USA > New Mexico > Men of our day; or, biographical sketches of patriots, orators, statemen, generals, reformers, financiers and merchants, now on the stage of action > Part 7
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The Evening Post, after quoting this letter, adds :
"We can tell another story of the same kind. While Grant lay before Vicksburg a letter came to this office from a respectable and generally trustworthy person in a western city, an ardent Unionist, and a man of influence, in which we were told, as positively and undeniably true, that on a certain occasion, Grant and his staff went from Springfield to Cairo in the car of the president of the railroad ; that on the way the whole party, with one or two exceptions, got uproariously drunk, and that Grant was the worst of the company. This, the writer said, he knew to be true, and on this and other evidence, he desired The Evening Post to demand the removal of Grant.
" By a singular coincidence, Mr. Osborne, then President of the Illinois Central railroad, happened to come into this office while the letter we speak of was under discussion, and, of course, he was asked about the story it told. He replied, at once, 'It is a malignant falschood. Grant and his staff did go down to Cairo in the president's car ; I took them down myself, and selected that car because it had conveniences for working, sleeping, and eating on the way. We had dinner in the car, at which wine was served to such as desired it. I asked Grant what he would drink ; he answered, a cup of tea, and this I made for him myself. Nobody was drunk on the car, and to my certain knowledge, Grant tasted no liquid but tea and water.'
" This was the exact truth of the matter. Yet we believe our corres- pondent wrote in good faith."
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career, like most great commanders, has sometimes made great blunders, but he has been quick to learn even from his own errors, and never repeats them. In one word, he possesses a clear, sound, well balanced mind, every faculty of which is thoroughly practical, and such a combination is, in our work-a- day world, worth infinitely more than genius.
DAVID GLASCOE FARRAGUT.
MONG the illustrious characters so rapidly developed by the exigencies of the recent war, none have so elicited the unhesitating confidence, or challenged the uneqivo- cal admiration of our people, and, we may justly add, of the civilized world, as the subject of our sketch, DAVID GLASCOE FARRAGUT. Born in this country, he combines in his veins some of the best blood of fiery, haughty Spain, with that of stern, inflexible, yet genial Scotland. His father, George Farragut, a native of Citadella, the capital of the Island of Minorca, and a descendant of an ancient and noble Catalonian family, came to America in 1776, and promptly took part in the struggle for Independence, attaining finally the rank of major in the Continental Army. At the conclusion of the war, he married Elizabeth Shine, of North Carolina, a descendant from the old Scotch clan McIvor, and removed to Campbell's Station, near Knoxville, Tennessee, where he en- gaged in farming, and where his illustrious son was born on the 5th of July, 1801. Yet the attractions of the old seafaring life which he had probably led before his arrival in America,! seem to have outweighed his love of farming, and we find him, not long after, as a sailing-master in the navy, and a bosom friend of the father of Commodore Porter, who then held a similar rank The son inherited the father's love of the sea, and, although
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born and brought up among the Cumberland mountains, he had hardly reached the age of nine and a half years before his longings for a sailor's life had fully overcome the slight prudential objections which his father felt obliged to urge-and a midshipman's commission was procured for him, bearing date, December 17th, 1810. His first cruise was in 1812, in the famous frigate Essex, under the command of his own and his father's friend, Master Commander (subsequently Commodore) David Porter.
On this vessel, young Farragut served, through the two eventful years of her cruise on the South American Coast, and the Pacific, from which she drove the British commerce. And, when attacked, in violation of all laws of neutrality, in the harbor of Valparaiso, on the 28th of March, 1814, by two British vessels of superior force, the Essex was compelled to yield-but not until she had been several times on fire, and was in a sinking condition. The young "middy," not yet seventeen years of age, bore a fearless part and was slightly wounded. Previous to this event he had served as acting- lieutenant on board the Atlantic, an armed prize. On his return home, his kind patron, the Commodore, placed him at school at Chester, Pennsylvania, where, beside other studies, he was thoroughly instructed in the elements of military and naval tactics. His schooling, however, was but brief, for, in 1816 he was again in active service on board the flag-ship of the Mediterranean Squadron. Here he found, in the chaplain, Rev. Charles Folsom, a friend and instructor, to whom he attributes much of the usefulness and success which has marked his subsequent career. When, shortly after, Mr. Folsom was appointed consul at Tunis, young Farragut accompanied him, and the period of his life spent here, was a most important one, in its influences upon the "setting" of his character, then in its
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"formative" stage. After some other service in the Med- iterranean, Farragut, being then nineteen and a half years old, was promoted (January, 1821) to the rank of lieutenant, and assigned to duty on the frigate Brandywine of the West India station. In 1824, he was stationed at the Norfolk Navy Yard; where (with the exception of a two years' cruise (1828-30) in the Vandalia, on the Brazil station) he remained until 1833. Here he married his first wife, a lady of highly respectable family ; who, unfortunately, became a suffering and hopeless invalid, long and most tenderly watched over by her husband, to whom her death was a most severe blow. Many years after, he married another Norfolk lady, Miss Virginia Loyall, by whom he has a son, Loyall Farragut, who graduates from West Point the present year. In 1833, Lieutenant Farragut was appointed executive officer (lieutenant-commander) of the sloop- of-war Natchez, and returned to the coast of Brazil, where he remained about one year. He was then allowed several years' rest on shore, and, in 1838, was again transferred to the West India or Home Squadron. In September, 1841, he was com- missioned commander in the navy, and ordered to the sloop-of- war Decatur, again on the Brazilian station. Receiving, in 1842, three years' leave of absence, he was ordered, at its expiration in 1845, to the Norfolk Navy Yard, and there remained until 1847, when he took command of the sloop-of- war Saratoga, of the Home Squadron. Assigned to duty again, in the Norfolk Navy Yard, in 1850, where he was second in command to Commodore Sloat, he was appointed assistant inspector of ordnance under Commodore Skinner in 1851, and after three years' service in that capacity, was ordered, in 1854, to the command of the new Navy Yard at Mare's Island, California. In September, 1855, he was promoted to be a captain, and, in 1858, was placed in command of the steam
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sloop-of-war Brooklyn, serving on the Home Squadron, under Commodore McCluney, and from this command he was relieved in November, 1860.
By this time, he had spent about nineteen years afloat, eighteen of which had been occupied in shore duty, and the balance either in waiting orders, or on leave of absence. They had been years well improved by him in the augmentation and perfecting of his professional and general knowledge-and the result is, that he possesses a most thorough and practical knowledge of every thing pertaining to naval science and warfare, while he is superior to most officers in the service, in his breadth of general culture, especially in the languages, speaking with fluency and correctness most of the Continental languages, as well as Arabic and Turkish.
And now arose the great War of the Rebellion, in which all of the experience and all of the culture which he had gathered during these years, was to be rendered available to the interests and the glory of his country. He was at that time (1861) living at Norfolk with his family, surrounded by friends and acquaintances who sympathized with the rebellion. But his loyal heart burned with a righteous indignation at the traitorous cabals and plottings going on around him. When told by brother officers that the State had seceded, and he must either resign or leave the place, he needed no time to decide upon his course. "I cannot live here, and will seek some other place where I can live, and on two hours' notice," was his answer. And hastily collecting such few valuables as they could, the patriot and his family, on the following morning, April 18th, 1861, left their home, with difficulty obtaining at Baltimore (then in the hands of a mob) a passage by boat to Philadelphia, and thence, by railway, to New York. Securing a residence for his family at Hastings, on the Hudson, he immediately
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proceeded to Washington and placed his services at the disposal of the Navy Department. Treason, however, had well nigh stripped the Government of vessels, by sending them to distant ports, while the few which were at its disposal were already in command of his seniors in the service-so that the only employment which could be afforded him was as a member of the Naval Retiring Board, which was busily employed in expelling the incompetent, and in promoting the active, loyal and deserving officers of the navy.
Government, meanwhile, had resolved that an attempt should be made to capture New Orleans, and was pushing forward, with might and inain, the fitting out of a squadron, as well as of an army for its reduction. The naval force which they prepared for this undertaking, consisted of forty-six vessels of all kinds, of which fifteen were armed steamers, and twenty- one were bomb-schooners, each carrying gigantic mortars, throwing fifteen inch shells-while the total armament of the fleet was two hundred and eighty-six guns. The bomb-fleet was under command of Commander David D. Porter, while Farragut had charge of the entire squadron. Sailing in the Hartford, as his flag-ship, from Hampton Roads, on the 3d of February, 1862, he arrived at Ship Island on the 20th, and immediately commenced the organization of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. Making steady progress, in spite of delays in the forwarding of coal, naval stores, hospital stores, munitions of war, etc .; the difficulty of getting vessels of twenty-two feet draught over the bars where the depth was only twelve and fifteen feet ; the obstinacy of some officers, and the ignorance of others; he finally surmounted all obstacles by the 18th of April, and commenced the bombardment of Fort Jackson, the lower one of two forts which defended the passage of the Mississippi, seventy-five miles below the city of 5
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New Orleans. Across the river, and supported by huge logs, was stretched a heavy iron chain, located at a point where the fire from the two forts could be most effectively concentrated. Above this formidable obstruction, lay the Confederate fleet of sixteen gunboats and two iron-clad rams; while along the banks of the river were land batteries of considerable strength. Six days' continuous bombardment of the forts, damaged them considerably, but their flags still floated in triumphant defiance. A council of war was called on board the flag-ship, and after listening to and carefully weighing the somewhat various opinions of his subordinates, Farragut announced his own in the following language (general order of April 20th) : "The flag-officer having heard all the opinions expressed by the different commanders, is of the opinion that whatever is to be done, will have to be done quickly. When, in the opinion of the flag-officer, the propitious time has arrived, the signal will be made to weigh and advance to the conflict. He will make signal for close action, and abide the result-conquer, or be conquered."
The plan which the heroic commander had decided upon in his own mind, was to break the chain by main force, run past the forts, engage and rout the rebel fleet and ascend the river to New Orleans, which would then be completely at his mercy. It was an extremely bold and hazardous movement-for his vessels would be exposed to the converging fire of the forts until the chain was severed, and would then have to risk the chances of a battle with a fleet nearly equal in numbers. and of which two were iron-clad. Farragut, however, is one who dares more than most men, and who believes that a determination to succeed is, together with cool courage and prompt action, the main element of success. Accordingly, issuing orders to start at two A. M. on April 24th, he visited each ship, personally
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superintending the adoption of requisite measures for preserva- tion of life, and of the vessels, and instructing his officers as to the mode of the proposed attack. Many and ingenious were the devices adopted for the protection of the ships and machinery. The sheet cables were stopped up and down along the sides of the vessels, in the line of the engines-forming an almost impenetrable armor over this vulnerable part; hammocks, coal, bags of ashes or of sand, etc., were so disposed as to ward off, or break the force of shots coming in forward or abaft; the bulwarks were lined with hammocks or splinter nettings; the sides of some of the vessels were coated with mud to make them less visible, while others had their decks whitewashed in order to render objects more easily distinguishable by night. At the appointed time, the movement commenced-the chain had been previously broken, and the mortar boats moved up and anchored in such a position that they could pour in their shot as soon as the forts opened fire. The fleet of steam ships moved up to the attack in two columns. The left column, commanded by Farragut, and composed of the flag-ship Hart- ford, Brooklyn, Richmond, Sciota, Iroquois, Kennebec, Pinola, Itasca, and Winona, was to engage Fort St. Philip. The other column, led by Captain Theodorus Bailey in the Cayuga, with the Pensacola, Mississippi, Oneida, Varuna, Katahdin, Kineo, and Wissahickon, was to attack Fort Jackson. Passing steadily along, the fleet was abreast of the forts before they were dis- covered, but then came a storm of converging fire upon them. Dense smoke settled down upon the scene; and the combatants, fighting in utter darkness, could only aim by the flash of each other's guns. The flag-ship, Hartford, assailed by a fire-raft, which was pushed against it by the rebel ram Manassas, caught fire, and, at the same moment, ran aground; but, owing to the promptness and discipline of its crew, it speedily surmounted
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both dangers, and never slackened its fire upon the enemy. Sweeping close to the forts, the gunboats frequently threw into them a terribly destructive fire of shrapnel, grape, and canister ; while the forts were unable to depress their guns sufficiently to reach their lively and daring assailants. Then, as the Union fleet had nearly passed the forts, came the terrible shock of the rebel fleet, several of which were iron-beaked. The brunt of this collision was borne by the left column of boats, under Captain Bailey. For a while it was a terrible, "pell mell" fight. Several of the Union vessels were disabled, and the Varuna crushed by two rebel iron-prowed gunboats (which, however, she crippled and set in flames), sank-her guns playing upon her foes to the very last moment. But the stout hearts had triumphed. Thirteen of Farragut's squadron passed the forts, destroyed an equal number of their gunboats and rams, as well as the iron-clad Manassas, and compelled the others to seek safety in flight. All this, too, with a loss of only thirty-six killed, and one hundred and twenty-five wounded.
Ascending the river, the now victorious Union squadron ar- rived, by noon of the 25th, in front of the city, and demanded its surrender. Four days later, the now useless forts which they had passed, were surrendered to Captain Porter, of the bomb-fleet, and General Butler came up the river to arrange for landing his co-operating troops and taking possession of the city, which had surrendered on the 28th. Farragut, mean- while, destroyed some strong fortifications which had been erected at Carrollton, above the city, with a view to oppose the progress of Commodore Foote, down the river. Having thus seen New Orleans in the full possession of the Union army, Flag Officer Farragut ascended the Mississippi, and ran his squadron past the rebel batteries at Vicksburg, and communi- cated with Flag Officer Davis, then commanding the Mississippi
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Squadron, with whom he arranged for a joint attack upon the city. The attack failed, because the high bluffs on which Vicksburg is located were found to be too high to permit of bombardment by the gunboats, and because the co-operation of a land force was needed. Re-passing the batteries therefore, on the 15th of July, he established the headquarters of his squad- ron at Pensacola; and, while there, received the thanks of both Houses of Congress, together with the rank of rear-admiral- a grade then (July 11, 1862) for the first time created and recog- nized in the naval service of the United States. In the autumn of 1862 he directed the naval attacks on Corpus Christi, Sabine Pass and Galveston, which resulted in their capture; the winter of 1862-63 was occupied in blockade service, routing guerillas along the river shores, expeditions against rebel towns on or near the coast, etc., etc. In the early part of March, 1863, General Grant being then engaged in his campaign against Vicks- burg, requested Farragut to aid him by assaulting that city from below, and that Porter's squadron should run the batteries at Vicksburg, and assist in the same undertaking. His own troops he intended to send down the west bank of the Missis- sippi. Promptly responding to General Grant's wish, Admiral Farragut selected for the purpose eight of his best and strong- est vessels, the Hartford, Richmond, Mississippi, Monongahela, Kineo, Albatross, and Genessee, the three last named being gunboats, which were properly strengthened for the encounter. Six mortar-boats were also detailed to take part in the bombardment, though not to run past the batteries-which were at Port Hudson, and constituted the most formidable line of fortifications on the river, except those of Vicksburg itself, two hundred and thirty-two miles above. The fleet anchored, March 14th, 1863, near Prophet's Island, and the day was spent, by the mortar boats, in bombarding the lower batteries,
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and in making a feint of attack on the rear of the town by a small land force. The steam vessels took no part in this, but at half past nine P. M., with their lights out, and decks white- washed, to enable the men to see the shot and shell which were piled upon the decks, they slipped quietly from their moorings, and moved up the river, lashed together in pairs, and closely hugging the eastern bank. Cautious as were their movements, they were discovered and signalled; and in response an immense bonfire was speedily kindled by the rebels, which lighted up the river directly in front of the strongest rebel battery, in such a way that no vessel could pass unseen. As the flag-ship and her consort swept within the illuminated space, the rebel fire commenced with terrific fury, and from the batteries, extending nearly four miles, tier above tier on the high bluffs, rattled a storm of iron shot, to which the Union vessels and the mortar boats briskly responded. And over all, as at New Orleans, the smoke of battle settling down upon the river, bewildered both gunners and pilots. Still the brave admiral and his heroic followers pressed steadily on; until a curve of the river throwing its channel over close to the eastern bank, brought the floating column almost muzzle to muzzle with the water batteries along the banks. The Hartford and Albatross, lashed together, passed unharmed; the Richmond and Genessee were disabled by a shot in the steam-chest of the former, and fell back; the Monongahela ran aground, and was under fire for twenty-five minutes, before her consort, the Kineo, could get her afloat, and was also placed hors du combat, and obliged to drop down the river, while the Mississippi unfortunately grounded on the west bank of the river, directly under the con centrated fire of the entire rebel batteries, took fire and (de- serted by her gallant crew) floated down the river and blew up.
The Hartford and Albatross, therefore, which were the only
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vessels which succeeded in passing the terrible ordeal, blockaded the mouth of the Red River, and cut off an important channel of supplies to Vicksburg; and, in May, having been relieved by Admiral Porter, a part of whose squadron had run the Vicksburg batteries, Farragut returned to New Orleans, via the Atchafalaya, and directed the naval operations against Port Hudson until its surrender.
The admiral had long been anxious to attack and subdue the strong forts, three in number, which defended the entrance to Mobile Bay, and under the cover of whose guns, an immense amount of blockade running was successfully carried on. But although often proposed, it was not until August, 1864, that the project could be carried into effect. Then, a combined attack of land and sea forces was arranged between Farragut and Generals Canby and Granger of the army. In pursuance of this plan, troops were landed on Dauphin Island, and in the early dawn of the 5th of August, the fleet moved forward to a combat which proved to be more destructive and more novel, in some of its aspects, than any naval battle upon this continent. Fourteen sloops of war and gunboats and four iron-clad moni- tors were arranged by the admiral, in the following order of attack : the Brooklyn and the Octorara were lashed together, the Brooklyn (which, much against his wishes, was allowed the lead) being on the starboard side, nearest to Fort Morgan ; next, the Hartford and Metacomet; then, the Richmond and Port Royal; the Lackawanna and Seminole; the Monongahela and Kennebec ; the Ossipee and Itasca, and the Oneida and Galena. On the right or starboard of the gunboats, were arranged the monitors, the Tecumseh (Commander Craven) in the lead; the Manhattan (Commander Nicholson), the Winnebago (Comman- der Stevens), and the Chickasaw (Lieutenant Commander Per- kins). With this force he prepared to engage the three forts,
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all well garrisoned, and supported by three powerful gunboats (the Selma, Morgan, and Gaines) and the iron-clad steam ram, Tennessee, which the rebels considered the most formidable armored vessel ever constructed by them.
Steaming steadily up the channel, the Tecumseh, at 6:47, A. M., fired the first shot, Fort Morgan soon replied, the Brooklyn then replied, and the action became general. Suddenly, the Tecumseh struck a torpedo, careened and sank almost instantly, carrying down with her, her gallant commander, and most of the crew. Sending what aid he could to the few who yet struggled amid the waves, the admiral took the lead in his own flag-ship, the Hartford, steaming off in a track which had been well lined by the rebels with torpedoes, but which he determined to take the risk of, on the probability, as he says, of their being innocuous by reason of having been some time immersed in the water. By careful manœuvering, the fleet were enabled to clear the middle ground, and to keep up a pretty effectual silencing fire on Fort Morgan. At about 8 A. M., just as they had passed the fort, the Hartford was threatened by the ram Tennessee, and the rebel gunboats ahead so annoyed the Union vessels by a raking fire, that the admiral detached the Metacomet and Octorara in pursuit of them; and one, the Selma, was captured, while the two others took refuge under the guns of the fort; one, the Gaines, being hopelessly damaged. The remainder of this combat between the iron- clad monster, the Tennessee, and the Union fleet, cannot be more graphically described than in the words of the admiral's own report.
" Having passed the forts and dispersed the enemy's gun- boats, I had ordered most of the vessels to anchor, when I perceived the ram Tennessee standing up for this ship. This was at forty-five minutes past eight. I was not long in com-
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prehending his intentions to be the destruction of the flag-ship. The monitors and such of the wooden vessels as I thought best adapted for the purpose, were immediately ordered to attack the ram, not only with their guns, but bows on at full speed ; and then began one of the fiercest naval combats on record. "The Monongahela, Commander Strong, was the first vessel that struck her, and in doing so, carried away her own iron prow, together with the cutwater, without apparently doing her adversary much injury. The Lackawanna, Captain Marchand, was the next vessel to strike her, which she did at full speed ; but though her stem was cut and crushed to the plank-ends, for the distance of three feet above the water's edge and five feet below, the only perceptible effect on the ram was to give her a heavy list. The Hartford was the third vessel that struck her; but, as the Tennessee quickly shifted her helm, the blow was a glancing one, and, as she rasped along our side, we poured our whole port broadside of nine-inch solid shot within ten feet of her casement. The monitors worked slowly, but delivered their fire as opportunity offered. The Chickasaw succeeded in getting under her stern and a fifteen-inch shot from the Manhattan broke through her iron plating and heavy wooden packing; though the missile itself did not enter the vessel. Immediately after the collision with the flag-ship, I directed Captain Drayton to bear down on the ram again. He was doing so at full speed, when unfortunately, the Lackawanna ran into the Hartford just forward of the mizzen-mast, cutting her down to within two feet of the water's edge. We soon got clear again, however, and were fast approaching our adversary ! when she struck her colors and ran up the white flag.
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