The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-08-16
The Story Admiral Farrsgut Told.

Mrs. Frances NJ. Bartlett contributes
al account OF conversation she held
with Admiral Farragut in the summer
of 1865 at ball given in his honor at
what was then called the Atlantic
House, at Rye Beach, New Hampshire.
and is now known as the Farragut
House. She says: every preparation
had been made to give brIliancy to the
ball. The house was decked in bunt-
ing, bands of music lent their power
to the general gayety, and ladies wed
with each other in richness of attire.
The officers of the army and navy were
in attendance, and few invited guests
from Portsmouth assisted AS l
alighted from an open carriage, IN the
twilight, / observed a neat, sallor-lIke
little fellow, with round cap, stand
ing at the steps. But l, bent on the
business in hand Chat of seeing the
distinguished admiral, with all his
laurels thick upon HIM, carelessly took
the proffered hand of the sailor
(master's mate thought HIM, entered
the dressing room, and soon took q
gentleman's arm and mingled with the
throng. Presently lady, whom then
resembled, accosted me, saying: Have
you seen the admiral this EVENING"
NO. l replied, but am all impotence
to meet him. 'WelI, she said, I'll
bring him to you at once, for l think
you are at the bottom of a cOntreten1pS
lie accuses me of treating him with
cold disdain, and we will see if we
can't clear it up
Every soon the lady, wife of an Off
Ger of high rank, appeared on the ad-
miral's arm, and presented him to me.
To my surprise and CONSERVATION 1 be-
held the supposed masters mate, whom
had met at my carriage door. The
admiral, mistaklng me for friend, had
come out on the piazza to welcome her.
| now greeted him with as much com
posure as could, considering my awk-
ward blunder. The admiral observed,
we have met before this evening, and
| experienced pang of disappointment
at your seeming GOODNESS, as L mistook
you for this lady, who has long been
my friend
"Thus introduced, we were put on q
| pleasant footing at once, and he soon
asked me if would promenade with
him through the halls and view the
decorations. l readily accepted so dis.
tinguished an honor, and as we walked
l begged him to tell me about the ban.
quet that had been given him on the
previous evening in Boston. A con.
spicuous feature of the occasion had
been the reading by Oliver Wendell
Holmes of his exquisite poem, in which
occurs the line about Farragut's being
dashed to the rigging during the Mobile
fight. The bero's bravery was equaled
only by his modesty, and he shrank
from giving me a complete account oil
n affair which so closely concerned
himself.
co. 1 replied, put your share Of
the thing aside and relate It to me as
though you were only spectator and
not party to it. We'll, said he, ~Pll
try to sink my personality
"Then in pleasant and unaffected
manner he described the banquet, re-
peating the verse of Holiness poem in
which was the allusion to his being
lashed to the mast. Suddenly break
ing off, he laughingly said :: They are
making q great deal of fuss about my
being dashed to the mast, when, il
fact, it amounts to nothing at all.
There was no bravery in it; l simply
followed habit which l have always
practiced-that of taking a strap and
lashing myself to the mast when &c
aloft, lest might become dizzy. lit
tie thought it would be turned to such
fine poetry. 1t was only matter OF
caution
''His being dashed to the mast was 8
mere Incident-nelther adding to mol
detractlng from the great adniral's
services-simply making a pretty thing
in picture or story. But as it has beer
made of sufficient importance to be
denied, l have taken the pains to re-
affirm it from the hero's own lips"