Admiral Farragut

INDEX.

Anecdotes of Admiral Farragut, 11, 12, 22, 26, 35, 45-49, 58, 92, 112, 124, 168-170, 267, 281, 286, 288, 292, 297, 306, 313, 318, 319, 321, 322, 323, 325;
lashed in rigging at Mobile, 272;
visit to Ciudadela, his father's birthplace, 300.
Arkansas, Confederate ironclad, description of, 189;
dash through United States fleet at Vicksburg, 191;
destruction of, 193.
Bailey, Captain Theodorus, U. S. N., leads the fleet at the passage of Mississippi forts, 149, 151-155;
demands surrender of New Orleans, 168 et seq.
Banks, General Nathaniel P., relieves Butler in command in the Southwest, 201;
movement in support of Farragut's passage of Port Hudson, 211;
operations west of the Mississippi, 229, 232;
Port Hudson surrenders to, 235.
Barnard, Major J. G., U. S. Engineers, opinion as to effect of passing Mississippi forts, 121.
Battles:
Essex with Phoebe and Cherub, 38-44;
passage of New Orleans forts, 149 et seq.;
passage of batteries at Vicksburg, 187, 192;
Port Hudson, 211 et seq.;
Mobile Bay, 269 et seq.
Baudin, French admiral, sketch of, 77;
attack on Vera Cruz by, 79-83.
Bell, Commodore Henry H., U. S. N., fleet captain to Farragut in 1862, 132, 140;
breaking barrier below river forts, 132;
extract from journal of, 140;
hoists U. S. flag over New Orleans, 171;
at Galveston, 202;
at Rio Grande, 240.
Blair, Montgomery, account of interview with Farragut concerning New Orleans expedition, 124.
Boggs, Commander Charles S., U. S. N., commands Varuna at passage of Mississippi forts, 163, 164.
Brooklyn, U. S. steamer, Farragut commands, 1858-'60, in Gulf, 103-105.
Buchanan, Franklin, Confederate admiral, at Mobile, 244, 279, 281-288.
Butler, General Benjamin F., commands New Orleans expedition, 164, 179, 291.
Caldwell, Lieut. C. H. B., U. S. N., commands Itasca in Mississippi River, 132, 162;
daring action in breaking chain below forts, 133, 150;
commands ironclad Essex at Port Hudson, 220.
Craven, Commander Tunis A. M., U. S. N., commands monitor Tecumseh at Mobile, 268;
eagerness to engage Tennessee, and consequent error, 273, 274;
goes down with his ship, 275.
Drayton, Captain Percival, U. S. N., Farragut's chief of staff at Mobile, 98, 250, 269, 270, 272, 278, 281, 282, 292, 319, 320.
Essex, U. S. frigate, building of, 14;
armament, 15;
history of, 16;
cruise under Porter, 17-44;
capture of, by Phoebe and Cherub, 44;
fate of, 50.
Essex, U. S. ironclad, 192, 193, 211, 220, 232.
Essex Junior, prize to Essex, and equipped as a tender to her, 25;
mentioned, 26, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36;
conveys to the United States the survivors of the action, 49, 50.
Farragut, Admiral David G.:
family history, 1-6, 300;
birth, 4;
appointed midshipman, 8;
joins frigate Essex, 11;
cruise in Essex, 11-50;
first battle, between Essex and two British ships, 38-44;
returns to United States, 49;
service in Mediterranean, 1815-'20, 53-62;
returns to United States, 62;
serves in Mosquito fleet in West Indies, 1823, 63-67;
first marriage, 67;
promoted to lieutenant, 71;
Brazil station, 1828-'34, 71-74;
witnesses French attack on Vera Cruz, 1838, 75-88;
death of first wife, 88;
promoted to commander, 89;
Brazil station again, 1841, 90-94;
second marriage, 94;
Mexican war, 94-97;
ordnance duties, 97-98;
commandant Mare Island yard, 99-101;
promoted to captain, 101;
commands Brooklyn in Gulf, 1858-'60, 101-105;
question of secession, 107-112;
abandons his home in Norfolk and settles in New York, 112;
chosen to command New Orleans expedition, 122-125;
appointed to command West Gulf squadron, December, 1861, 125;
assumes command at Ship Island, 127;
operations below Mississippi forts, 127-149;
passage of the forts, 149-165;
surrender of New Orleans, 166-176;
operations above New Orleans, 1862, 177-195;
promoted to rear-admiral, 197;
blockade operations, 1862-'63, 196-204;
operations above New Orleans, 1863, 203-235;
passage of batteries at Port Hudson, 211-216;
effect of this passage, 222-229;
relinquishes to Porter command above New Orleans, 235;
return North, Aug., 1863, 235;
resumes command in Gulf, Jan., 1864, 243;
blockade duties, 249-254;
battle of Mobile Bay, 268-289;
final return North, 293;
enthusiastic reception in New York, 294;
promoted to vice-admiral, 295;
temporary service in James River, 296;
promoted to admiral, 298;
commands European station, 298-304;
visit to his father's birthplace in Minorca, 299-304;
return to United States, 304;
declining health, 305;
death and obsequies, 306;
monuments of, 307;
analysis of character, 308-326.
Military characteristics:
Personal courage, 44-46, 61, 62, 161, 277, 317-319;
moral courage in assuming responsibility, 26, 60, 124-126, 135, 137-140, 144, 147, 222, 223, 276-280, 318;
hopefulness, 124, 252, 277;
strategic insight, 137, 138, 141 et seq., 147, 172, 178-185, 200, 207, 208, 231, 238, 311, 315;
tactical skill, 149, 150, 154, 217-220, 239, 260-263, 311;
self-reliance, 323;
comparison with Nelson, 309-312.
Personal characteristics:
Appearance and bodily strength, 51, 60, 320-322;
gratefulness, 5, 52, 60, 67;
self-improvement, 51, 57-59, 69, 71, 87, 97, 313-315, 323;
habits of observation, 5 7, 69, 75, 83-88, 94, 98, 99, 124, 313, 314;
thoughtfulness and decision, 54, 70, 106 et seq., 113, 123, 124, 139-141, 147, 208, 211, 216, 239, 260, 264, 277;
family relations, 65, 74, 88, 107-109, 227, 265-268;
kindliness, 320, 322;
religious feelings, 252, 266, 277, 292, 325.
See also "Anecdotes."
Farragut, George, father of Admiral Farragut:
birth, 1;
history, 2-5;
death, 6.
Florida, Confederate ship of war (first called Oreto), runs blockade into Mobile, 197;
escapes, 203;
effect on Farragut, 204.
Folsom, Chaplain Charles, U. S. Navy, influence on Farragut's early life, 57-60.
Fox, Gustavus V., assistant secretary of the navy, 1861-'65, 118;
relations to New Orleans expedition, 118-124, 318;
urges Farragut to ascend the Mississippi, 183.
Gaines, Fort, defense of Mobile Bay, 247, 259, 268;
surrender of, 290.
Garibaldi, services in war between Argentine and Uruguay, 93.
Granger, United States General, commands at siege of Forts Gaines and Morgan, 268, 290, 291.
Grant, General Ulysses S, analogy between his turning the position of Vicksburg and Farragut's turning the Mississippi forts, 135-138 (and note, 137);
anxieties of, in 1862, 198;
connection between his command and Farragut's, 198, 199;
takes the line of the Mississippi, 285, 287, [A] Marshall's Naval Biography, article Hillyar, vol. iv, p. 861.

[B] The writer remembers to have heard in his early days in the service a tradition of a ship commanded by Creighton, which he believes to have been the Washington, and which illustrates the methods by which this extreme smartness was obtained. In each boat at the booms was constantly a midshipman in full dress, cocked hat included, so that no time might be lost in dropping alongside when called away. The full crew was probably also kept in her.

[C] Washington's Letters, October 1, 1781.

[D] Montgomery Blair, in The United Service, January, 1881.

[E] Gideon Welles, in the Galaxy, November, 1871.

[F] Gideon Welles, in the Galaxy, December, 1871.

[G] There were some guns bearing inland and some flanking howitzers, besides those already enumerated.

[H] Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series I, vol. vi, p. 610.

[I] The following is Grant's account of a matter which, but for Sherman's own zeal in proclaiming the merits of his commander-in-chief, would probably have always remained unknown. It would be difficult to find a closer parallel to the difference of judgment existing between Farragut and Porter at New Orleans: "When General Sherman first learned of the move I proposed to make, he called to see me about it. I was seated on the piazza, engaged in conversation with my staff, when he came up. After a few moments' conversation, he said he would like to see me alone. We passed into the house together and shut the door after us. Sherman then expressed his alarm at the move I had ordered, saying that I was putting myself voluntarily in a position which an enemy would be glad to manoeuvre a year—or a long time—to get me in. I was going into the enemy's country, with a large river behind me, and the enemy holding points strongly fortified above and below. He said that it was an axiom in war that when any great body of troops moved against an enemy they should do so from a base of supplies which they would guard as the apple of the eye, etc. He pointed out all the difficulties that might be encountered in the campaign proposed, and stated in turn what would be the true campaign to make. This was, in substance, to go back until high ground could be reached on the east bank of the river, fortify there and establish a depot of supplies, and move from there, being always prepared to fall back upon it in case of disaster. I said this would take us back to Memphis. Sherman then said that was the very place he should go to, and would move by railroad from Memphis to Granada. To this I replied, the country is already disheartened over the lack of success on the part of our armies,... and if we went back so far as Memphis, it would discourage the people so much that bases of supplies would be of no use; neither men to hold them nor supplies to put in them would be furnished. The problem was to move forward to a decisive victory, or our cause was lost.... Sherman wrote to my adjutant-general embodying his views of the campaign that should be made, and asking him to advise me at least to get the views of my generals upon the subject. Rawlins showed me the letter, but I did not see any reasons for changing my plans."—Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, vol. i, p. 542 (note).

[J] The paper being long, only those parts are quoted which convey the objections to running by.

[K] Lord Wolseley in North American Review, vol. cxlix, pp. 32-34, 597. The italics are the author's.

[L] Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. Series I, vol. vi, p. 583.

[M] Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. Series I, vol. vi, p. 566.

[N] Ibid., p. 578.

[O] Those three were: First, a direct naval attack upon the works; second, running by the works; third, a combined attack by army and navy.

[P] Captain Bailey commanded the Colorado frigate, which drew too much water to cross the bar. Anxious to share in the fight, he obtained from the flag-officer the divisional appointment.

[Q] See page 62.

[R] See Walpole's Life of Lord John Russell, vol. ii, pp. 349-351.

[S] North American Review, vol. cxxix, p. 347.

[T] Ibid., vol. cxxix, p. 348.

[U] The full text of this order was as follows. It committed the department to nothing.

"Navy Department, October 2. 1862.

"Sir: While the Mississippi River continues to be blockaded at Vicksburg, and until you learn from Commander D. D. Porter, who will be in command of the Mississippi squadron, that he has, in conjunction with the army, opened the river, it will be necessary for you to guard the lower part of that river, especially where it is joined by the Red River, the source of many of the supplies of the enemy. I am respectfully, etc.,

"Gideon Welles.
"Secretary of the Navy."

That five months elapsed between the date of this order and Farragut's action, without anything more definite, shows clearly that the department took no responsibility. On the other hand, it is right to say that it showed a generous appreciation of the effort, and did not complain about the losses.

[V] Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, vol. i, p. 461.

[W] "The campaign of the Baltic will always be in the eyes of seamen Nelson's fairest claim to glory. He alone was capable of displaying such boldness and such perseverance; he alone could face the immense difficulties of that enterprise and triumph over them."—Jurien de la GraviÈre, Guerres Maritimes.

[X] The signal in the United States Navy for the engines to be driven at high speed.

[Y] Before the admiral's departure from New York he gave a grand reception on board the flag-ship, which was attended by the President and his Cabinet and by many of the most prominent people of the Metropolis, including several hundred ladies.—Editor.

[Z] Captain Jervis and Earl St. Vincent were the same officer under different appellations.

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