Evening star., 1945-10-21

the Scraps dropped her anchor, with
the hope that the Richard would drift
clear of her. But this hope was not
realized, and as the vessels slowly turned
to the tide the enemy attempted to
board the Richard. but we're repulsed.
Each party speedily followed in similar
attempts to board, but neither sue
ceeded, although many lives were lost
in the attempts.
An American Victory
Thus hour after hour this un-
paralleled conflict continued one having
resolved to conquer, the other not to
be conquered. At length, at 35 min
utes past o'clock, one of those sudden
diSpenSations of providence, which no
one can foreSee, scattered the crew
of the Scraps from her main deck.
and gave the victory to the Amer
leans. 80
AS soon as 1t. Dale had received a
prize crew on the Scraps, the LASH
ingS were cut, and the Richard slowly
drifted away.
Her rudder had been cut from her
stern post, her transomS had been
nearly driven out of her, the flames
had wrought havoc, and it was neces-
sary constantly to use her pumps.
About 9 o'clock in the morning of
September 25, the officer who had
charge of the Richard, with his crew
took to their boats, and an hour later
the ship settled slowly into the sea,
bow foremost, and disappeared To
Jones, Congress extended its thanks
and ordered medal of gold struck
and presented to him.
David Farraeut
Another naval officer whose skill and
bravery will never be questioned, is
David Glascoe Farragut, whose statue
stands in Farragut Square. Born in
Knoxville, Tenn, July 5, 1901, he en-
tered the Navy as midshipman at the
age of II, and his first service was
on board the famous Essex. in which
he participated in the engagement that
resulted in the capture of the British
ship Alert, and also in the three hours
fight in the bay of Valparaiso, March
%, 1914, before the Essex surrendered
to the Phoebe and Cherub. In his
report of the battle Commodore Porter
commended 1.-The lad Farragut." and
regretted that he was too young for
promotion
According to an early account when
the Civil War began, Farragut was
go years of age, and had been in the
service more than 48 years. He was
living at Norfolk. Va, waiting orders.'
on the day when intelligence was re-
ceived that Virginia had seeded. He
hastily collected a few valuables, put
his loaded pistols in his pocket, and
within two hours was with his family
on board steamer bound north.
His first orders for active duty ap-
pointed him commander of the eXpedi-
tion for the capture of New Orleans
and opening of the Mississippi River.
These orders reached him January 20,
1862, and in two weeks he was under
way in his flagship, the Hartford.
On reaching the Gulf of Mexico he
first arranged the blockade of the
whole coast, and then with the more
formidable portion of his fleet entered
the Mississippi. A mortar f1otilla was
attached to the expedition, but Far
ragut placed no reliance upon it. The
bombardment of the forts a little
above the mouths of the river was
Kept up continuously for six days and
nights; but the enemy daily added to
their defenses, and beyond the burn
ing of the barracks within Fort Jackson
the works, mounting 120 guns, were
as formidable as at the commencement
OF the bombardment.
Without further delay, Farragut in
the night of April "a signaled his SQUAD
ron to get under way, and delivering
broadsides of grape ran past the forts
under such fire from them," he wrote.
as imagine the world has never seen"
Beyond the forts he encountered and
destroyed feet of 20 armed st.an-
ers, four ironclad rams Zone of coo
tons) and multitude of fire rats.
Next he silenced the two formidable
Chalmette batteries, on either side of
the river, 3 miles below New Orleans.
and at noon the second day anchored
with the city beneath his guns In the
passage of the forts his fleet received
l65 shots, 81 men were killed and lat
wounded. and one vessel, the Baruna.
was sunk. But this was only one of his
many engagements.