Part 3 (1/2)

In July, 1858, Farragut returned to the East by the only route then available, the Isth his absence, on the 14th of September, 1855, he had been promoted to the rank of captain, which, prior to the Civil War, was the highest grade in the United States Navy; the title commodore, then so frequently applied to the older officers of the service, being siiven to a captain who had commanded a squadron of several vessels, but who did not thereby cease to be borne as a captain upon the Navy Register Soon after his arrival Farragut was ordered to co coo which the United States Government, most luckily for itself, had determined to build, and which becaencies of the Civil War

It has been said, and that on the floors of Congress by a politician conspicuous in his party, that past history teaches that preparation for war is unnecessary to the United States, and the conditions precedent to the wars of 1812 and 1861 have been cited in support of the assertion

Certainly no one cognizant of the facts will deny that the United States was ards the size of her navy; but it so happened on both occasions, ement, that what navy it did have was of remarkably fine quality, and, to the extent to which its nuenerally perfectly adequate to the work it had to do It could not, however, begin to touch the full aht to have done In 1812 it could not protect the Chesapeake nor the Mississippi; it was blockaded in its own ports, escaping only by evasion; it could not protect American commerce, which suffered more than did that of Great Britain In 1861, had its numbers been at all adequate, it could by prompt action have forestalled the preparations of the enees which were afterward achieved only by large expenditure of ti Such were the results of unpreparedness It was to the preparation, scanty as it was--to the fine shi+ps and superior armaments, both too few--that the successes of either era were due The frigates and sloops of 1812 were a the finest of their class to be found anywhere, with powerful batteries and excellently officered; while in the decade before the Civil War began there had been built eighteen or twenty new steamshi+ps, admirably efficient for their day, and with armaments of an advanced and powerful type Upon these fell the principal brunt of the naval fighting that ensued These shi+ps, and particularly those of the Brooklyn class, were the backbone of Farragut's fleet throughout all his actions, even in the last at Mobile in 1864 Had there been thrice as many, the ould have been sooner and therefore more cheaply done; but had the lack of preparation in 1861 equaled that of 1851 or 1881, it may be questioned whether any of his successes could have been won

When Farragut took command of the Brooklyn, ten years had elapsed since he was last afloat--years pregnant with naval change He had never before served in a stea to Porter's Mosquito fleet, in 1823 The changes in the disposition and handling of the guns had not been radical They were still arranged ”in broadside,” along the two sides of the vessel; nor were the pivot guns--which, as their name i to the position of an enemy--a new idea In these matters there had been improvement and develop and handling was essentially the sareatly increased in size and received iue was that associated with the naun had been e upon its various parts, as determined by careful experiun, which had been the principal weapon of the earlier shi+ps, the batteries of the new frigates and sloops were couns, with one or more pivots of ten- or eleven-inch bore The shell-shot, whose destructive effects had excited Farragut's conized type of projectile; and the new guns were spoken of distinctively as shell-guns, because not expected to use solid shot under ordinary circuut's future flag-shi+p, the Hartford, although screw stea shi+p; and they ooden, not iron vessels

The service of the Brooklyn, while under Farragut's coround in the West Indies and in Mexico

In the latter country, since the termination of the ith the United States in 1848, there had been a constant succession of revolutions; and at the time of the Brooklyn's cruise there was established in Vera Cruz a constitutional party, at whose head was Benito Juarez, the lawful claimant of the presidency Opposed to this, in the city of Mexico, was the party headed by General Miramon, who had succeeded by force to the authority of Juarez's predecessor The United States threw its influence on the side of Juarez; and its minister, Robert McLane, was permitted to use the Brooklyn to carry him from point to point of the coast While no force was exerted, the support given to the minister's remonstrances by the constant presence of a powerful shi+p-of-war served to enized Juarez This recognition was followed some tiland, France, and Spain Mr McLane continued with the Brooklyn during great part of 1859, and in December of that year returned in her to the Mississippi, where he was landed at a plantation belo Orleans This visit to his early hout His elder brother, Willia been retired from active service, for which he was unfitted by rheumatis at the head of the list of lieutenants, and being assigned to duty at the naval rendezvous in New Orleans When the Brooklyn entered the river he was lying at the point of death, but heard of his brother's approach, and expressed a hope that he ain after so many years of separation The as not to be fulfilled Though ignorant of the danger, Captain Farragut hastened to the city, hi; but he arrived only in tirave

Farragut remained attached to the Brooklyn for two years In October, 1860, he was relieved by Captain W S Walker, and returned to his home in Norfolk This ended his sea service prior to the Civil War, and as the captain of a single shi+p Thenceforward, during the brief but ireat fleets

CHAPTER VI

THE QUESTION OF ALLEGIANCE

1860-1861

When Captain Farragut returned to Norfolk in October, 1860, he was, albeit unconsciously, rapidly approaching the turning point of his life, the tide in his affairs which taken at the flood should lead on to fortune That he seized the opportunity was due to no dexterous weighing of the effects of either course upon his personal future, but to that preparedness of mind which has already been mentioned as one of his characteristic traits, and to the tenacity hich were held his convictions thus deliberately and maturely forathering clouds which preceded the approaching storm, and in common with others had felt the distress and perplexity which would attend the rupture of the Union He did not, however, reitated as such by hopes and fears, but trusting withal to the chapter of accidents He had considered the effect of the alternatives before the country, and what his own duty should be in any case He could not, in his modest position, control the course of events; but, whatever befell, he would be ready to take his stand, strengthened in so doing by the settled principles to which his conscientious htened by reason, had in it nothing of obstinacy; yet resisted those appeals to affection, to interest, or to prejudice, under which sothe Brooklyn, on the 6th of November, 1860, the presidential election was held, and resulted, as had been expected, in the choice of Mr Lincoln On the 20th of December South Carolina seceded, and her course was folloithin the next six weeks by the other cotton States In February, 1861, delegates froomery, Alabama, adopted a constitution, and elected Jefferson Davis to be president of their confederation On the 18th he was inaugurated, and the new government was thus formally constituted

Here for a ut earnestly trusted would stop Born in a Southern State, and passing his childhood in the extreme Southwest, his relations with both had been severed at too early an age to establish any lasting hold upon his affections; but, though he was to the end carried upon the Navy Register as a citizen of Tennessee, the tenderest and inia Nowhere were local bonds stronger, nowhere State pride greater or more justified, than in the famous Commonwealth, which had stood in the center of the line in the struggle for independence, and had given to the nation so ton doard It was ie, and when attached to no other spot, hadits people--should be insensible to these influences, or look without grief to a contingency which should force hie of old age, to seek elsewhere a new hoht, to bear without suffering the alienation and the contempt visited upon those who, in tieneral passion which sways the ut therefore naturally hoped that this bitter trial inian people had taken what seeh he was determined to abide by the Union if it were severed by violent action, he was anxious to believe that his hoislature of the State met early in January and recommended all the States to appoint deputies to a peace convention, which accordingly met on the 4th of February; but the propositions ress could accept On the 13th of the same month there was assembled at Richates to which were Union men, in the then sense of the word in that State This fact, and the character of soe the belief to which Farragut's wishes led hie of resolutions affirrounds upon which Virginia would be justified in exercising the right Arounds were the adoption of any warlike measures by the United States Government, the recapture of the forts which had been seized by the States already seceded, or any atte the first week in April by the rejection of a proposition to secede by a vote of eighty-nine to forty-five; but, as Farragut held that the President would be justified in calling out troops when the forts and property of the nation had been violently taken froislature of his State showed that he ht soon be forced to choose between it and the National Government In that case his mind was fully made up; the choice was painful, but not doubtful ”God forbid,” he said, ”that I should have to raise ainst the South!” but the words themselves showed that, however bitter the decision, he was ready to make it If separation between the sections came peacefully, by mutual consent, he would abide in the only home his manhood had known, and cast his lot thenceforth with the people to who whom his interests lay; but if the rupture took the forainst the Central Governiance, he was prepared to turn his arainst those who in the other alternative would have been his country months of suspense and anxiety was honorable alike to his heart, which responded warmly to the calls of natural affection, and to his conscience, which subordinated the dictates of the heart to his convictions of right; while the unhesitating character of his resolution, amid the uncertainties that unsettled sofor eencies which characterized his career

On the 12th of April, 1861, the long period of waiting and watching was brought to an end by the attack upon Fort Sumter On the 15th President Lincoln issued his procla the condition of affairs which existed in the seceded States, the defiance of the Central Government, and the seizure of its property In consequence he called for seventy-five thousand men from the militia of the various States, and avowed clearly that ”the first service assigned to the forces hereby called forth will probably be to repossess the forts, places, and property which have been seized from the Union” This was clearly an appeal to arms, provoked finally by the assault upon Fort Su in Richmond had pronounced to be a lawful cause for secession In the excitement of the hour the Union men, whose attitude toward the etic, were swept away by the current of feeling, and an ordinance of secession was passed by the convention on the 17th of April, 1861

During the previous winter Farragut had been residing in Norfolk, unemployed by the Government, but in daily association both with citizens and naval officers; many of whom, like himself, were married and settled there He and his friends met daily at one of those common rendezvous which are to be found in every sht of change and exciteut became acquainted with the views ofhimself swayed by, the influences to which all of them, and especially those of Southern birth, were subjected With the conservatis periods separated by their profession froreat e, could not but feel keen sorrow at the prospect of changes, which would re which had hitherto stood to theht upon by the strong appeals of those they loved, and unfortified by the well-reasoned convictions which ut, it was equally ireater part of them to imitate his example

The sense of duty and official honor which they owed to their long training in a generous service stood by them, and feere the cases of e; but theirs was not that sense of personal allegiance to the Governle eye, and enabled Farragut's final decision to be as prompt as it was absolute

On the 18th of April, the day after the ordinance of secession had been passed, Farragut went as usual to the place of , by the faces of those there, that a great change had passed over the relations between them He spoke with his usual openness, and expressed his deliberate convictions He did not believe that the action of the convention represented the sober judgment of the people The State had been, as he phrased it, ”dragooned” out of the Union; and President Lincoln was perfectly justified in calling for troops after the seizure of the forts and arsenals One of those present remarked impatiently that a person with such senti was evidently shared by the bystanders; there was, indeed, soer, in those excited ainsay the popular passion ”Very well,”

replied Farragut, ”I can live somewhere else” No tiently for which he had, with his custo the necessary funds He at once went to his house and told his wife the time had come for her to decide whether she would remain with her own kinsfolk or follow him North Her choice was as instant as his own, and that evening they, with their only son, left Norfolk, never to return to it as their ho family acco the latter city they found it also boiling over with excitement The attack upon the Massachusetts troops had just taken place, and the railroad bridges over the Susquehanna were then burning The usual ut and his party had to take passage for Philadelphia in a canal boat, on which were crowded soees like themselves It is a curious illustration of the hardshi+ps attending a flight under such exigency, even in so rich a country as our own, that a baby in the company had to be fed on biscuit steeped in brandy for want of proper nourishment

Frout there settled his fas, on the Hudson River Here he awaited events, hoping for employ civil strife that confidence is shaken, and the suspicions that arise, however unjust, defy reason and constrain the Governer proof than Farragut had of his perfect loyalty; but all shades of opinion were known to exist ain, even when they reh refusing to follow the South, would willingly have avoided striking a blow against the seceding States Men were heard to say that they would not go with their State, but neither would they fight against her; or that they would reht spare theical positions were soon abandoned as the spirit of war gained ut they never existed after the first bloas struck Through whatever struggles with hies of the secession movement, his decision, when reached, admitted no half-measures, nor halted between two opinions ”He stood on no neutral ground, he longed to take an active part in the war” Nevertheless, the Government could not at once accept, as a title to full and i associations which he had iven any duty, a ut's rank and attain much responsibility, failure in which would involve not only himself but those who had employed him The cry of treachery was sure to follow, and prudent officers of Southern birth found it advisable to decline employments where they foresaw that delays were unavoidable, because they felt that what ht be explained in the case of a Northern man would in them be stamped by public opinion as the result of disaffection In Hastings and its neighborhood thethe Southern captain who had thus co theiven up more than had been demanded of those who thus distrusted him

Time was needed to allow men's minds to reach a more reasonable frame, and for the Government itself to sift and test, not merely the fidelity, but the heartiness and the probable capacity of the officers at its cout's first employment was as a member of a board to recommend officers for retireust 3, 1861 The object of this act was to assist the Department in the discrimination necessary to be made between the competent and those disabled by years or infirular system of retirement, and men were retained on the active list past the period of efficiency, because no provision for reh , was delicate and trying, and far fro character More suitable e

[Illustration: SCENE OF FARRAGUT'S OPERATIONS, 1862-1864]

CHAPTER VII

THE NEW ORLEANS EXPEDITION 1862

The necessity of controlling the Mississippi valley had been early realized by the United States Governreat streae sections of the Southern Confederacy; whereas in the possession of the latter it reh which it flowed, or which were penetrated by any of its numerous tributaries The extensive territory west of the river also produced a large part of the provisions upon which depended the Southern armies, whose main field of action was, nevertheless, on the eastern side In a country habitually so unprepared for war as is the United States, and where, of course, such a contingency as an intestine struggle between the sections could not have been provided for, there seeht by rapid action seize the whole course of the river, before the seceding States were able to take adequate measures for its defense