The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-25

The nrst officer of the United States Navy to hold the rank of Ad miral was David Glasgow Farragut, who was elevated on July 25, 1S66- just 5S years ago today.
 Tho possibilities of American life arc strikinEiy illustrated by the fact that the two names at the head of the army and navy in the Civil War Grant and Farragut, were self made mon. The latter was born on a farm raar Knoxville. Tennessee. July 5. 1901. His mother, of Scotch descent, was brave and energetic woman. Curc when the father was absent in tro Indian wars, the savascs came to their plsin home and demanded ad- iTit.nnce. She barred the door as best Sno could. and sending her tremb- ling children into the loft, guarded inc entrance with an axe. The In Cans s.ole away.
 When David was seven years old. tse family having moved to New or i.grs, as the father had been appoint c8 sailing master in the navy, the mother died of yellow fever, leaving ryg children. the youngest an in- srt. This wGs a most severe blow. Fortunately. soon after. an act of .7dness brought its reward. The I.lI-r of Commodore Porter having C.. ut the FarraEut house. the SOY. d. t'rmined to adopt one of the moth ,r'rvs children, If one was willing to lave h.s home. Little David, af- t~tctcd by the Navy uniform. prompt 't ~lid that he would go.
 sayinr forever goodbye to his f.tFNr. he was taken to Washington. nd after a few months spent in a"'1oi. ot the age of nine years was Iol;c n m!dshipman. And now began % 'fo full nf hardship. of adventure gn of brave deeds. which have rnado ths name of Farrasut immortal.
 Ills first cruise was along the coast, ir Tho Essex after inc war of 1872 with Great Britain had begun. They had captured the Alert and oth"- r.i;cs. and their snip was crowded with prisoners. ono night when tho boy lay apparently asleep. the COKE v lin of the Alert came to his ham, mock. pistol in hand. David lay mo- t.onclss until he passed on, and then Crrat noiselessly 10 the cabin. and iafo~mcd Capt. Porter. SprinGins rom his cot. he shouted. Fire fire!' Ttu seamen rushed on deck. and the tJutiuccrs were in irons before they had recovered from their amaze rlcut.
 
 rank of acting lieutenant. he cruised tho Cuff of Mexico. On April IT 1860. Virginia. by a vote of eighty o!rht to Gf5y-five. seeded from the t0ited States. The next morning Flrrasut. then Tt Norfolk. expressed ,isapproval of the acts of the conven. lion. and said President Lincclr would be justified in calling for .~Fnps after the SoutherHers had taken forts and arse nals He was soon informed that person with the continents could not live in - folk. ''Well. then I can live else. where" was the calm reply.
 His decision was "to stick to tn, fl1e." He loved the South. and said "Gpd forbid that I should have |: r0ise my hand against her.: but h, wrs anxious to take part In the wa for the Union. and offered his ser vices tC that end.
 The Government had an importan project on hand. The Nississipp f,ivcr v-as largely In the control O f'rH Coufsdcracy. and was the rich DHt city of the South receiving fo r.i,flcrt at his time nincty-two mil Hon collars worth of sugar yearly I this city could be captured. and th rIvCr controlled by the North. tn south would he seriously crippled But the lower Mississippi was guard ra by the strongest forts, Jackson an St. Philip. which mounted one hun d~ed and fifteen guns. and were sarrl aorcd by fifteen hundred men. Abov tho forts were fifteen vessels of tn