The Republican journal., 1874-01-08

lesson every wise OF foolish deed conveys
TO the heart that is opened TO receive il.
Anecdotes of Admiral Farragut.
We find the following interesting rem
iniscences of Admiral Farragut, in the
last number of Colonel Forney's "Anec-
dotes OF Public Men, to which they are
contributed 10y Surgeon-General J. NJ.
Foltz. L. 5. n. now residing in Philadel-
phia, but 4 native Of Lancaster The
Doctor admires Farraout and tells Us moth
ing OF him that is not to his credit The
truth is, however that Farragut was bv no
means perfect character His great fault
was his scltishness Il fault which Is. COM
mon to many Of those styled by the world
great men. who reach their eminence by
thinking only of themselves and trampling
rcmorselessly upon the rights and feelings
of their fellow ira elers through this will
derness. This certainly unamiable, even
if az certainly valuable, trait of character
was strongly developed in Farragut, and
YOU did not need to be twice in his com
panv to observe it. But he was very agree
able when he chose to be. Colonel Foney
SAYS. he met him first at a dinner at the
White House in the Winter Of 1SG9-'70:
Farragut was charming found him
almost boyish in his frankness. He talked
necessarily was full Of life, and had much
to say of his iaUmt among the grandees OF
the Old World He had nothing to say Of
himself: but he was delighted with the
curious presents he had rejected while in
Europe and the odd biiouterie he had
bought. and he showed them to me with Il
confidential delight very like Il lad at school
who secretly exhibits his marbles to his
envious playmates A looked and listen
ed inwardlv rehearsed his story Born
in East Tennessee. 1901. a midshipman
when he was nine years Old, in battle on
board the Essex, under old Commodore
Iurttr, IL 10 Ii. louSnt pI;N clA was Wounu-
ed, and reported as follows: The boy toe
Young for promotion" Again in conflict
with the West Indian pirates, when he Wa
Il midshipman of - and from that time
10 the close of the rebellion, in active ser
vice
Dr Foltz tells this first anecdote OF Far
ragut. he SAYS. exactly rs the Admiral
used to relate ii in his familiar moods
At thirteen was an acting midshipmar
with Commodore Porter Gather of the
present AlmiraD on board the Essex
when she was captured by the British
trigates Phobe and Cherub, while at an
chor in the harbor Of Valparaiso Our top
masts were carried away, and we We're nj
anchor near the shore, when the two trig-
ateS blaZed away ri us at their leisure,
until One-third OF the officers and crew O
the Essex We're killed or wounded, when
Porter surrendered.
We could have landed and blown up the
ship, but Porter was too honorable mar
and too brave for that, even when defeated
in the unfair fight | was sent ashore
among the wounded Tor treatment. My
wounds Were splinter wounds, and soor
healed Among the wounded was JacE
Covineton. the captain of the maintop
where | was stationed ! was Jack:
''chicken.'' and he taught me to make
knots splice reef and steer. Jack tool
care Of my hammock, sewed on my but
tons, and drank my grog, which was served
out to all hands on board.
Poor Jack had a terrible wound in the
shoulder. The surgeons held consulta
ton Oh the p1opriety of amputation; Jacl
begged hard to be permitted to ''dic witt
his Ripper" and it was decided to try tC
save it, and | volunteered to be Jack;
nurse The dressings were linseed poul
tices twice day, and soon learned my
new duties, under the instructions Of the
''loblollv boy
Never was there Il better patient. .Jac+
| was full of pluck, and, when not suffering
from severe pain, always cheerful. The
inflammation and swelling We're very great
and it was q long time before they began
to subside. Judge Of our astonishment
when one morning, III the midst Of The
dressings, we found piece Of Shell Owe
an inch long, and weighing about Al
ounce. Jack and his doctor were both de
! lighted. and from that day the improve
ment in the wound and the patient wa
rapid
Jack looked upon the piece Of iron q
so much gold, and determined at once tt
| take it home to his mother, at Marblehead
| for an earring. But with one earring th'
old craft would not be in trim-she woult
| have a list to starboard But q ieweler.. il
Valparaiso remedied the evil by sawin:
| the fragment of shell in two, and putin!
| in gold rings, with which old Jack Gov
| ington returned to his home at Marble
head, as his most valuable present to hi
| dear old mother. That was my first cast
Of surgery, and it turned ont we'll
i FAHRAGLT All NEW ORLEANS.
After an amount OF labor almost ncred
ible, Admiral Farragut succeeded in light
ening and lifting ships of-war drawing
twenty-five and twenty three feet of waite
over the bar in the Southwest Pass of thu
Mississippi, which at high water carrie
but eighteen feet. For ten days lie tool
his meals when and where he could fine
something to eat, and for ten nights hi
slept with his mattress on lockers, or
tables and on decks. At length he had al
his fleet, of $50 vessels, in the river at tn,
head Of the passes. The mortar fleet
under the gallant Porter, was first in po
sition to open the ball, and then the heavy
ships-ot-war We're in succession placed ii
position up the river, and, when all wer,
ready for work, last Of all came the flag
ship II artford with Farragut. On his way
up, on the 18th Of April, 1861, he passed
the French admiral returning from visi
to New Orleans, where he had been, unde1
flag Of truce, looking after the interests
of the French citizens. As the two ship.
of-war passed each other, Farragut hailet
his friend, the French admiral, s'Je sui
pret''-c1 am ready y to which he re
ceived in reply, ''You will find the fort
very strong" Farragut answered, s'Je
prendrez avec l'audace''-("I will take
them with audacity"
The next morning, April Is; the bonn