Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-25

| under the orders Of the Navy depar.fn ant n,
passed on up the river to complete the labor Of
| reOpening IL.
| This proved to be a troublesome and pro
| tracted undertaking. For more than year the
navy, under Farragut and Porter. and the
| names OF the war, co-operated until the faIl Of
| Ficksburg, July 4, 1868, and OF Port Hudson,
few days afterwards. The mighty Mississippi
| was now unrestricted from the mouth to tts
| source. and the war in that part Of the field
| virtually closed.
The year 1864 witnessed the operations which
resulted in the reduction OF Mobile Both Far.
| ragut and Porter concurred In the opinion that
Mobile should be attacked directly attel
the fall OF New Orleans. At that time it was
easy. Porters language was, mobile would
fan to US like mellow pear" But the Presi.
dent OF the United States thought the political
importance OF the river much greater than that
distance Of time, and In the light OF subsequent
events. must say think he was right. Mean
time, the delenses OF the bay had been greatly
strengthened, and, what was OF more conse.
quence, the enemy had recovered from che
panic Into Which 1t have been thrown by the
early naval successes. On the other hand, new
conflict. On our side, the peculiar class OF
tron-ciad vessels known as monitors, of which
four were available at this juncture; and to
meet them torpedoeS had been planted In un-
known Notwithstanding TO FarraguJ, ''hall-
Ish Inventions" "deVIlish means for our de-
struction," IN the hands OF 1.-The demons VINO
The battle was fought on the 5th OF August,
1864, and resulted In q victory more brilliant
and dramatic than even that of New Orleans.
AS exhibitions OF naval strategy-the wisdom
prearrange and successfully combine the &C
lion Of subordinate commanders relative
character Of the two Combats must be left to
the decision OF professional criticism. THIS ac-
ton. unlike the other, occurred In broad day
light, and In the presence OF nOn-cOmbatant
spectators. who afterwards described 1t IN
mi N oodno r
would be difficult to Overstate the effect upon
the public heart. Picturesque incidents of the
battle were widely published and eagerly read.
To the lanosman. Farraguf, fast In the maintop
OF the Hartford was the hero of his fancy. He
had read OF ships going Into the fight with their
colOrs nailed to the mast but to bind the Admiral
wonder that orators grew eloquent and poets
were freshly inspired This engagement,
however II INA, may be regarded by strategIsts,
deadly strife. Hitherto very many In the
country looked upon the war for the Union as
predestined failure. Political parties were
ready to go to the people upon this dIsnearten-
Ing postulate. But from this time forth all
doubt was gone, the end was visible and not
far Off. The re- ELECTION Of Mr.. Lincoln In No
Vemoer. the battle OF Nashville In December,
render of Appomatt0x Courthouse were as
the closing scenes In the grand last act OF
the national tragedy.
Great as was the effect upon opinion at home,
who had beltttled our successes and magn1fled
our defeats; who had derided our commanders
and extolled their antagonists; they who la
given every moral support to the cause OF our
uncolng and hac furnished such material aid )
10 be adjudged guilty OF tort by an international
tribunal and mulcted in damages, they saw
the toe had turned, and thencef1rWard took
sides, like the gods, with the victorious cause
OF Farragut himself they spoke In language OF
admiration and eulogy. "Columbia's Nelson
said one who wrote In sight OF Trafalgar square.
and who adds: 1.-The 9Th OF August, 1861, was a
brilliant day for the United States navy. -
Another speaks OF him as one ''wnoSe feats Of
arms place him at the head OF his profession.
and certainly constitute him the first naval
officer OF The day." The Prince de Joinville, no
mean authority, declared that the qualities
shown on this OCCASION as In so many others,
by Admiral Farragut, placed him '1nc0ntrover-
tibly in the frst rank among the naval officers
OF all nations" 1t has been said that the voice
from the distance usually corresponds With the
This was the last service of the veteran Sea
King during the war. Long exposure In the
Gulf, the responsibility OF large comm and, and
the intense and unreE1itting energy required
were strain upon his health too severe to be
endured. For this reason the command of an
important expedition to which he had been as
signed py the Secretary OF the Navy,-who re-
garded him as 1.-The great and successful hero
OF the war and spoke Of him as the "Great
Admiral, was, on his own representation of
MS physical sufferings, revoked and another
Neither the government nor the people had
been Indifferent to his achievements. The ex-
preston OF popular enthusiasm had reached
ire capital OF Dixie, and, II We may credit one
OF their historians, were exceedingly dtstasIeful
In July. 1852. he received place In the newly
created rank OF rear-admiral In December,
1864: Congress passed law creating the grade
OF vice. admiral, and In July, 1866, another Gre
at1ng the grade OF admiral, the first time either
grace had been known In our service. 1t was
understood that an honor to Farragut had
been intended, and he was promptly advanced,
His few and brief remaining years were full
or honorS. Soon after the close OF the war he
was invited. with four other gentlemen OF
prominence, to accompany the President OF the
United states on tour through the principal
cities OF the country.
Two years later, command was given him OF
the European squadron, and the Franklin was
continued late into the second year, was "a SIN IN
sole OF its aspects the most remarkable ever
MADE by an American vessel. 1t extended
quite around Europe, from the Neva to the
Bosphofus. The admiral visited in person
every considerable City from MOSCOW to SIAM
Doul. Forty years had passed since, as
mldsh1pman, ne had been in European waters
point he found subjects for study and
food for thought. Everywhere public honors
awaited him, and private hospitality
Ten years later, when another citizen OF the
republic, without trappings or retinue, and
sustaining no official rank, made tour around
the earth. shall not contend with them who
calm these testimonials as national rather
through the ciJzen-albeit in no other of her
citiZens was our country ever so hOnored. We
are lorbidden to discover In these manifesto
lions desire to make good any want of comfy
uurlhg the uncertain years OF the war; since
the government which had been our steadfast
friend was even more profuse of courtesies
than some others with which our relations had
been strained.
With the return OF the Admiral to America,
near the close Of 1868, his sea life ended Tna
next summer he revisited the Pacific coast and
was greeted with the same welcome that met
him elsewhere. HIS long residence there. lust
before the war, had gained for him host of
friends, who gathered lovingly around him.
When he returned to the east his health gave
way and was never re.eStablished. The fol-
lowing season steamer was placed at his ser
vice by the Navy department. and conveyed
him with his family to Portsmouth. n. H. But
the breath OF the sea and the inv1gorating az
mOSphere OF New England had for him no life.
sustaining power. The hand OF death was
upon him, and he breathed his last the 18th of
August, 1870, just on the verge OF three-scor
years and ten, and after almost sixty years in
the public service, three-fourGhS OF which had
been given to active duty, either at sea or on
shore. His countrymen, with Obsequles suit
able to his rank and high renown buried him
near the commercial metropolis. In which, at
the close OF the war, he had made his resid enoe
SO passed away, in the fullness of years Id of
fame, the great Admiral-a gorgeous sunset
after Respondent day.
The incidents Of his life aptly illustrate the
mon for the preservation OF which he devoted
bis Tipest powers. The consultations OF the
south shed their Influences around his cradle,