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Percival Drayton

Percival Drayton

Percival Drayton (August 25, 1812 – August 4, 1865) was a career United States Navy officer. He served in the Brazil Squadron, the and as a staff officer during the .

During the American Civil War, he commanded naval forces against Confederate forts defended by his brother Thomas F. Drayton in the Battle of Port Royal. He served as Fleet Captain in the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and commanded the sloop-of-warUSS Hartford during the Battle of Mobile Bay under Rear Admiral David Farragut. It was to Drayton that Farragut issued his famous command, "Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!"