The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-25
UNITED STATES NAvY'S FIRST -Es
 ADMIRAL, DAVID A. FARRACUT' APPOINTED B YEARS AGO TODAY
HERO OF CIVIL, WAR WHO MADE NOTABLE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS WAS
 SPLENDID CHARACTER.

Confederate fleet, including the iron clad ram, Manassas, and just below, q heavy iron chain across the river bound together scores of cypress logs thirty feet long, and four or five feet in diameter, thus forming an i'm mense obstruction. Sharpshooters were stationed all along the banks.
 For this formidable undertaking. several naval officers were considered. but Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, said. "Farragut is the man." The steam sloop-of-war, Hartford, of nineteen hundred tons burden, and two hundred twenty-five feet long, was ready as his flag ship.
 He took with him six sloops-of-war. sixteen gunboats, twenty-one schoon- CTS, and five other vessels, forty in all, the fleet carrying over two hundred guns.
 on April IS. 1862, they had all reached their positions, and were ready for the struggle. For six days and nights the mortars kept up a constant fire on Fort Jackson, throw ing nearly six thousand shells.
 Many persons were killed, but the fort did not yield. The Confederates sent down the river five fire-rafts flat-boats filled with dry wood smeared with tar and turpentine hoping that these would make havoc among Farragut's ships; but his crews lowed them away to shore, or Tel them drift out to sea.
 Farragut now made up his mind to pass the forts at all hazards. It was a dangerous and heroic step; two Eunboats were sent to cut the chain across the river All night long the | T. iy,tn ,Se anxiety the return of the boats which under q gallins fire had suc- ceeded in breaking the chain, and 1 thus making a passage for the fleet At half past three on the morning of April 24, the fleet was ready tc start. The Cayuga led off the frs division of eight vessels. Both forts i opened fire. In ten minutes she had passed beyond St. Philip only to bt surrounded by eleven Confederate gunboats.
 The Naruna came to her relief, bu was rammed by two Southern boats and sunk in fifteen minutes The Mississippi encountered the enemy'i ram. Manassas, riddled her with shot and set her on fire, so that she drift ed below the forts and blew up. Then the entire division. led by tht
 
 First she grounded in avoiding a fire raft: then a Confederate ram pushec a raft against her. setting her on fire ! but Tarragut gave his orders as calm 1 Iy as though not in the utmost peri ! in which. indeed. he was The flame | were extineuished, and she steamed | on. doing terrible execution with he ! shells. Then came the last division : led by the Sciota. and Commando Porter's gunboats. In the darkness lighted only by the flashes of owe two hundred guns, the fleet had GU it's way to victory, losing one hundret i and eight-four in killed and wound | cd.
 ! On April 20. a battalion of tv 1 howftzers. manned by sailors iron | the Hartford. marched through tn streets of New Orleans. hoisted tn 1 Union flag in piece of the Confed crate on the City Hall, and held post ton until General Butler arrived wit his troops on May 1. After the fal of the city, the forts surrendered t ! Porter.
 | On July 25, 1866, the rank of Ad rnira1 was created by Congress, an F'arragut was appointed to the place During the few remaining years ( his life. he received well deserve
 honors.
 He died on August fl. 1870, at tn
 age of sixty-nine; Congress apprc priated twenty thousand dollars fc
 his statue on Farragut Square. Wasf inEton. and a grateful nation honore , l and loved his name.