David Farragut
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David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; Dabney McCabe (1876) ''The Centennial Book of American Biography'', P. W. Ziegler & Company, Philadelphia
/ref>Joel Tyler Headley (1867) ''Farragut, and Our Naval Commanders'', E.B. Treat & Co., New York
/ref>Samuel Fallows et al. (1900) ''Splendid Deeds of American Heroes on Sea and Land'', J. L. Nichols & Co.
/ref> P.T. Barnum et al. (1890) ''Dollars and Sense, or, How to Get On'', People's Publishing Company, Chicago
/ref> July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a
flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countr ...
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 ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. He was the first
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
, vice admiral, and
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
in the United States Navy. Farragut, 1879, p. 3 Hickman, 2010, p. 216 He is remembered for his order 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 ...
, usually paraphrased as "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" in U.S. Navy tradition. Stein, 2005, p. 5 Spears, 1905, p. 328 Born near
Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...
, Farragut was fostered by naval officer David Porter after the death of his mother. When he was 11 years old, Farragut served in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
under the command of his adoptive father. He received his first command in 1823, at the age of 22, and went on to participate in anti-piracy operations in the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. He then served in the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
under the command of
Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the o ...
, participating in the blockade of
Tuxpan Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census ...
. After the war, he oversaw the construction of the Mare Island Navy Yard (now
Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
), which was the first U.S. Navy base established on the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. Though Farragut resided in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, prior to the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, he was a
Southern Unionist In the United States, Southern Unionists were white Southerners living in the Confederate States of America opposed to secession. Many fought for the Union during the Civil War. These people are also referred to as Southern Loyalists, Union Lo ...
who strongly opposed Southern secession and remained loyal to the Union after the outbreak of the Civil War. Despite some doubts about Farragut's loyalty, Farragut was assigned command of an attack on the important Confederate port city of
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. After defeating the Confederates at the
Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip The Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip (April 18–28, 1862) was the decisive battle for possession of New Orleans in the American Civil War. The two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River south of the city were attacked by a Union Nav ...
, Farragut captured New Orleans in April 1862. He was promoted to rear admiral after the battle and helped extend Union control up along the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
, participating in the
siege of Port Hudson The siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, (May 22 – July 9, 1863) was the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. While Union General Ulysses Grant was besieging Vicksburg upriver, Ge ...
. With the Union in control of the Mississippi, Farragut led a successful attack on
Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The ...
, home to the last major Confederate port on the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
. Farragut was promoted to admiral following the end of the Civil War and remained on active duty until his death in 1870.


Early life

James Glasgow Farragut was born in 1801 to
George Farragut Jordi Farragut Mesquida, anglicized as George Farragut (born September 29 or September 30, 1755 – June 4, 1817), was a Spanish American naval officer, born in Ciutadella de Menorca, then under British occupation. He fought during the Amer ...
(born Jordi Farragut Mesquida, 1755–1817), a
Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
Balearic merchant
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
from the
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
island of
Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
, and his wife Elizabeth (née Shine, 1765–1808), of North Carolina
Scotch-Irish American Scotch-Irish (or Scots-Irish) Americans are American descendants of Ulster Protestants who emigrated from Ulster in northern Ireland to America during the 18th and 19th centuries, whose ancestors had originally migrated to Ireland mainly from t ...
descent, at Lowe's Ferry on the
Holston River The Holston River is a river that flows from Kingsport, Tennessee, to Knoxville, Tennessee. Along with its three major forks (North Fork, Middle Fork and South Fork), it comprises a major river system that drains much of northeastern Tennessee ...
in Tennessee. Schouler, 1899 p.170 It was a few miles southeast of Campbell's Station, near
Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's ...
. After serving in the Spanish merchant marine, George Farragut immigrated to
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
in 1766 and served as a naval officer during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. He was first with the
South Carolina Navy A South Carolina Navy has been formed twice by the State of South Carolina. The first time was during the American Revolutionary War, in which the state purchased and outfitted armed vessels independent of the Continental Navy. The second time ...
, then with the
Continental Navy The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War and was founded October 13, 1775. The fleet cumulatively became relatively substantial through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron John Adams ...
. George and Elizabeth moved west to Tennessee after his service in the Revolution, where he operated Lowe's Ferry and served as a
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
officer in the Tennessee
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
. In 1805, George accepted a position at the U.S. port of
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. He traveled there first and his family followed in a
flatboat A flatboat (or broadhorn) was a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways in the United States. The flatboat could be any size, but essentially it was a large, sturdy tub with a ...
guided by hired rivermen. It was four-year-old James's first voyage. The family was still living in New Orleans when Elizabeth died of
yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
. George Farragut made plans to place the young children with friends and family who could better care for them. In 1808, after his mother's death, James agreed to live with United States Navy officer David Porter, whose father had served with George Farragut during the Revolution. In 1812, he adopted the name "David" in honor of his foster father, with whom he went to sea late in 1810. David Farragut grew up in a naval family, with
foster brother A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...
s
David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...
, a future
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
admiral, and William D. Porter, who became a
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...
.


Career

Farragut's naval career began as a
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
when he was nine years old, and continued for 60 years until his death at the age of 69. This included service in several wars, most notably during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, where he gained fame for winning several decisive naval battles.


War of 1812

Farragut's naval career began when he was added to the U.S. Navy's rolls with the rank of "boy" in the spring of 1810. Through the influence of his foster father, Farragut was commissioned a
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
in the U.S. Navy on December 17, 1810, at the age of nine. A prize master by the age of 11, Farragut fought in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, serving under
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Porter, his foster father. While serving aboard the
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
, Farragut participated in the capture of HMS ''Alert'' on August 13, 1812, He helped to establish America's first naval base and colony in the Pacific, named
Fort Madison Fort Madison is a city and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States along with Keokuk. Of Iowa's 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 10,270 at the time of the 2020 census. Located along the ...
, during the ill-fated
Nuku Hiva Campaign The Nuku Hiva Campaign was an armed conflict between the United States and the Polynesian inhabitants of Nuku Hiva during the War of 1812. It occurred in 1813, following Captain David Porter's decision to sail his fleet to the island for repai ...
in the
Marquesas Islands The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in th ...
. At the same time, the Americans battled the hostile tribes on the islands with the help of their Te I'i allies. Farragut was 11 years old when, during the War of 1812, he was given the assignment to bring a ship captured by the ''Essex'' safely to port.Kennedy Hickman, "Admiral David G. Farragut: Hero of the Union Navy"; About.com
Retrieved March 28, 2007
He was wounded and captured while serving on the ''Essex'' during the
engagement An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
at Valparaíso Bay, Chile, against the British on March 28, 1814.


West Indies

In 1823, Farragut was placed in command of , which was his first command of a U.S. naval vessel. He served in the
Mosquito Fleet The term Mosquito Fleet has had a variety of naval and commercial uses around the world. United States In United States, U.S. naval and maritime history, the term has had ten main meanings: #The United States Navy's fleet of small gunboats, lead ...
, a fleet of ships fitted out to fight pirates in the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. After learning his old captain, Commodore Porter, would be commander of the fleet, he asked for, and received, orders to serve aboard ''Greyhound'', one of the smaller vessels, commanded by John Porter, brother of David Porter. On February 14, 1823, the fleet set sail for the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
where, for the next six months, they would drive the pirates off the sea, and rout them from their hiding places in among the islands. He was executive officer aboard the ''Experiment'' during its campaign in the West Indies fighting pirates. Farragut was promoted to lieutenant in 1825.


Mexican–American War

In 1847, Farragut, now a
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
, took command of the
sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...
when she was recommissioned at
Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
in
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. Assigned to the
Home Squadron The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the Atlantic slave trade, make coastal surveys, ...
for service in the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, ''Saratoga'' departed Norfolk on March 29, 1847, bound for the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
under Farragut's command and upon arriving off
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, on April 26, 1847, reported to the squadron's commander,
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...
Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the o ...
, for duty. On April 29, Perry ordered Farragut to sail ''Saratoga'' 150
nautical mile A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...
s (173 miles; 278 km) to the north to
blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are le ...
Tuxpan Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census ...
, where she operated from April 30 to July 12 before Farragut returned to Veracruz. About two weeks later, Farragut began a round-trip voyage to carry dispatches to
Tabasco Tabasco (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It is located in ...
, returning to Veracruz on August 11, 1847. On September 1, 1847, Farragut and ''Saratoga'' returned to blockade duty off Tuxpan, remaining there for two months despite a
yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
outbreak on board. Farragut then brought the ship back to Veracruz and, after a month there, got underway for the
Pensacola Navy Yard Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
in
Pensacola 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 ci ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, where ''Saratoga'' arrived on January 6, 1848, disembarked all of her seriously sick patients at the base hospital, and replenished her stores. On January 31, 1848, Farragut took the ship out of Pensacola bound for
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 ...
, arriving there on February 19. ''Saratoga'' was decommissioned there on February 26, 1848.


Mare Island Navy Yard

In 1853,
Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
James C. Dobbin selected Commander David G. Farragut to create
Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...
near San Francisco in
San Pablo Bay San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in the East Bay and North Bay regions of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water ch ...
. In August 1854, Farragut was called to Washington from his post as assistant inspector of ordnance at
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. President
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
congratulated Farragut on his naval career and the task he was to undertake. On September 16, 1854, Commander Farragut arrived to oversee the building of the Mare Island Navy Yard at
Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to the ...
, which became the port for ship repairs on the West Coast. Captain Farragut commissioned Mare Island on July 16, 1858. Farragut returned to a hero's welcome at Mare Island on August 11, 1859.


Civil War service

Though living in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, prior to the American Civil War, Farragut made it clear to all who knew him that he regarded secession as
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
. Just before the war's outbreak, Farragut moved with his Virginian-born wife to
Hastings-on-Hudson Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of midtown Manh ...
, a small town just outside New York City. He offered his services to the Union, and was initially given a seat on the Naval Retirement Board. Offered a command by his foster brother, David Dixon Porter, for a special assignment, he hesitated upon learning the target might be Norfolk. As he had friends and relatives living there, he was relieved to learn the target was changed to his former childhood home of New Orleans. The navy had some doubts about Farragut's loyalty to the Union because of his Southern birth as well as that of his wife. Porter argued on his behalf, and Farragut was accepted for the major role of attacking New Orleans. John D. Winters, ''The Civil War in Louisiana'',
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...
: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, , p. 56
Farragut was appointed under secret instructions on February 3, 1862, to command the
Gulf Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...
, sailing from
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...
on the screw steamer , bearing 25 guns, which he made his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
, accompanied by a fleet of 17 ships. He reached the mouth of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
, near Confederate forts St. Philip and
Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...
, situated opposite one another along the banks of the river, with a combined armament of more than 100 heavy guns and a complement of 700 men. Now aware of Farragut's approach, the Confederates had amassed a fleet of 16 gunboats just outside New Orleans. On April 18, Farragut ordered the mortar boats, under the command of Porter, to commence bombardment on the two forts, inflicting considerable damage, but not enough to compel the Confederates to surrender. After two days of
heavy bombardment Heavy may refer to: Measures * Heavy (aeronautics), a term used by pilots and air traffic controllers to refer to aircraft capable of 300,000 lbs or more takeoff weight * Heavy, a characterization of objects with substantial weight * Heavy, ...
, Farragut ran past forts Jackson and St. Philip and the
Chalmette Chalmette ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in, and the parish seat of, St. Bernard Parish in southeastern Louisiana, United States. The 2010 census reported that Chalmette had 16,751 people; 2011 population was listed as 17,119; however, th ...
batteries to take the city and port of
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
on April 29, a decisive event in the war. Congress honored him by creating the rank of
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
on July 16, 1862, a rank never before used in the U.S. Navy. Before this time, the American Navy had resisted the rank of admiral, preferring the term "flag officer", to distinguish the rank from the traditions of the European navies. Farragut was promoted to rear admiral along with 13 other officers – three others on the active list and ten on the retired list. Later that year, Farragut passed the batteries defending
Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...
, but had no success there. A makeshift
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
ironclad forced his flotilla of 38 ships to withdraw in July 1862. While an aggressive commander, Farragut was not always cooperative. At the
siege of Port Hudson The siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, (May 22 – July 9, 1863) was the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the American Civil War. While Union General Ulysses Grant was besieging Vicksburg upriver, Ge ...
, the plan was that Farragut's flotilla would pass by the guns of the
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
stronghold with the help of a diversionary land attack by the
Army of the Gulf The Army of the Gulf was a Union Army that served in the general area of the Gulf states controlled by Union forces. It mainly saw action in Louisiana and Alabama. History The Department of the Gulf was created following the capture of New Orlea ...
, commanded by General
Nathaniel Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was promine ...
, to commence at 8:00 a.m. on March 15, 1863. Farragut unilaterally decided to move the timetable up to 9:00 p.m. on March 14, and initiated his run past the guns before Union ground forces were in position. The consequently uncoordinated attack allowed the Confederates to concentrate on Farragut's flotilla and inflict heavy damage to his warships. Farragut's flotilla was forced to retreat with only two ships able to pass the heavy cannon of the Confederate bastion. After surviving the gauntlet, Farragut played no further part in the battle for Port Hudson, and General Banks was left to continue the siege without the advantage of naval support. The
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
made two major attacks on the fort; both were repulsed with heavy losses. Farragut's flotilla was splintered, yet was able to blockade the mouth of the Red River with the two remaining warships; he could not efficiently patrol the section of the Mississippi between Port Hudson and Vicksburg. Farragut's decision proved costly to the Union Navy and the Union Army, which suffered its highest casualty rate of the war at Port Hudson. Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, 1863, leaving Port Hudson as the last remaining Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. General Banks accepted the surrender of the Confederate garrison at Port Hudson on July 9, ending the longest siege in U.S. military history. Control of the Mississippi River was the centerpiece of the Union strategy to win the war, and, with the surrender of Port Hudson, the Confederacy was now cut in two. On August 5, 1864, Farragut won a great victory in 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 ...
.
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 ...
, was then the Confederacy's last major open port on the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
. The bay was heavily mined (tethered
naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...
s were then known as "torpedoes"). Farragut ordered his fleet to charge the bay. When the monitor struck a mine and sank, the others began to pull back. From his high perch, where he was lashed to the rigging of his flagship, USS ''Hartford'', Farragut could see the ships pulling back. "What's the trouble?" he shouted through a trumpet to . "Torpedoes", was the shouted reply. "Damn the torpedoes.", said Farragut, "Four bells, Captain Drayton, go ahead. Jouett, full speed." The bulk of the fleet succeeded in entering the bay. Farragut triumphed over the opposition of heavy batteries in
Fort Morgan Fort Morgan can apply to any one of several places in the United States: *Fort Morgan (Alabama), a fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay *Fort Morgan, Alabama, a nearby community *Fort Morgan (Colorado), a frontier military post located in present-day Fo ...
and Fort Gaines to defeat the squadron of 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 ...
. On December 21, 1864, Lincoln promoted Farragut to vice admiral, which made him the senior ranking officer in the United States Navy.


Post-Civil War service

After the Civil War, Farragut was elected a companion of the first class of the New York Commandery of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...
on March 18, 1866, and assigned insignia number 231. He served as the commander of the Commandery of New York from May 1866 until his death. Farragut was promoted to full
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
on July 25, 1866, becoming the first U.S. Navy officer to hold that rank. His last active service was in command of the
European Squadron The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...
, from 1867 to 1868, with the
screw frigate Steam frigates (including screw frigates) and the smaller steam corvettes, steam sloops, steam gunboats and steam schooners, were steam-powered warships that were not meant to stand in the line of battle. There were some exceptions like for exam ...
as his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
. Farragut remained on active duty for life, an honor accorded to only seven other U.S. Navy officers after the Civil War.


Death

Farragut died from a heart attack at the age of 69 in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
, while on vacation in the late summer of 1870. He had served almost sixty years in the navy. He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery, in
The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
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 ...
. His
gravesite A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...
is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, as is Woodlawn Cemetery itself.


Personal life

After appointment and an initial cruise as acting lieutenant commanding , Farragut married Susan Caroline Marchant on September 2, 1824. After years of ill health, Susan Farragut died on December 27, 1840. Farragut was noted for his kindly treatment of his wife during her illness. After the death of his first wife, Farragut married Virginia Dorcas Loyall, on December 26, 1843, with whom he had one surviving son, named Loyall Farragut, born October 12, 1844. Loyall Farragut graduated from
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
in 1868, and served as a
second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the
U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
before resigning in 1872. He spent most of the remainder of his career as an executive with the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey. He was a hereditary member of the Military Society of the War of 1812 and a companion of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...
. Loyall died on October 1, 1916, as noted on one side of the family monument that he and his mother erected to the memory of his father in Woodlawn Cemetery. Farragut had a brother named William A. C. Farragut. William was also in the Navy but had a far less distinguished career. He was warranted as a midshipman on January 16, 1809 (a year before David Farragut would begin his career) and was promoted to lieutenant on December 9, 1814. William remained at that rank until he was transferred to the Reserve List on December 15, 1855. He died on December 20, 1859. David Farragut was initiated to the Scottish Rite Masonry.


Timeline of service

* Spring 1810, added to U.S. Navy rolls as boy seaman * December 17, 1810, appointed
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
at age 9. * 1812, assigned to the
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
. * 1815–1817, served in the Mediterranean Sea aboard the ship of the line and the frigate HMS Macedonian, USS ''Macedonian''. * 1818, studied ashore for nine months at Tunis. * 1819, served as a lieutenant on the schooner . * 1823, placed in command of the schooner . * January 10, 1825, promoted to Lieutenant (naval), lieutenant on the frigate . * 1826–1838, served in subordinate capacities on various vessels. * 1838, placed in command of the
sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...
. * September 8, 1841, promoted to the rank of
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
. *
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, commanded the sloop-of-war . * 1848–1853, duty at Norfolk Navy Base, Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia, Portsmouth,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, as Assistant Inspector of Ordinance. * September 1852 – August 1853, assigned to superintend the testing of the endurance of naval gun Artillery battery, batteries at Old Point Comfort at Fort Monroe in Virginia. * 1853–1854, duty at Washington, D.C. * September 14, 1855, promoted to the rank of Captain (United States O-6), captain. * 1854–1858, duty establishing Mare Island Navy Yard at San Francisco Bay in California. * 1858–1859, commander of the Screw steamer, screw sloop-of-war . * 1860–1861, stationed at Norfolk Navy Yard. * January 13, 1862, promoted to the rank of
flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countr ...
(equivalent to Commodore (United States), commodore). * January 1862, commanded the screw sloop-of-war and the Union blockade, West Gulf Blockading Squadron of 17 vessels. * April 1862, took command of occupied
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, Louisiana. * June 23, 1862, wounded near Vicksburg, Mississippi, Vicksburg, Mississippi. * July 16, 1862, promoted to
rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
. * March 15, 1863, commanded naval forces at the Battle of Port Hudson. * May 1863, commanded the screw sloop-of-war . * May 1863, commanded the screw steamer . * July 1863, commanded the sidewheel paddle steamer SS Republic (1853), USS ''Tennessee''. * August 5, 1864,
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 ...
. * September 5, 1864, offered command of the Union blockade, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, but he declined because of family issues. * December 21, 1864, promoted to vice admiral. * April 1865, pallbearer for the funeral of Abraham Lincoln. * July 25, 1866, promoted to
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
. * June 1867–1868, commanded the
European Squadron The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...
with the
screw frigate Steam frigates (including screw frigates) and the smaller steam corvettes, steam sloops, steam gunboats and steam schooners, were steam-powered warships that were not meant to stand in the line of battle. There were some exceptions like for exam ...
as his
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
. * August 14, 1870, died at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, Kittery, Maine.


Legacy

The area formerly known as Campbell's Station, Tennessee, only a few miles from Admiral Farragut's birthplace, was renamed to the town of Farragut, Tennessee, Farragut in his honor. Farragut Square in Washington, D.C. is named in his honor. A statue of him, named ''Admiral David G. Farragut (Ream statue), Admiral David G. Farragut'', is in the center of Farragut Square. Two Washington Metro stations, Farragut West station, Farragut West and Farragut North station, Farragut North, also share his name. There is a Statue of David Farragut (Boston), statue of Admiral Farragut at the South Boston Marine Park adjacent to Castle Island (Massachusetts), Castle Island. There is also an Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (Manhattan), outdoor sculpture of him in Madison Square Park in Manhattan, New York City, where the Farragut, Brooklyn, Farragut section of the Borough of Brooklyn, including Farragut Road, is named for him. Farragut Naval Training Station, located in Northern Idaho on Lake Pend Oreille, was a World War II naval training center with over 293,000 sailors receiving basic training there. In 1966, the state of Idaho turned the land into Farragut State Park. Two separate Ship class, classes of U.S. Navy destroyers have been named for Farragut: the Farragut-class destroyer (1934), ''Farragut'' class of 1934 and the Farragut-class destroyer (1958), ''Farragut'' class of 1958. Several individual U.S. Navy ships also have been named in his honor. Admiral Farragut Academy, named after Admiral David G. Farragut, was founded in 1933 as an all-boys military boarding high school located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Today, the Academy is a college-prep private school which serves students from PreK-12th grade. The Upper School, which starts in 8th grade, is also known worldwide for its Boarding school, Boarding program and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Navy Junior ROTC military structure. Farragut also offers other signature academic programs: Aviation, Scuba, Marine Science, Engineering, Sailing, and more. Farragut Career Academy Chicago, IL and Farragut High School, Farragut TN; Few naval officers in American history have been honored on a U.S. postage stamp, but David Farragut has been so honored more than once. The first postage stamp (at left) to honor Farragut was the 1-dollar black Series of 1902, issue of 1903. The Navy Issue of 1937 includes (among five in a series) a 3-cent purple stamp which depicts Admirals David Farragut (left) and David Dixon Porter, David Porter, with a warship under sail displayed at center. The most recent postage issue honoring Farragut was released from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on June 29, 1995. The Science Fiction John Kippax#Venturer Twelve series, Venturer Twelve series features an Admiral Farragut in command of Earth's Space Navy in the far future. The Tennessee State Capitol Commission and Historical Commission voted on July 22, 2021, to move a Bust (sculpture), bust of Admiral Farragut, as well as busts of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Admiral Albert Gleaves, from the Tennessee Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum. The process of moving them officially began on July 23, 2021. File:David Farragut 1903 issue-$1.jpg, Issue of 1903
First U.S. Postage stamp to honor Admiral Farragut File:Farragut Porter 1937 Issue-3c.jpg, Navy Issue of 1937
Farragut honored along with Porter, his foster brother File:US-$100-TN-1891-Fr-378.jpg, Memorialized on the 1891 $100 Treasury (Coin) Note, Treasury Note, and one of 53 people depicted on List of people on United States banknotes, United States banknotes. File:22-20-001-farragut.jpg, Bust of Farragut at the Tennessee State Museum
Numerous places and things are named in remembrance of Admiral Farragut: * Admiral Farragut Academy is a college University-preparatory school, preparatory school with naval training founded in 1933 by navy admirals in Pine Beach, New Jersey. In 1945 the current and now only campus opened in St. Petersburg, Florida. In 1946 it was designated by Congress as a Naval Honor School. * Farragut, Tennessee, Admiral Farragut's hometown of Campbell's Station (see Battle of Campbell's Station), Tennessee, was renamed Farragut when it became incorporated in 1982. Admiral Farragut was actually born at Lowe's Ferry on the Holston (now Tennessee) River a few miles southeast of the town, but at that time Campbell's Station was the nearest settlement. * Farragut Square in Washington, D.C. is named in his honor. * Farragut High School was built at Admiral Farragut's home town of Campbell's Station (now Farragut) in 1904. Today Farragut High School, boasting nearly 2,500 students, is one of the largest schools in Tennessee. The school's colors are blue and white, and its sporting teams are known as "The Admirals". * Farragut, Brooklyn, Farragut, a neighborhood in Brooklyn * Farragut Field is a sports field at the United States Naval Academy. * Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois is a high school in the Chicago Public Schools system that was founded in 1894; its sporting teams are also known as the Admirals. The school displays an oil painting of the admiral, presented to the school by the Farragut Post of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1896. National Basketball Association, NBA star Kevin Garnett attended Farragut Career Academy. Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is also a prominent alum. * Farragut, Iowa is a small farming town in southwestern Iowa. Admiral Farragut's famous slogan greets visitors from a billboard on the edge of town. The local school, Farragut Community High School, fielded varsity "Admiral" and JV "Sailor" teams until its closure in 2016. The school also houses memorabilia from the ships that have borne the Farragut name. * Five U.S. Navy destroyers have been named , including two class leaders. * * Farragut Square, a park in Washington, D.C.; the square lends its name to two nearby Washington Metro, Metro stations: Farragut North (Washington Metro), Farragut North and Farragut West (Washington Metro), Farragut West. * Three U.S. Postage stamps and postal history of the United States, postage stamps: the $1 stamp of 1903, the $0.03 stamp with Admiral David Porter in 1937 and a $0.32 stamp in 1995. * 100-dollar Treasury notes, also called coin notes, of the Series 1890 and 1891, feature portraits of Farragut on the Obverse and reverse, obverse. The 1890 Series note is called a $100 Watermelon Note by collectors, because the large zeroes on the reverse resemble the pattern on a watermelon. * A stained glass window in the United States Naval Academy Chapel depicts Farragut in the rigging of USS ''Hartford'' at Mobile Bay. * David Glasgow Farragut High School is the U.S. Department of Defense High School located on the Naval Station Rota, Spain, Naval Station in Rota, Spain, Rota, Spain. Their sporting teams are also known as "The Admirals". * Farragut Parkway in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. * Farragut Middle School in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. * David Farragut School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), David Farragut School in Philadelphia * A grade school in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. * A grade school (PS 44) in the Bronx. * Farragut State Park in Idaho, which was used as a naval base for basic training during World War II. * A hotel in
Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
at Cala'n Forcat. * A bust in full naval regalia on the top floor of the Tennessee State Capitol. * Admiral Farragut condominium on waterway in Coral Gables, Florida. * Farragut elementary school in Vallejo Ca. Located just outside the Mare Island Gate. * A monument is located off Northshore Drive in Concord, Tennessee. The monument reads "BIRTHPLACE OF ADMIRAL FARRAGUT/BORN JULY 5, 1801 . . . DEDICATED BY George Dewey, ADMIRAL DEWEY, MAY 15, 1900". * The David Farragut School, Boston, Massachusetts, David Farragut School is an elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts * The Farragut House bar–restaurant located in South Boston, Massachusetts, South Boston, Massachusetts. * A larger than life statue near the beach in South Boston. * Farragut Bay, Alaska, by Thomas, 1887 [Latitude: 57.11889 : Longitude: -133.23056] * Farragut Inn at Touro University California located on the
Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
. Monuments * Madison Square Park, New York City, by Augustus Saint Gaudens, 1881, replica in Cornish, New Hampshire, 1994 * Farragut Square, Washington, D.C., by Vinnie Ream, 1881 * Marine Park, Boston Massachusetts, by Henry Hudson Kitson, 1881 * Hackley Park, Muskegon, Michigan, by Charles Niehaus, 1900 * A "Commodore Farragut", who is clearly based on David Farragut, appears in Jules Verne's 1870 novel ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea''. * In the ''Star Trek'' franchise, a number of Starfleet starships are named Farragut. * The album ''Damn the Torpedoes (album), Damn the Torpedoes'' by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is named after David Farragut's famous quote. * The album ''MDFMK'' by MDFMK contains a song entitled "Damn the Torpedoes". * In the comedy film ''Galaxy Quest'', Tim Allen's character says "Never give up! Never surrender! Damn the resonance cannons! Full speed ahead!" * Farragut is played by actor Scott Brady in the feature film ''Yankee Buccaneer'' (1952) * In her 2010 spoken-word debut, Olivia Hedrick released a track "How I love thee Mister Farragut" * In the 1943 film ''The More the Merrier'', Charles Coburn views the famous quote on a statue, and uses the phrase as a motto; it drives the plot forward. * In the video game ''The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion'', there is a Fort Farragut. * In the opening scene of ''Damages (TV series), Damages'', Season 2, Episode 10, Ellen Parsons and Wes Krulik meet to talk on the left-side seating within the Admiral Farragut Memorial in Madison Square, Manhattan. * Among his last acting roles, Ronald W. Reagan played Farragut in the 1965 episode "The Battle of San Francisco Bay" of the Television syndication, syndicated Western (genre), western television series, ''Death Valley Days''. The episode focuses on the 1856 San Francisco Vigilance Committee. June Dayton was cast in the episode as Farragut's second wife, Virginia. * Farragut is mentioned in ''The Wild Wild West'' episode "The Night of the Kraken", although he does not appear. At the climax, the story's villains try to destroy Farragut's ship with a
naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...
, but are foiled by the series' heroes. * In season 4 episode 13 of M*A*S*H entitled "Soldier of the Month", Hawkeye asks the question, "What famous Civil War hero said, 'Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!'?" Klinger replied, "Tugarraf", which is Farragut backwards.


See also

* Bibliography of the American Civil War#Naval history, Bibliography of Naval history of the American Civil War * Bibliography of early American naval history * Blockade runners of the American Civil War * Naval battles of the American Civil War * Seth Ledyard Phelps (Naval commander who also served in naval operations in the Mississippi River Squadron, Western Rivers Fleet)


Notes


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

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* Hearn, Chester G. (1995) ''The Capture of New Orleans 1862'', Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pp. 292
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* Nash, Howard Pervear (1972). ''A naval history of the Civil War''A. S. Barnes, p. 375,
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External links



* [http://www.nps.gov/archive/vick/visctr/sitebltn/farragut.htm National Park Service biography and Vicksburg battle info]
archive of Farragut biography on INSURV at navy.mil



Admiral Farragut Academy Alumni Site
* *
David G. Farragut Letterbook and Papers, 1862-1864
a
The Historic New Orleans Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farragut, David 1801 births 1870 deaths David Farragut, 19th-century American naval officers American folklore United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812 United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War American people of Spanish descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) Hall of Fame for Great Americans inductees People from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York People from Knoxville, Tennessee People of Tennessee in the American Civil War Southern Unionists in the American Civil War Union Navy admirals United States Navy commodores War of 1812 prisoners of war held by the United Kingdom Farragut, Tennessee People from Farragut, Tennessee