Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-09-13
FARRAGUT.

From the New York Times.


HIS ANTEoEDENTs AND BoYHooD.
Farragut began service when
mere boy, and before he was a dozer
years old, he had distinguished him
self for his bravery, and won the ad
miration of old naval heroes. HI,
came of sterling stock. Bis grand
father was from Cindadella, in tn,
Island of Minorca, whence he eIni
grated to Florida in the seventeenth
century. His father was a soldier
Of the revolution, and a brave one
and his mother was one of the mos
courageous women of her day. A
the time of his birth, his father was
serving as major in o cavalry regi
ment of the regular army against
the Indians. Farragut was born in &
rough pioneer house, not much supe
rior to log hut in the widest por
ton of East Tennessee, at q place Il
miles from Knoxville, known q:
Campbelps Station, of which his par.
ents were among the first settlers
and his early years were passed in
the midst of the most thrilling scenes
of border life. He used to say that
he remembered wildly encounters
his mother had with the Indians, du-
ring their pioneer life, when he was
but a child, and one in particular,
which occurred when he could not
have been more than five years OF
age, in which she fought a band OF
savages almost single handed from
her barricaded hut, and would have
lost her life but for the opportune
arrival of his fathers squadron OF
horse, who, turning the scale, scat
tered the invaders and almost ami
hilated them.
ON THE ESSEX.
Just prior to the breaking out of
the war of 1912, his father
was called to the command of a gun
boat at New Orleans, and thither he
removed with his father. Young
David, then about eight years of age,
began to "thirst for glory" and beg
ged to be allowed to go on a war
ship. His prayer was finally grant
ed, and birth secured for him on
the world-famed ESSer, under the ia
nous Commander David D. Porter,
who was personal friend of the ell
der Farragut, and great admirer
of the boy, in whom he thought he
saw the making of great and able
naval officer. Farragut's first COM
bat was with Porter in the brief but
brilliant engagement with the Eng
lish sloop of war Alert, on the 18th
of April, 1912, when he was but IL
years old, and his second the fierce
conflict in Valparaiso Harbor be-
tween the Essen and the two British
sloops Phoebe and Cherub, where fl
nally the Essen struck her coiors,
only TO save the few remaining pre-
cious lives that had not been sacri-
feed to the fury of the force under
the British captain, Hallyar, with
double their number OF men. In this
fight, the particulars of which are, or
ought to be, familiar to every school
boy, Farragut was by Porters side,
aiding in every possible way the
brave commander, and was con-
spicuous among the most heroic
OF the plucky band. He was select
ed for the most dangerous service,
and invariably performed his work
quickly and well, exhibiting no fear,
but, on the contrary, anxious to be
ever in the thickest of the fight.
When at last it was determined to
surrender the brave little brig, and
the American colors were hauled
down, the boy sobbed as if his heart
were breaking, only then fully com
pretending the extent of the loss,
and that the yankees were COM
pletely beaten. Midshipman Farra-
gut was slightly wounded in this en-
gagement, and, with other officers,
was sent home on parole, while Ad-
miral Porter, in his official report,
took occasion to pay high compli-
ment to his rare bravery, and regret
ted that the extreme youth of the
boy would prevent the promotion
he had so richly earned,
INSTANCES OF HIS BRAVERY.
Many instances are related of the
boys remarkable bravery, capabiIi.
ty and readiness to undertake what
ever was proposed to him to do,
however difficult and dangerous
When he was but IL years old re.
markable commission for boy to
perform was intrusted to him. He
was made master Of the Barclay, one
of the many English vessels that had
fallen prizes of the ESSer, and was
ordered to navigate her from Quay
aquil Bay to Valparaiso, conveyed
by the Essen, Jr., another prize,
This arrangement gave great dis
satisfaction to Capt. Randall, the
former commander, who was cha
grined at being under the orders of
a mere boy, and he swore he would
not follow the ESSer into port, and
threatened to "shoot the first man
who touched a brace" However,
nothing daunted, the boy Master or
dered the men TO fill away the top
sail, and when he got up with the
ESSer, Jr., reported Randalls con-
duct. The latter excused himself
by saying that he only intended "to
frighten the boy" But the boy
showed clearly enough that he was
not to be frightened, and continued
the voyage, performing every duty
of prize master, and employing the
once rebellious Randall as adviser
in navigation" whenever necessary.
MS sELF-RELIANCE AND DETERMINE
TON.