The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-06
DC nomance out of HIstory

Among all the entertaining stories that
have become part OF American history
there is none. save alone that Of the little
Ratchet. that IS more widely known than
are the three stories Of "Old Puts wolf
den" Of Jackson's cotton bale fort az
New Orleans, ana Of Faragut's being
lashed 10 the mast Of the Hartford during
the battle of Mobile Bay. Almost every
school child knows by heart each of these
stories. and it h. well that they should
know them. for they teach the sterling
virtues Of truthfulness. self-conhdencc.
effective ingenuity and intrepid bravery.
Teaching these virtues. u is a, great pity
that the stories should be attacked. New
ertheless. they have been attacked. in the
order named. and the iconoclasts that as
sailed them have submitted what they
have called authentic statements 10 back
mp their positions. The habit Of close re-
search on the part Of the historians Of
the present day is responsible for the de-
malls Of the stories Of the little Ratchet,
the cotton-bales and the wolf den: which
last named story. 81 viii be remembered
was only "A week OF two ago laughed at
in the Connecticut legislature. The his
torians Of the day. and the Legislators.
say the NAeiuItdilS on years a1p baf9fA sunni
mighty big and fine stories upon some
mighty small and weak foundations.
Close research. however. is not respon-
sible for the denial Of the story of the lash
ing Of Farragut 20 the mast; personal OBJ
servation comes forward TO deny that
one. Not many days ago the newspapers
report Ell. with appropriate comments, the
death Of the old man o-war's man who
dashed Farragut to the mast, giving the
details Of how and why he did it. And
now comes Capt. II. /. Slade of Taunton
Mass. who says he is tired Of hearing the
story. because IL isn't 50. Slade was the
captain of a 2l-Dound howitzer on the fed
eral gunboat Mino during the fight in Mo-
bile Bay. and says he was in a position to
see, and did see Admiral Farragut as he
directed operations from the flag ship
1.-THE enemys efforts while the flagship
was working under steam says Capt
Slade "were notonly to injure her boilers,
but TO cut her spars to pieces. Had the
admiral been dashed to the mast ne would
have been unnecessarily exposing himself.
As a matter of fact he stood perfectly free
on a large grating which had been taken
from near the wheel and which was dashed
to the starboard miZzen rigging, about
three feet above the hammock netting
AT one time a portion Of the lashings were
en-. away. and the admiral was precipita-
ted TO the deck, saving himself, however
from injury by grasping some of the run
ming rigging as he went down. The lash
lngs were once again put on the grating
and the admiral resumed his old position.
IL really doesn't make "A great deal Of
difference Whpt her the admiral was tied or
not: he was in the rigging, and that was
very brave. But after all of these attacks
upon the romances of history, who can
say what objection will be the next to
come? 1t may be that after while
somebody will assert that Marion did not
spread a dinner consisting solely of sweet
potatoes before the British officer, and
that the general did not declare THAT Molly
stark would be a widow that night If his
men were not successful.