The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-12-27
Admiral Farragut.

Extracts from the most characteristic are
given below.
Just previous to the great fight he
wrote to his wife:
1.-THE defeat of our army at Corinth,
which l saw in the rebel papers, will
give us much harder fight. Men are
easily depressed or elated by victory;
but as being prepared for the defeat I
certainly am not. Any man who is pre-
pared for defeat would be half defeated
before he commenced. ] hope for sue
cess; shall do all In my power to secure
it, and trust to God for the rest"
After the victory was won he wrote:
april %, 1862 Mr. DEARAsr WIFE
AND Boy: am SO agitated that can
scarcely write, and shall only tell you
that it has pleased Almighty God to pre-
serve my life through a fire such as the
world has scarcely known. / shall re-
turn properly my thanks, as well as those
of the feet, for His goodness and mercy.
He has permitted me to make name for
my dear boys Inheritance, as well as for
my comfort and that of my family. We
lost about thirty killed and ninety
wounded. ] lost no officers. Jim es-
capped, but the other two servants were
WOuHucu tOCh Lie SItJ ht uiGIlA1dA
to-day Such vandalism never wit
messed as the destruction of property.
All the beautiful steamers and ships
were set on fire and consumed. Captain
Bell is well. He acted his part nobly.
my admiration; which will notice at a
more convenient season. I have only
time to thank God and bless you both.
Later he writes:
"Of course all the New Orleans papers
abused me, but / am case-hardened to
all that. don't read the papers except
to gain information about the war
I have done all / promised and all was
expected to do, so, thanks to God, hope
have acquitted myself to the satisfac-
ton of my friends as well as my country"
Before the war broke out it panied
him exceedingly to think that he should
ever have to lift his hand against the
South, and in this letter his first return
to the city of his childhood is referred to
thus:
SIT is strange thought that am here
among my relatives, yet not one has
dared to say, i am happy to see you
There is a reign of terror in this doomed
SAty Ouh, L dOuSCu ab Vile
who wished to kill all the women and
children, still see feeling of respect
for me-"
In a private letter he gives free express
sion to his opinion of keeping sea-going
vessels in river like the Mississippi.
After the passage of the batteries at
Vicksburg he writes to his wife:
II was in my favorite stand, the miz-
Zen-rigging, when all at once the Cap
tain of the gun on the poop-deck wished
to fire at battery which would require
him to point his gun near me, and re-
quested me to get down, which did, to
avoid the conclusion. was only mo-
| ment doing so, when the whole mizzen-
| rigging was cut away just above my
headi Although the shot would not
| have struck me, would have tumbled
on deck. But, thank God, I escaped
with only touch ON the head, which did
not break the skin, and has not given me
q thought since. The same shot cut the
halyards that hoisted my flag, which
dropped to half mast without being per-
| ceiyed by us. This circumstance
caused the other vessels to think that ]
was killed."
After his return to New Orleans he
wrote to one in his confidence:
Don't give yourself any uneasiness
| about any one trying to undermine me-
l can see as much as any one, but DOM
choose to act upon it until the time
comes. l fortify myself as well as can,
and trust to my honesty for the rest
Some will try to iniure me, but defy
them"
He kept his eye upon the events of the
war elsewhere, but was sceptical about &
good many of the stories as they frs
came TO hand. In the same letter hs
says:
'sThe repulse of Mcclellan at Rich
mond was great blow to the Fedora
cause. There is no doubt in my mint
that they beat us at lying. They spreai
reports that they haye hundred thou
sand men, when they have fift,
thousand. It makes me so angry that
have no patience. The officers say thel
don't believe anything. I certainly be
lieve very little that comes in the shap,
of reports. They keep everybody stirred
up. l mean to be whipped or whip th'
enemy, and not be scared to death"
In another, a fortnight letter, he says
! AS to Intervention, I don't beliey
in it, and if it does come, you will fint
the United States not SO easy nut T.
I crack as they imagine. We have n,
/ dread of rams or he goats, and if on
editors had less the country would b
better off. Now they scare everybody t
7 DEATH"
The following lets us into one of th
secrets of battle. It was written by Ad
!. miral Porter to Farragut:
7 Do not, for Gods sake, let the rebel
!, take you by boarding. They will try
as sure as you are born. They line thei
vessels with cotton bales, which resis
shot perfectly. Let me recommend
!. cotton wad over your shell, thorough
saturated with turpentine, squeeErss
nearly dry. Iset fire to the city af Wick
burg Ia that way.
During his sail past the batteries {
Port Hudson his only son was on boar
: with him, but Farragut refused to let ii
! feet surgeon bring the youth below.
The Admiral, he saws. listened D,
! tiently, but replied:
: No, that will not do. It is true OF
! ! only child is ON board by chance, and
is not In the service; but being here |
!. will act as one of my aids, to assist !
= conveying my orders during the battl
and We will trust to Providence and
fortune de la ynere.
In q letter written before Mobile
says:
!, My sister writes me long letter, be,
ging me not to risk my life. How littl
J people know of the risk of life. Drayto
made his clerk stay below because /
was young married man. All my staff.
Watson, Mckinley and Brownell--wel
= in an exposed position on the poop decl
but escaped unhurt, while poor Hegil
botham was killed. He was good ma
. and . loss to Drayton.
His idea of personal precautions in
: ssa fight may be gained from small ci
cumstance. When the Hartford W.
steaming up before the Port Hudson ba
s teries, and every eye was strained for Il
opening SHOT, his thoughts reverted !
his son, who stood before him.
s He had not time, says the biographe
= to say much, but in the most affections
g manner gave him some practical hints
= to the mode of using tourniquet an
g stanching q wound Taking from b
pocket simple piece OF hempen rol
Z about yard in length, to which was $
curely fastened at one end piece
wood, he showed how quickly the rol
could be passed around wounded linn
and twisted tight by means the piece
wood, which acted as lever.
8 His belief il wili-power, and Of &
power Of his own will in particular, "
- notable assit was iustiflable.
~ The following shows that Farrar