Ebenezer Farrand (1803 – March 17, 1873) was an American Commodore that served the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

and was notable for his service at the

Battle of Drewry's Bluff The Battle of Drewry's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling, or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Four Union Navy warships, inclu ...

as well as his ship construction at Selma, Alabama.

Biography

Early Military Career

Ebenezer Farrand was born on 1803 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. He later moved to

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and entered service of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

on March 4, 1823, as a midshipman's warrant. He was promoted to midshipman in 1829 and initially commanded the newly constructed ''

USS Ariel Five ships of the United States Navy have been named ''Ariel'', after the sprite Ariel in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. * , a 16-gun sloop-of-war, originally the Royal Navy's HMS ''Ariel'' captured by the French in 1779, lent to the ...

'' in 1831 before commanding the ''

USS Falmouth USS ''Falmouth'' was a sloop of war in the United States Navy during the mid-19th century. ''Falmouth'' was launched on 3 November 1827 by Boston Navy Yard, and declared ready for sea 19 January 1828, Commander C. W. Morgan in command. Bet ...

'' in 1851. Due to his naval actions, he was promoted to commander on July 10, 1854.

American Civil War

Despite being a Northerner, Farrand sympathized with the Southern States and resigned from the United States Navy on January 21, 1861, as he was stationed at the Warrenton Naval Yard in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

as part of his first task as a Confederate. He was then promoted to Commander on June 6, 1861, and was sent to negotiate in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

for the construction of several gunboats. He was made Chief of Light House Bureau, replacing

Raphael Semmes Raphael Semmes ( ; September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Until then, he had been a serving officer in the US Navy from 1826 to 1860. During the American Civil War, Semmes wa ...

as he was commanding the ''

CSS Sumter CSS ''Sumter'', converted from the 1859-built merchant steamer ''Habana'', was the first steam cruiser of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. She operated as a commerce raider in the Caribbean and in the Atlantic Ocean aga ...

''. In 1862, he was to a special service regarding ship construction before being sent to

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

. He briefly served in Rockett's Yard at the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

, a few miles south of

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

before Union forces were beginning to threaten the Confederate capital. As a response, Farrand organized Confederate Army and Navy personnel at Drewry's Bluff and ordered guns from nearby ships as well as the sinking of the ''

CSS Jamestown CSS ''Jamestown'', originally a side-wheel, passenger steamer, was built at New York City in 1853, and seized at Richmond, Virginia in 1861 for the Virginia Navy during the early days of the American Civil War. She was commissioned by the Confe ...

'' to obstruct the James River. When the Union forces under Admiral

John Rodgers John Rodgers may refer to: Military * John Rodgers (1728–1791), colonel during the Revolutionary War and owner of Rodgers Tavern, Perryville, Maryland * John Rodgers (naval officer, born 1772), U.S. naval officer during the War of 1812, first na ...

arrived with the '' USS Galena'' but were defeated at the

. For his victory at Drewry's Bluff, he received a direct thanking from the Confederate Congress itself. Farrand didn't stay at Drewry's Bluff for long as his command was relinquished to

Sydney Smith Lee Sydney Smith Lee (September 2, 1802 – July 22, 1869), called Smith Lee in his lifetime, was an American naval officer who served as a captain in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the third child of Henry Lee III, ...

and took charge of shipbuilding at

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. About ...

. As a result of his direct contributions, he helped with the completion of '' CSS Tuscaloosa'', ''

CSS Huntsville CSS ''Huntsville'' was a Confederate ironclad floating battery built at Selma, Alabama, from 1862 to 1863 during the American Civil War. History ''Huntsville'' was ordered on May 1, 1862, by the Confederate States Navy. She was launched at th ...

'' and the ''

CSS Tennessee Three ships in the Confederate States Navy were named CSS ''Tennessee * was a steamship, built in 1853 and seized by the Confederate States in 1861; she was recaptured by the Union in the Battle of New Orleans and commissioned into the United St ...

. On January 7, 1864, he was promoted to captain and followed the launched ironclads to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

but shortly after, assumed command of the Confederate naval forces at the

Battle of Mobile Bay The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was a naval and land engagement of the American Civil War in which a Union fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fle ...

after Admiral

Franklin Buchanan Franklin Buchanan (September 17, 1800 – May 11, 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy who became the only full admiral in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. He also commanded the ironclad CSS ''Virginia''. Early lif ...

was wounded as the few Confederate ships left supported the land forces against the Union Navy but generally seemed disinterested in the battle as he refused to take orders due his rivalry with

Dabney H. Maury Dabney Herndon Maury (May 21, 1822 – January 11, 1900) was an officer in the United States Army, instructor at West Point, author of military training books, and a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. E ...

. Following the Union capture of Mobile, Rear Admiral

Henry K. Thatcher Henry Knox Thatcher (26 May 1806 – 5 April 1880) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, who served during the American Civil War. Biography Early life and career He was born in Thomaston, Maine Thomaston (formerly known as Fort St. ...

blocked the mouth of the

Tombigbee River The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. Together with the Alabama, it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties int ...

and Farrand surrendered as a result of this on May 8, 1865. He was paroled of charges of treason two days later at

Nanna Hubba Bluff Nanna Hubba Bluff is a bluff above the Tombigbee River near Calvert in northeastern Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The historic site is known to have been occupied by Native Americans at least as far back as 1000 BC, but gained its nam ...

Postwar Life

Farrand would spend his civilian life as an insurance representative at

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for the Irish soldier Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 202 ...

as well as operating as a railroad operator in

Attalla, Alabama Attalla is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,048. History The town occupies the site of an Indian village which was of considerable importance during the Creek War. It was in Attalla ...

before passing away on 17 March 1873 and was buried at the city cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrand, Ebenezer 1803 births 1873 deaths Confederate States Navy commanders Northern-born Confederates Military personnel from New York City United States Navy commodores