Part 10 (2/2)

To so reasonable a request, after such distinguished and valuable service, the department could not have closed its ears had it been so disposed Farragut was authorized to leave his squadron in charge of Coallant and efficient officer, and to come north in the Hartford On the 30th of November, 1864, he sailed froain anchored in New York Harbor

CHAPTER XI

LATER YEARS AND DEATH

1864-1870

With the strong national and patriotic feeling that had been aroused throughout the Northern States by the war of secession, Farragut had no cause to coratitude or indifference on the part either of the Govern-shi+p entered the Narrows, on his final return from the Gulf, she was met by a representative committee from the city officials and citizens of New York Enthusiastic crowds greeted hiiven hied by the leading ood-will and ad request that the ad up his abode in it and beco the deeds which had won for him universal applause and thankfulness, the committee said: ”The citizens of New York can offer no tribute equal to your clairatitude and affection Their earnest desire is to receive you as one of their number, and to be permitted, as fellow-citizens, to share in the renown you will bring to the metropolitan city This desire is felt in coraceful tribute of words was accoift of fifty thousand dollars, to facilitate Farragut's co with the request

The letter was addressed to Vice-Adut; the United States Govern its debt to its rade soon after his arrival The bill for the purpose was introduced on the 22d of December, 1864, immediately passed by both houses, and becaut's nomination and confirmation followed of course and at once; so that his proratefully acknowledged the elco, as far as he could, his claim to extraordinary merit in the brilliant services which he asserted were but the performance of his duty; and he thankfully accepted, as the spontaneous offering of his fellow-countrymen, the recouished h the forovernment

Toward the end of January, 1865, the Confederate vessels in the James made an attees of the United States armies, and cut off both the Army of the James and that of the Potomac from their base of supplies at City Point Rear-Admiral David D Porter, who then commanded the North Atlantic Squadron, was fully occupied at the titon, North Carolina; and as the hostile attempt threatened a very serious annoyance to the cout, as then in Washi+ngton, was ordered to proceed to the spot He accordingly hoisted his flag on a s upon his arrival that the enemy had been repulsed, and satisfactory measures taken to prevent a renewal of the effort, he returned to Washi+ngton This slight episode concluded his active service in the war

When Richut was a the first to visit the fallen capital of the Confederacy From there a few days later he visited his old home in Norfolk Many of his forainst hiainst the South The i his old home, he would remain neutral; and it was even reported that he had said he would take no part in the war That Farragut never passed through that phase of feeling, in the struggle between life-long affections and the sense of duty, would be too much to affirm; but it was a position in which a man of his decided and positive character could not have stopped when civil strife was upon the land It was inconsistent with his general habits of thought; and it is evident that, before leaving Norfolk, his convictions on the particular crisis had already left far behind any such te place between two opinions When he justified to his excited neighbors President Lincoln's call for troops, on the ground that the United States Government could do no less, when its arsenals and navy yards were seized and its flag fired upon, it is inconceivable that the e of his opinions entertained any further doubt as to his future course; though it may well be that he did not i avowal of his purpose In a reception given to hier be his home, he recalled those days and said: ”I was told by a brother officer that the State had seceded, and that I n and turn traitor to the Government which had supported me from my childhood, or Imy decision I have spent half my life in revolutionary countries, and I know the horrors of civil war, and I told the people what I had seen and what they would experience They laughed at ranny' and 'croaker'; and I said: 'I can not live here, and will seek some other place where I can live, and on two hours'

notice' I suppose they said I left ood, and thank God I did! I was unwilling to believe that this difficulty would not have been settled; but it was all in vain, and as every man must do in a revolution, as he puts his foot down, so itthe close of the war, Farragut visited several of the New England cities, receiving everywhere marks of love and admiration similar to those tendered to him in New York; but his life for the next two years was passed in co the re-establishment of his health, which had been severely shaken by the exposures and anxieties of the war Though for theup of the affairs of the West Gulf Squadron fully occupied his tiress passed a law creating the grade of admiral in the United States Navy, a position which was of course given at once to Farragut, and has been held by but one other--the late Ad year he was appointed to co hoisted on board the steaate Franklin on the 17th of June, 1867 Without any request, and indeed without any expectation, on his part, the Governut and a kinswo the cruise On the 28th of June the shi+p sailed from New York,[Y] and on the 14th of July anchored in Cherbourg, France

[Footnote Y: Before the adrand reception on board the flag-shi+p, which was attended by the President and his Cabinet and byseveral hundred ladies--EDITOR]

After passing a fortnight there, during which the admiral visited Paris and dined with the Emperor, the Franklin sailed for the Baltic, where thethe ports of Russia, Sweden, and Denut was received with the enthusias naval officers, by the presence of the man who had bestowed upon their profession a lustre unequaled by any other deeds of that generation

Toward the end of Septeland, where alavished upon hi, but of all positions Here, as in the Baltic, every opportunity was given Farragut for visiting all objects of general interest, as well as for exa the professional iland the Franklin went to the Mediterranean, which Farragut had not seen since the flying tripLafayette in France Between October, 1867, and April, 1868, were visited Lisbon, Gibraltar, and several ports of the western Mediterranean belonging to Spain, France, and Italy Everywhere the same cordial welcome was extended, and the hly the points of interest in which the Mediterranean abounds At Nice he was the object of especial attentions fro that attractive winter resort; and while at Naples a special excavation was made at Pompeii for his benefit Nowhere, however, did he have a more elaborate and, fro reception than in Malta, the great British stronghold in the central Mediterranean; where the Mediterranean fleet, then on the point of sailing for the Levant, was detained especially to meet him

The incidents of this cruise which reatest interest for his biographer, occurred in the island of Minorca, where his fainated Over forty years had passed since, as midshi+p those early visits he had receivedin the interior of the island who claimed relationshi+p; but with boyish indifference he had not responded to any of these advances Since that time he had beco years, in collecting all traces of family history which they can find; especially when, as in his case, they have been early and completely separated from the hoe Ticknor had sent him an old Spanish book, the poems of Mossen Jaime Febrer, in which he read the account of his earliest celebrated ancestor, Pedro Ferragut A several escutcheons of the fa diverse ecclesiastical and military emblems indicative of the individual's profession, all contain the co device of a horseshoe; and this the ad of kinshi+p, had adopted for his plate Drawn by these ties of blood and by curiosity, it was a ut should visit the famous harbor for which British, French, and Spaniards had battled, and which lay within the limits of his command

The renown of his achievements had carried his name to Ciudadela, the remote inland city where his father was born over a century before; and the quiet islanders, who had exulted in the fareet hiiven by them, the admiral, in Dece account is given by his secretary, Mr Montgomery, who accompanied hinated by the admiral for his promised visit to Ciudadela, in response to the cordial invitation of the authorities and people of that city The news of this tour of pleasure had spread rapidly to all parts of the island, and occasioned a general rest from labor and a popular concentration upon the lines of travel At the towns of Alayor and Mercadal flocks of people of both sexes had assembled on the roadside to unite with the authorities in tendering our naval chieftain a cordial welcoht at his advent

”Although unable to accept the offers of hospitality which even in these unpretending villages were showered upon hiratification he felt at their de the excited lines, he underwent a siege of hand-shaking At these points and elsewhere along the route soldiers had been stationed to pay hiht require throughout his journey

”On his arrival within four miles of Ciudadela he was fore co many prominent citizens, tendered the hospitalities of the city, and cordially welcoe of courtesies, he was transferred to a very handsome barouche, and conducted forward in the van of a quite for procession, de as he approached this ancient capital of Minorca, the present residence of many of those who prefer the quiet seclusion of their island ho notoriety incident to ayer provinces of the mainland Outside the walls of the city his appearance was no sooner heralded than e, sex, and condition rushed forward to greet hi the air with cheers and acclaates of the city, the walls, house-tops, and balconies were croith anxious spectators, uniting demonstrations of welco multitude who had taken possession of the principal thoroughfares One olddown his weather-beaten face, stamped sincerity itself upon the nature of the welco aloud: 'He is ours! he is ours!

but I shall never see hi to the residence of Senor Don Gabriel Squella, which had been kindly placed by that gentleman at the disposal of the admiral and his suite, was literally blocked with people, and the excitement rose rapidly to fever heat as the head of the colu to make a breach in a body absolutely closed in mass It ith no little difficulty that the procession forced a passage; and although policemen did their ut their language with all the vocabulary of Spanish expletives, it was found necessary to disembark at some distance from the hospitable mansion and trust to the humanity of our entertainers to afford an entrance on foot But the tehtful headquarters which had been assigned hiht hi his thanks and acknowledging in every possible way his heartfelt appreciation of the cordial welcome extended him, until it appeared that there was no prospect of a cessation of hostilities, when, for the first time in his life, he was persuaded to retreat in the face of superior numbers

”The excitehout the entire evening, and it was not until near ht that the crowd slowly dispersed, and the peaceful little city of Ciudadela resu citizens, unaccustoht, retired to their own little ho this time a fine band of music was stationed in the capacious vestibule on the first floor of Senor Squella's mansion, and almost all the prominent citizens of the place, with their fauest,the scene of excitement within as pleasant as that without was tu enthusiasm arose with the sun, oncethe headquarters of the admiral, and there kept anxious watch I am confident that, had there been an election that day for Governor of the Balearic Islands, or for King of Spain itself, the admiral would have been chosen without opposition

”At an early hour, accompanied by his entire suite, all surrounded and followed by an ad, he was escorted by the committee and other citizens to all the places of interest in and about the city, and finally to the cathedral, in which he had scarcely been seated before it was literally packed in every part by people, their hundreds of eyes being riveted upon the pleasant countenance of the unappalled ad froid_ as if accustoan pealed forth our own nationalour far-off land even to those whose knowledge of its power and glory was limited to its history, and the sparse information derived from the few Americans who have visited this secluded city”

After leaving the Mediterranean in April, 1868, the Franklin went to Holland and Belgiuland, in the course of which Farragut was presented to Queen Victoria, and visited Scotland and the north of England In July he returned to the Mediterranean andConstantinople; a special indulgence to anchor before the city being accorded to the shi+p bearing the flag of an admiral, whose exceptional achievee would shortly be construed into a precedent

After a short stay in Athens, and a run up to Trieste at the head of the Adriatic, the Franklin returned to Gibraltar, and thence sailed for New York, which she reached on the 10th of Nove to the end, had resenition everywhere extended to the hero, whose battle-won blue flag she carried at her main