Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-02
SAW FARRAGUT TIED TO MAST
RecolIectiOna of Gunner on the
AdmirRPs ship Il Mobile
Rnn

Henry Wright Of Springfield, Mass, re-
calls some interesting experiences while
serving as a gunner with Admiral Fsrra-
gut on the flagship Hartford at Mobile bay
during the three years service in the navy
In the civil war.
Mr.. Wright, who saw Farragut dashed
to the mast, was a prisoner for a time In
Libby prison, did blockade duty, %partici-
pated In the engagements at Chesapeake
bay and Hampton Roads and was in the
foreground at the Mobile bay fight.
He enlisted in the federal navy in Adg-
ust. 1862, and was mustered out OF the SER
vice in Boston three years later. In No
vember, 1862, he was on the Daylight, a
b~lockading steamer, off the North Caro-
line coast, when a small blockade runner
was forced ashore, and was a member Of
one OF three boat crews detailed to burn
the schooner, but all three were c~apsized
by the heavy waves lind forced TO give up
the attempt. "F-s
Just before tie battle OF Mobile bay he
was transferred to 'fhe Hartford, and after
that engagement he was detailed to the
Seminole, on which he remained until the
expiration Of his term Of enlistment. In
those days mines and torpedoes were far
from being perfected and gunuers on the
warships fought behind wooden instead OF
iron walls.
MIR. Wright said: "strange to relate none
of our gun crew was injured at Mobile in
the light which lasted from a. m. to 2
p. m, although. there were many losses
in the gun crews on each side Of us. l
happened to witness a most peculiar ia
tally. A shot from the Tennessee went
through the elda ~ tho II,rtf,ra I..z.
and cut off both legs Of Tom Clark, a
powder boy. He threw up his hands as he
fell and a smaller shot severed both arms
above the elbow.
Another shot from the Tennessee hit
a quarter gunner, who happened to be
STOPPING, and cut away a large part OF
his body, and then destroyed our port
gun.
The men Of the Hartford were under
fire most of the time, for the enemy knew
that Admiral Farragut was on our ship.
The Tennessee's guns made terrible work
of us, but we were unable to make much
of an impression on it as its sides were
armored with railroad iron seven inches
thick.
we always thought that we were safe
guarded somewhat by the anchor chains
which, to a certain extent screened the
sides Of the Hartford and kept many shots
from putting our boilers out OF commits
sion. Tit enemy lay alongside us and
tried persistently to ram us. but we
thwarted its attempts by meeting 1t bow
on. h
Il once saw Admiral Farragut dashed to
the rigging of the Hartford, where he could
an unobstructed view. 1t seems
that some time before the battle a rubber
hose with a tin m%outhpiece at each end
was dashed to the mast and hung from the
top to the deck. 1t was TO be used as a
speaking tube, as we supposed, by the ae-
miral from aloft.
Just prior to the battle, however, a gun
was placed in the top, so the admiral, not
wishing to be In the way of the .gunners,
stood in the main rigging just below the
top, where he could be close to Freeman,
our pilot.
John Gallagher, one of the petty officers,
and not Dick Knowles, as history has it,
was the man who dashed the admiral to the
rigging. Captain DraYtop ordered Knowles
TO secure the admiral ITO the rigging for
he. feared that he might fall In the stress
of battle, as he was more than 60 years
old at that time. As Knowles went to
carry out the order he. found Gallagher in
the rigging. Just below the admiral, and
told him that Captain Drayton wanted the
admiral secured. l happened to be coming
along the quarterback and Knowles told me
to bring him a gasket, which l did, and
threw 1t up to him. Gallagher then pro-
ceeded to lash. the admiral to the rigging.
When Farragut united himself the gas
ket fell into the pool of blood where young
Clark and the quarter gunner lay. After
the light I washed the rope, according to
rule on shipboard, and laid it away IN a
locker. At hat time we never dreamed
that this little incident Of the flashing would
make Farragut more famous than any
other event in his life as a fighter Dos
ton Globe.