lasted 12 hours, and resulted in the defeat of the pirates and the destruction of their boats and village. From this time for nearly 40 years he was sailing about the world or quietly serving at naval stations, rising slowly by seniority. He was commissioned lieutenant in 1825, commander in 1841, and captain in 1855 ; and his most important com- mand in all that time was that of the Mare Island navy yard, California, 1854-'8. When the civil war began, Farragut was 60 years of age, and had been in the service more than 48 years. He was living at Norfolk, Va., " waiting orders," on the day when intelligence was re- ceived that Virginia had seceded. He hastily collected a few valuables, put his loaded pistols in his pocket, and within two hours was with his family on board a steamer bound north. Leaving his family at Hastings-on-the-Hudson, he reported at Washington, where he remained nine months jn comparative inactivity. His first orders for active duty appointed him com- mander of the expedition for the capture of New Orleans and opening of the Mississippi river. These orders reached him Jan. 20, 1862, and in two weeks he was under way in his flagship the Hartford. On reaching the gulf of Mexico he first arranged the blockade of the whole coast, and then with the more formidable por- tion of his fleet entered the Mississippi. A mortar flotilla was attached to the expedition, but Farragut placed no reliance upon it. The bombardment of the forts a little above the mouths of the river was kept up continuously for six days and nights ; but the enemy daily added to their defences, and beyond the burn- ing of the barracks within Fort Jackson the works, mounting 120 guns, were as formidable as at the commencement of the bombardment. Without further delay, Farragut in the night of April 24 signalled his squadron to get under way, and, delivering broadsides of grape, ran past the forts " under such a fire from them," he wrote, " as I imagine the world has never seen." Beyond the forts he encountered and destroyed a fleet of 20 armed steamers, 4 iron- clad rams (one of 4,000 tons), and a multitude of fire rafts. Next ne silenced the two formi- dable Chalmette batteries, on either side of the river three miles below New Orleans, and at noon the second day anchored with the city beneath his guns. In the passage of the forts his fleet received 165 shots, 37 men were killed and 147 wounded, and one vessel, the Varuna, was sunk. Farragut next proceeded to Vicks- burg (attacking Grand Gulf in passing), for the purpose of reducing that stronghold, and, run- ning his vessels safely past the powerful bat- teries, communicated with the squadron brought down from the upper Mississippi ; but notwith- standing all his exertions, the attack failed from the lack of a cooperating land force. He then repassed the batteries and withdrew his fleet to Pensacola for repairs. On July 11, on the recommendation of the president, he received the thanks of congress, and on the reorganiza- tion of the navy in the same month was placed first on the list of rear admirals. In the fol- lowing autumn the capture of Corpus Christi, Sabine pass, and Galveston was effected by his squadron. In March, 1863, Farragut again advanced against Vicksburg, but encountered so tremendous a fire at Port Hudson that but two vessels, the Hartford and the Albatross, succeeded in passing the batteries. All the vessels of his squadron were terribly cut up, and the fine frigate Mississippi was destroyed. With his flag ship and her small consort he kept on to Vicksburg, and established commu- nication with the upper Mississippi fleet and with the army under Gen. Grant. By this ex- ploit he obtained control of the river between Port Hudson and Vicksburg, established a blockade of the Red river, and thus intercepted the supplies from Texas destined for the con- federate armies. About the last of May he returned and engaged the batteries at Port Hudson, and from that time till July 9, when the garrison surrendered, efficiently cooperated with the army in its investment of the place. The following summer Farragut summoned his squadron to the attack of Mobile, and on the morning of Aug. 5, 1864, conducted his force past Forts Morgan and Gaines guarding the en- trance, and further on in the bay engaged and vanquished the confederate fleet of iron-clads, winning, after a desperate fight of several hours, a victory next in lustre and consequence only to that of New Orleans. In this battle, just as the iron-clad Tecumseh was opposite Fort Morgan, a torpedo was exploded under her, and in three minutes she had sunk, carrying down her commander, T. A. Craven, and more than 100 of her crew. The Brooklyn, the leading ship of the line, supposing it to have been the confederate ram Tennessee which had blown up, gave three hearty cheers, but, soon dis- covering the mistake, made signal to the ad- miral : " Our best monitor is sunk." Shortly afterward the Brooklyn discovered a nest of torpedoes close ahead, and stopped, to avoid running into them. Farragut, who had had himself lashed to the Hartford's rigging, seized upon this circumstance to dash forward and assume the head of the line ; a position which he had reluctantly yielded to the Brooklyn at the earnest solicitation of his captains, who felt confident that the leading ship would be destroyed. Again congress expressed to Farragut the gratitude of the country, and created for him the grade of vice admiral, in which office he was confirmed Dec. 21, 1864; and on July 25, 1866, congress again created a higher office, that of admiral, and conferred it upon him. In 1867 Farragut sailed from Brooklyn in the frigate Franklin, and commanded the European squadron until 1868. Wherever he touched during that cruise he re- ceived most distinguished honors alike from sovereigns and people. While on a journey undertaken for the improvement of his failing health, he died at the Portsmouth navy yard.