Part 2 (1/2)

CHAPTER IV

LIEUTENANT

1825-1841

After the termination of his cruise in the Mosquito fleet, and up to the beginning of the Civil War, the story of Farragut's life is for the most part but the record of the routine service of a naval officer in ti to, and being again succeeded by, periods of employment on shore in some of the many duties connected with the administration of the navy But while in their superficial aspect there is little to distinguish these monotonous years, with their occasional breaks of exceptional incident, from the ordinary experiences of all naval officers, the journal of Farragut shows an activity of mind, a constant habit of observation, especially in professionalevery passing opportunity for improvement, which reveal to soreat successes It is not indeed always possible to trace the precise connection between this or that observation, this or that course of study, and the later results; it is rather in the constant habit of doing the best at every radual fore, that are to be found the fruits of the strenuous exertion ut It is a noteworthy, though by no means unprecedented, circunition during his early and reat British adh qualities into notice; and, when lacking but a year of Nelson's age when he fell at Trafalgar, Farragut was vainly petitioning the Navy Department for the coh he alleged his intie of the scene of operations, the close personal exae he had had of witnessing an attack by a French squadron but a few years before

The early age at which he had left his ho absences of his youth, and the death of his father, had all contributed to sever his associations with New Orleans; so that his e in Norfolk, as was the case with so many officers of his day, fixed that city as his place of residence when not at sea It is worthy of remembrance, in connection with his firm determination at a later day to stand by the Union rather than by a section of the country, that the only hout had known out of a shi+p-of-as the Southern city where he had twice eneral sentiment was contrary to the course he took The interest of the fact lies not in its bearing upon the rights or wrongs of the great quarrel that all are now fain to forget, but in showing the rare strength of character which, sustained only by its own clear convictions, resisted the social and friendly influences that overcaut was promoted to be lieutenant, and at the saate Brandywine, chosen to carry back to France Lafayette, as just drawing to a close his memorable visit to the United States The shi+p sailed fro Havre after a passage of twenty-five days Froland, and thence to the Mediterranean, returning to New York in May, 1826 After his arrival Farragut was detached and went to New Haven with his wife, who had becoia and continued to be an invalid during the re in New Haven he availed hie After his wife's treatment was finished they returned to Norfolk, where he re shi+p and living on board with Mrs Farragut Here the interest which he had showed in the improvement of his own mind was transferred to the shi+p's boys, anized a school for these waifs, who at that tiratified to find very tangible results in the improvement shown by them He next received orders to the sloop-of-war Vandalia, which sailed from Philadelphia in the last days of 1828 for the Brazil station On this cruise, which for him lasted but a year, he for the first time visited the Rio de la Plata and Buenos Ayres, and came in contact with the afterward celebrated dictator of that country, Rosas The different provinces, whose union is non by the political naentine Republic, had, under the later days of Spanish rule, constituted with Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay the Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres On the 25th of May, 1810, a declaration of independence was issued in the city of Buenos Ayres A long period of disturbance, internal and external, followed At the tiut a contest had for so two opposite political ideas, and striving in ar centralized govern army This naturally found itsthe wealthy and educated inhabitants of the principal city, Buenos Ayres The province of the saenerally, favored a looser form of confederation The former party, known as the Unitarios, held a brief lease of power; but their opponents found an able leader in Juan Manuel de Rosas, who personified the best and worst features of the _gaucho_ of the pa those wild herdsmen In 1828 Rosas and his allies forced the Unitarian president to resign, and installed one of theovernor of Buenos Ayres This success was but one step in the series of bloody struggles which ended in the establishut first saw Buenos Ayres and Rosas himself, hom he was at a later date thrown in intimate contact and who at that moment was in the full flush of his early popularity

In Deceut's eyes were in such bad condition that it was found necessary to send him home He arrived in February, 1830, and remained in Norfolk for a period of nearly three years, broken only by occasional absences During a part of this ti shi+p in the port; and, as before, manifested an interest, unusual in those days, in those under his command One of these, then a midshi+pman, writes to the author that he still recalls, after the lapse of nearly sixty years, the kindness, consideration and hospitality shown hih the service as the ”Little Luff” Farragut--luff being a naval abbreviation, now obsolete, for lieutenant But with all his kindness there was no relaxation in the enforceain ordered to sea in the sloop-of-war Natchez, as her first lieutenant; or, as the expression now is, as executive officer It was the time of the nullification troubles in South Carolina, and the shi+p was first sent to anchor near Charleston, where she would be prepared to support the authority of the United States Government Fortunately, no occasion arose for her to act; and a stay which began with taking precautions against possible fire-shi+ps froes of courtesy between the officers and the citizens

In April, 1833, the Natchez returned to Haut back again to the Brazils On the 30th of July he was again at anchor, in his new shi+p, off Buenos Ayres Since his forh much trouble A confederation had been formed between the principal provinces, in January, 1831, based upon the loosest ties of union; but the ares which arose largely from jealousy of the military power, and had risen in revolt under the leadershi+p of a general named Lavalle, who for a time had sided with Rosas He o and Rosas, and put the forain, defeated Lavalle, and becaovernor of Buenos Ayres To this position he was re-elected in 1832, and by virtue of it he was, at the tiut's second visit, in chief control of the external policy and internal affairs of the confederation; the principal and seaboard province inevitably taking the lead and representing the country under even the loosest forh the internal state of affairs was, Rosas's strong hand appears to have so far preserved the safety of foreigners as to give no cause for the interference of their shi+ps-of-war Farragut's stay on the station was, however, again cut short The schooner Boxer arrived in Rio Janeiro on her way hoive her a new co officer, he received orders to take her to the United States He sailed in her on the 8th of June, 1834, and on the 25th of July reached Norfolk, where the vessel was put out of coain returned to his family A period of nearly four years of shore duty followed During the latter two of these Farragut was a constant applicant for sea service, which he could not obtain His as at this ti ever weaker and weaker ”I was necessarily confined very much to the house,” he writes, ”for ed to lift her and carry her about like a child” His tender and untiring devotion to the suffering invalid was no less conspicuous than his careful attention to the other duties of life, and was the constant remark of those itnesses of this sorrowful period

In April, 1838, Farragut was again ordered to sea in the hoh still only a lieutenant, took command, in Pensacola, of the sloop-of-war Erie; a position that could only be teher rank It fell to him, however, at a period of peculiar interest--when France became involved with Mexico in one of those brief hostilities by which alone were broken the long years of peace between Waterloo and the Crimean War The quarrel between the tas simply as to the reparation due to French subjects for injuries received during the long years of confusion through which Mexico then had been and still was passing As a political question it possesses no present interest whatever; but to a naval officer of Farragut's strong professional feeling and close habits of observation it offered a peculiar opportunity for noting the silent progressthe navies of Europe, where the necessity of constant preparation insures an advance in which the United States then, as now, tended to lag behind

It supplied also a test, under certain conditions, of the ainst forts; for the French squadron, though few in numbers, deliberately undertook to batter by horizontal fire, as well as to bombard, in the more correct sense of the word, with the vertical fire ofrenowned castle of San Juan de Ulloa, the chief defense of Vera Cruz It was still the day of sailing-shi+ps, both of war and of commerce But a few years had elapsed since a man of considerable scientific attain of the Atlantic to be i upon steam power alone; and only in the same year as the French attack on Vera Cruz (1838) had been seen the falsification of the prediction by the passage of the Sirius and Great Western froland to New York

As a first means of compulsion, the French Government had in 1837 established a blockade of the Atlantic ports of Mexico In two months the Mexican treasury lost two million dollars in duties, which would have been collected if the shi+ps turned away had been permitted to enter; but the Government and people seemed little moved by a result that merely added one more to the many ills hich they were already afflicted The question was then raised by the French authorities, diplomatic and military, whether the possession of the fortress of San Juan de Ulloa, which commanded the city of Vera Cruz, the most important of the coast ports, would not also confer control of a great part of the seaboard, and thus enforce a security not otherwise obtainable for the persons and property of French subjects Blockade, though a less extreme measure, was difficult, protracted, and productive of serious loss The violent northerly gales of winter exposed the shi+ps to peril, and the yellow fever of the summer months was deadly to the crews Moreover, the deprivation of coh a bitter evil to a settled community whose members were accustomed to the wealth, luxury, and quiet life attendant upon uninterrupted mercantile pursuits, had been proved ineffective when applied to a people to whom quiet and luxuries were the unrealized words of a dream The French Government speedily determined to abandon the half-measure for one of an to arrive the shi+ps of an expedition destined to proceed to open hostilities, under the command of Admiral Baudin, a veteran of the Napoleonic wars Appointed in the navy in 1799, iypt and the establishment of the Consulate, by the direct intervention of Bonaparte, as a friend of his father's, Baudin had served with distinction until the fall of the eht arm in battle; and after Waterloo it was he who made the proposition, familiar to all readers of Napoleon's life, to cover the escape of the E the shi+ps under his colish cruisers while the vessel bearing the fallen o,” said he, ”ypt of General Bonaparte; and I rief to see the Eain do aught for her But he must leave her only to live honored in a free country, not to die a prisoner to our rivals” Such was that career, belonging to an early and singular generation, which here for a reat naval hero of our own days

Farragut has recorded his impression of him ”Admiral Baudin,” he writes, ”would be undoubtedly a _rara avis_ in any navy He is about fifty years of age (he was fifty-four), has lost his right arm, looks like a North of Europe lish well

He has every mark of a polished seareat decision, with firested plans These were my remarks the first tiht” His French biographer h, which yet notes the essential difference in the lot of the two gallant men who thus casually met ”For the feho allow occasions to escape them, how many could justly complain that a chance has never been offered them? Admiral Baudin never had the opportunity to which his capacities suited hireat scale; aLatouche-Treville, would have saved us the sorrows of Trafalgar” Farragut was fortunate, for in him the opportunity and the man met in happy combination

When he reached his station, Adales were approaching, while, on the other hand, his first experience showed the ates there before he ca the summer, one had buried forty-five seamen and five officers out of a shi+p's company of four hundred men; the other, at the time of his arrival, had three hundred and forty-three sick a is out of place An ultimatum was at once sent to the Mexican Govern allowed for a reply, because the claims of the French cabinet were already clearly understood On the 25th of November the last of his squadron, two boiven notice that he would wait till noon of the 27th for the final decision On the 28th the attack was made

The castle of San Juan de Ulloa lies half a mile east and to seaward of the city of Vera Cruz, which it co from fifteen to twenty feet deep It is built on the inner extremity of a reef that extends froeneral prolongation of the line connecting the castle and the town This shoal being covered by a foot or two of water, the builders of the fort counted upon it for protection in that direction against shi+ps, and against attack, either by regular approaches or by escalade The work itself was in general outline a parallelograer sides fronted the east and west; and of these the forate of the fortress and was covered by a demi-lune and line of water batteries There were mounted in the castle and dependent works, at the tihty-six cannon The strength of the fortifications, the nus, had all contributed to bestow upon San Juan de Ulloa the reputation of being the strongest position in Spanish Anable to naval attack, for the best hope of shi+ps under such circumstances is to approach closely and drive the defenders froht of the pieces opposed to them; but in San Juan this was forbidden by the extent and formation of the reef Likethe approach very dangerous to vessels dependent only upon sail-power; and the ground about it, though not too deep for anchorage, is rocky and foul

Adhly acquainted with the weak points of the fortress, through infor from the times of the Spanish occupancy, were on file He possessed also two stea, by aid of which, though s his sailing frigates exactly where he wished them Finally, the wretched condition of the Mexican forces, deular warfare and internal coave additional chances of success

On theof November 28th the two steamers towed the bomb-vessels to the eastern extremity of the reef, a little over a ates were taken by them and anchored close to the reef, southeast from the works and distant fro her sails alone, succeeded in taking position a little ahead of her consorts These operations were all completed before noon and were conducted under the eyes of the Mexicans, ere restrained fro theun A delay followed, owing to a flag of truce coht by it proved unacceptable, and the squadron opened fire at half-past two Between that and sundown the three frigates, aided only by a small corvette which attacked under way, poured upon the castle 7,771 round shot and 177 shell, the ht the fire ceased, and negotiations began The following day, at noon, the castle was delivered into the hands of the French, who placed a garrison in it ”It was high tietting up, and the anchors were breaking like glass upon the botto the defenders had been so great, and the re-enforcements at hand were so few, that further resistance was impracticable

The terms of the convention made by the commander of the Mexican forces had stipulated that only a certain nuarrison of Vera Cruz until the affairs between the two nations were settled; but upon the 4th of Decenation, that the Mexican Governainst France, and was throwing re-enforcements into the city He iht threaten his fleet at their anchorage, hoping at the saain possession of Santa Anna, the new commander of the troops and then thetheir preparations in secret, Farragut went on shore and called upon Santa Anna, who promised to care for the persons and property of A: ”Tell President Van Buren that we are all one fa a foothold on this continent”

The following ht, the French eineer soldiers, in the boats of the squadron; and, being covered by a thick fog, landed at six o'clock upon the beach before Vera Cruz Formed in three divisions and unseen by the eneates of the city and at the same time stormed the forts which at the north and south terminate the seaall The Mexicans, taken wholly by surprise, retreated before the assailants The center division of the French, which had entered by the gates, pursued rapidly toward the quarters of Santa Anna

A short, vigorous resistance by a part of his guard enabled the commander-in-chief to escape in shi+rt and trousers; but General Arista was taken Meanwhile the two flank divisions, having dises in pieces, ate There they united with the center; and the whole body, having acco the sea face of the town, fell back upon their boats lying along the mole Most had already re-eed froate and down the mole at double-quick Ad to see the last allant return from a force that had been so badly worsted and was much inferior in nuun on the extre to the Mexicans, had been turned so as to sweep the approach with grape; and five of the boats of the squadron,small carronades, were also disposed to repel attack The ade The discharge swept away the head of the Mexican column, and Santa Anna himself fell with three wounds, fro Some of the broken column fell back upon the town, froan, while others continued down theFrench, directing their aie The admiral himself escaped, but narrowly; his cockswain and akilled, and another ht with great gallantry,” wrote Farragut; and it was perhaps well for the assailants that the fog sweeping in again covered their further retreat

Of all these incidents Farragut was a close and interested observer

Upon joining the Erie as her commander, he found that the shi+p was under orders to proceed with the utmost dispatch to the Mexican coast, to afford to American citizens and their property the protection so likely to be needed in event of active hostilities On the 26th of August she was anchored under the island of Sacrificios, off Vera Cruz, which was then still undergoing the blockade which preceded recourse to stronger ut remained there till the 19th of September, when he returned to Pensacola; but early in Noveain off the Mexican coast at Tampico, where a revolution threatened, for Mexico at the tin attack, but also a prey to the utmost internal disorder On the 17th of thisthere that the 27th was fixed as the day for a final conference and settlement of the questions at issue, her cohout the affair,preparations to receive on board Americans and their movable property in case the city was bombarded

In his journal, and afterward in a letter to Commodore Barron, then the senior officer in the United States Navy, Farragut has preserved a very full and detailed account of the attack, the principal features of which have already beento the care and accuracy of his observations, that the account in his journal corresponds very closely with that given in the Life of Admiral Baudin, published in France within the last few years

He was particularly iuishes as matters of principal i the fighting shi+ps into position, and the destructive effects of the shell upon the soft ed in so of a seaman of the old school about the constant ailments of the little steanore their value, ”and never,” wrote Farragut in his report, ”was the utility of these vessels so apparent

Everything was done by them The day was cale As soon as the anchor was let go they were ready for action The boe had been calculated), and two sloops took position at right angles with the range, to tell by signal the effect of the boed with science and skill and without the slightest interruption, for the Mexicans had given an order to the coun” This order was, in Farragut's opinion, the principal cause of the French sustaining so little loss A well directed fire froht, have destroyed the stea the carefully chosen position, where they were least exposed to the guns of the works