A midshipman at the age of 9, the commander of a prize ship at 12, when he faced down a one-man mutiny by an adult who went below for his pistols. The former skipper of the recaptured merchantman was told if he appeared armed on deck he would be thrown overboard. The man backed down, wisely.
The book tells the amazing story of David Farragut. I knew
a lot about his Civil War heroics, but this book provided more information
about that and the story of his intrepid earlier life, along with Farragut’s
post-war doings.
During the war, his favorite battle perch was in the rigging
of his flagship the Hartford. This allowed him to see over the battle smoke. The Confederates nearly nailed him several
times.
After his crowning achievement at Mobile Bay, he stood down
due to failing health. I assume he was already aware of this before he stormed
the bay.
Farragut was a southerner who remained loyal to the Union. A
number of people defied their geographical origins during the war. The Union
got the best of the bargain, with Virginians Farragut, Thomas, and the Mississippi
cavalryman “Grimes” Davis (cut down at Brandy Station), while the Confederacy
got the Pennsylvanian Pemberton, who surrendered Vicksburg and his army to
Grant, and Ohioan Bushrod Johnson, a moderately competent division
commander.
James P. Duffy’s book is an easy read. I will plow through dense prose in service to the hobby. This book was well-written, the research top notch. I have read other books that were well-written with questionable research, and well-researched books that plodded along. This one scores well on both counts.
This review is belated, due to the holiday festivities.
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