1. Early Life and Family Background
David Glasgow Farragut's formative years were shaped by a diverse family heritage and an early immersion in the naval world.
1.1. Birth and Childhood
James Glasgow Farragut was born on July 5, 1801, at Lowe's Ferry on the Tennessee River (then known as the Holston River) in Tennessee, a few miles southeast of Campbell's Station, near Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, George Farragut (born Jordi Farragut Mesquida, 1755-1817), was a Spanish merchant captain from the Balearic Islands of Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea, who had immigrated to North America in 1776 and served as a naval officer in the American Revolutionary War, first with the South Carolina Navy and then the Continental Navy. His mother, Elizabeth Shine (1765-1808), was of Scotch-Irish American descent from North Carolina. After his Revolutionary War service, George and Elizabeth moved west to Tennessee, where George operated Lowe's Ferry and served as a cavalry officer in the Tennessee militia.
In 1805, George Farragut accepted a position at the U.S. port of New Orleans. He traveled there first, and his family followed in a 1.70 K mile journey by flatboat. This voyage was young James's first experience at sea. The family was still living in New Orleans when Elizabeth Farragut tragically died of yellow fever in 1808. George Farragut then made arrangements to place his young children with friends and family who could better care for them.
2. Naval Career
Farragut's naval career spanned an impressive 60 years, beginning as a midshipman at age nine and continuing until his death at 69. Throughout this extensive service, he participated in several wars, most notably the American Civil War, where his decisive naval victories earned him lasting fame and significantly contributed to national unity.
2.1. Early Missions
Farragut's earliest naval service began under the command of his foster father, Captain David Porter, during the War of 1812. As a prize master by the age of eleven, he fought aboard the frigate USS Essex. On August 13, 1812, Farragut participated in the capture of HMS Alert, an engagement that solidified his early combat experience. He was given the significant assignment of bringing a ship captured by the Essex safely to port. Farragut also contributed to the establishment of America's first naval base and colony in the Pacific, named Fort Madison, during the ill-fated Nuku Hiva Campaign in the Marquesas Islands. During this time, Americans battled hostile tribes on the islands with the assistance of their Te I'i allies. On March 28, 1814, while serving on the Essex, Farragut was wounded and captured during the engagement at Valparaíso Bay, Chile, against the British.
After the War of 1812, Farragut served in the Mediterranean aboard the ship of the line USS Independence and the frigate USS Macedonian from 1815 to 1817. In 1818, he spent nine months studying ashore in Tunis. By 1819, he served as a lieutenant on the schooner USS Shark.
In 1823, Farragut was placed in command of USS Ferret, marking his first command of a U.S. naval vessel. He was part of the Mosquito Fleet, a specialized fleet fitted out to fight piracy in the Caribbean Sea. Knowing his former captain, Commodore Porter, would command this fleet, Farragut requested and received orders to serve aboard the Greyhound, one of the smaller vessels, commanded by John Porter, David Porter's brother. On February 14, 1823, the fleet sailed for the West Indies, where over the next six months, they successfully drove pirates from the sea and routed them from their island hideouts. Farragut also served as executive officer aboard the Experiment during its anti-piracy campaign in the West Indies. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1825.
2.2. Mexican-American War
By 1847, Farragut had been promoted to commander and took command of the sloop-of-war USS Saratoga upon her recommissioning at Norfolk Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. Assigned to the Home Squadron for service in the Mexican-American War, Saratoga departed Norfolk on March 29, 1847, bound for the Gulf of Mexico under Farragut's command. Arriving off Veracruz, Mexico, on April 26, 1847, he reported to the squadron's commander, Commodore Matthew C. Perry. On April 29, Perry ordered Farragut to sail Saratoga 150 nmi north to blockade Tuxpan, where she operated from April 30 to July 12. Farragut then returned to Veracruz. About two weeks later, he undertook a round-trip voyage to carry dispatches to Tabasco, returning to Veracruz on August 11, 1847. On September 1, Farragut and Saratoga resumed blockade duty off Tuxpan, remaining there for two months despite a severe yellow fever outbreak on board. Farragut then brought the ship back to Veracruz and, after a month, set sail for the Pensacola Navy Yard in Pensacola, Florida. Saratoga arrived there on January 6, 1848, disembarked seriously sick patients at the base hospital, and replenished stores. On January 31, 1848, Farragut took the ship from Pensacola bound for New York City, arriving on February 19. Saratoga was decommissioned there on February 26, 1848.
2.4. Civil War Service
Farragut's contributions during the American Civil War were instrumental in the Union victory, particularly his strategic naval operations in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Mississippi River.
2.4.1. Loyalty to the Union and Early Command
Despite being born in the South and residing in Norfolk, Virginia, prior to the Civil War, Farragut steadfastly declared his unwavering loyalty to the Union, viewing secession as an act of treason. Just before the war's outbreak, he moved with his Virginia-born wife to Hastings-on-Hudson, a small town just outside New York City.
He promptly offered his services to the Union cause, initially being assigned a seat on the Naval Retirement Board. When his foster brother, David Dixon Porter, offered him command for a special assignment, Farragut initially hesitated upon learning the target might be Norfolk, where he had friends and relatives. He was greatly relieved when the target was changed to his former childhood home of New Orleans. Despite some initial doubts within the Navy about Farragut's loyalty due to his Southern origins, Porter championed his appointment, and Farragut was entrusted with the critical mission of attacking New Orleans.
On February 3, 1862, Farragut was appointed under secret instructions to command the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. He sailed from Hampton Roads on the screw steamer USS Hartford, armed with 25 guns, which he designated as his flagship. His fleet comprised 17 ships. He reached the mouth of the Mississippi River, where Confederate forts St. Philip and Jackson were strategically located opposite each other, boasting a combined armament of over 100 heavy guns and a garrison of 700 men. Aware of Farragut's approach, the Confederates had amassed a fleet of 16 gunboats just outside New Orleans.
2.4.2. Capture of New Orleans
On April 18, Farragut ordered the mortar boats, under the command of Porter, to commence bombardment on Forts St. Philip and Jackson. While inflicting considerable damage, the bombardment was insufficient to compel the Confederates to surrender. After two days of intense shelling in the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Farragut executed a daring maneuver, running his fleet past the formidable defenses of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and the Chalmette batteries. This bold action led to the capture of the city and port of New Orleans on April 29, 1862, a decisive event that significantly shifted the course of the war.
In recognition of his monumental achievement, the U.S. Congress honored him by creating the rank of rear admiral on July 16, 1862, a rank never before used in the U.S. Navy. Prior to this, the American Navy had consciously avoided the term "admiral," preferring "flag officer" to differentiate itself from the traditions of European navies. Farragut was promoted to rear admiral along with thirteen other officers - three on the active list and ten on the retired list.
2.4.3. Mississippi River Operations
Later in 1862, Farragut's forces attempted to pass the batteries defending Vicksburg, Mississippi, but were unsuccessful. A makeshift Confederate ironclad forced his flotilla of 38 ships to withdraw in July 1862.
Despite his aggressive command style, Farragut was not always cooperative. During the siege of Port Hudson, the original plan was for Farragut's flotilla to pass the formidable guns of the Confederate stronghold, supported by a diversionary land attack by the Army of the Gulf, commanded by General Nathaniel Banks, scheduled for 8:00 a.m. on March 15, 1863. However, Farragut unilaterally decided to advance the timetable to 9:00 p.m. on March 14, initiating his run past the guns before Union ground forces were in position. This lack of coordination allowed the Confederates to concentrate their fire on Farragut's flotilla, inflicting heavy damage on his warships.
Farragut's flotilla was forced to retreat, with only two ships successfully passing the heavy cannon of the Confederate bastion. After surviving the gauntlet, Farragut played no further direct part in the battle for Port Hudson, leaving General Banks to continue the siege without the crucial advantage of naval support. The Union Army launched two major attacks on the fort, both repulsed with heavy losses. Farragut's scattered flotilla, while unable to efficiently patrol the section of the Mississippi between Port Hudson and Vicksburg, did manage to blockade the mouth of the Red River with the two remaining warships. Farragut's independent decision proved costly to both 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, followed by Port Hudson on July 9, as General Banks accepted the surrender of the Confederate garrison. This marked the end of the longest siege in U.S. military history. Control of the Mississippi River was the centerpiece of the Union strategy to win the war; with the surrender of Port Hudson, the Confederacy was effectively cut in two, a vital step towards national reunification.
2.4.4. Battle of Mobile Bay
On August 5, 1864, Farragut achieved another monumental victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay. Mobile, Alabama was then the Confederacy's last major open port on the Gulf of Mexico. The bay was heavily mined with tethered naval mines, which were then known as "torpedoes." Farragut ordered his fleet to charge into the bay. As the battle intensified, thick smoke obscured Farragut's view from his position on the USS Hartford. To gain a better vantage point, Farragut climbed the ship's rigging until he reached the futtock shrouds under the main top. Fearing for his safety amid the heavy bombardment, the crew prudently lashed him to the mast and rigging.
When the monitor USS Tecumseh struck a mine and tragically sank, the other Union ships began to pull back. Farragut, observing this, shouted through a trumpet to USS Brooklyn, "What's the trouble?" The shouted reply was, "Torpedoes!" To which Farragut famously declared, "Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!" The bulk of the fleet, galvanized by his decisive command, successfully entered the bay. Farragut triumphed over the formidable opposition of heavy batteries in Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, decisively defeating the Confederate squadron led by Admiral Franklin Buchanan. On December 21, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Farragut to vice admiral, making him the senior ranking officer in the United States Navy.
2.4.5. Post-War Promotions and European Squadron Command
After the Civil War, Farragut continued to be recognized for his exceptional service. He 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 on March 18, 1866, and served as the commander of the Commandery of New York from May 1866 until his death. Farragut was promoted to full admiral on July 25, 1866, making him the first U.S. Navy officer to ever hold that rank. His final active service was in command of the European Squadron from 1867 to 1868, with the screw frigate USS Franklin as his flagship. Farragut remained on active duty for life, an honor accorded to only seven other U.S. Navy officers after the Civil War, including his foster brother David Dixon Porter, Stephen Clegg Rowan, George Dewey, William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester W. Nimitz, and William Halsey. In April 1865, he served as a pallbearer for the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln, a testament to his esteemed position in the nation.
3. Personal Life
David Glasgow Farragut's personal life included two marriages and a family, as well as affiliations such as Freemasonry.
After his appointment as acting lieutenant commanding USS Ferret and his initial cruise, Farragut married Susan Caroline Marchant on September 2, 1824. After years of poor health, Susan Farragut died on December 27, 1840. Farragut was known for his kind and attentive treatment of his wife during her illness.
Following the death of his first wife, Farragut married Virginia Dorcas Loyall on December 26, 1843. They had one surviving son, Loyall Farragut, born on October 12, 1844. Loyall Farragut graduated from West Point in 1868 and served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army before resigning in 1872. He spent most of his subsequent career as an executive with the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey. Loyall 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. He died on October 1, 1916, a date noted on one side of the family monument he and his mother erected in memory of his father in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Farragut also had a brother named William A. C. Farragut, who also served in the Navy but had a less distinguished career. William was warranted as a midshipman on January 16, 1809-a year before David began his career-and was promoted to lieutenant on December 9, 1814. He remained at that rank until he was transferred to the Reserve List on December 15, 1855, and died on December 20, 1859.
Farragut was also a Freemason and a Scottish Rite Freemason.
4. Death
David Glasgow Farragut died from a heart attack at the age of 69 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on August 14, 1870, while on vacation. He had served the United States Navy for almost sixty years. His remains are interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City. His gravesite is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Woodlawn Cemetery itself.
5. Legacy and Honors
The enduring impact and recognition of David Glasgow Farragut's life and career are evident in numerous monuments, place names, institutions, ships, and cultural commemorations across the United States.
5.1. Monuments and Place Names
Many places and structures throughout the United States bear Admiral Farragut's name. The area formerly known as Campbell's Station, Tennessee, only a few miles from his birthplace, was renamed the town of Farragut in his honor upon its incorporation in 1982. While Farragut was actually born at Lowe's Ferry on the Holston (now Tennessee) River, Campbell's Station was the nearest settlement at the time.
Farragut Square in Washington, D.C., is named in his honor, featuring a prominent statue of him titled Admiral David G. Farragut (Ream statue), created by Vinnie Ream in 1881. This statue, made from the propeller of his flagship, includes a National Park Service interpretive plaque quoting his famous order. Two Washington Metro stations, Farragut West and Farragut North, also share his name. There is a statue of Admiral Farragut at the South Boston Marine Park adjacent to Castle Island, created by Henry Hudson Kitson in 1881. Another outdoor sculpture of him stands in Madison Square Park in Manhattan, New York City, by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1881), with a replica in Cornish, New Hampshire (1994). The Farragut section of the Borough of Brooklyn, including Farragut Road, is also named for him, as is a street in The Bronx, New York. In Muskegon, Michigan, a statue by Charles Niehaus from 1900 commemorates him in Hackley Park.
Geographical features also honor him, such as Farragut Bay, Alaska, named by Thomas in 1887. A monument is located off Northshore Drive in Concord, Tennessee, reading "BIRTHPLACE OF ADMIRAL FARRAGUT/BORN JULY 5, 1801... DEDICATED BY ADMIRAL DEWEY, MAY 15, 1900."
5.2. Honored Institutions and Ships
Several institutions and naval vessels bear Farragut's name. In May 2023, the Superintendent's residence at the United States Naval Academy was renamed 'Farragut House', replacing 'Buchanan House', which had honored the Confederate Admiral Buchanan defeated by Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay.
Farragut Naval Training Station, located in Northern Idaho on Lake Pend Oreille, was a vital World War II naval training center where over 293,000 sailors received basic training. In 1966, the state of Idaho converted the land into Farragut State Park.
The U.S. Navy has honored Farragut by naming two distinct classes of destroyers after him: the Farragut class of 1934 and the Farragut class of 1958. Other U.S. Navy ships named Farragut include TB-11 (1898), DD-300 (1920), and DDG-99 (2006).
Educational institutions also bear his name. Admiral Farragut Academy, a college preparatory school with naval training, was founded in 1933 in Pine Beach, New Jersey. The current and sole campus opened in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1945 and was designated a Naval Honor School by Congress in 1946. Today, it serves students from PreK-12th grade, with its Upper School (starting in 8th grade) known for its boarding program and Navy Junior ROTC military structure. The academy also offers specialized academic programs in Aviation, Scuba, Marine Science, Engineering, and Sailing.
Other schools include Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1894, whose sports teams are also known as "The Admirals." The school proudly displays an oil painting of the admiral, presented by the Farragut Post of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1896. Farragut High School in Farragut, Tennessee, was built in 1904 at what was then Campbell's Station. It is now one of Tennessee's largest schools, with nearly 2,500 students, and its teams are also known as "The Admirals." David Glasgow Farragut High School is a U.S. Department of Defense High School located on the Naval Station in Rota, Spain, with teams also called "The Admirals." Farragut Parkway and Farragut Middle School are found in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Other grade schools include the David Farragut School in Philadelphia, a grade school in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and a grade school (PS 44) in the Bronx. The David Farragut School is also an elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts.
Farragut, Iowa, a small farming town, greets visitors with a billboard featuring Farragut's famous slogan. Its local school, Farragut Community High School, housed memorabilia from ships bearing the Farragut name until its closure in 2016.
5.3. Cultural Recognition
David Farragut has been honored on U.S. postage stamps multiple times, a distinction shared by few naval officers in American history. The first stamp to feature Farragut was the $1 black issue of 1903. The Navy Issue of 1937 included a 3-cent purple stamp depicting Admirals David Farragut (left) and David Porter, with a warship under sail at the center. The most recent postage issue honoring Farragut was released from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 1995.
First U.S. Postage stamp to honor Admiral Farragut
Farragut honored along with Porter, his foster brother
Farragut's likeness is also featured on the obverse of the $100 Treasury notes of the Series 1890 and 1891. The 1890 Series note is colloquially known by collectors as a "$100 Watermelon Note" due to the design of the large zeroes on its reverse. He is one of 53 people depicted on United States banknotes.
A stained glass window in the United States Naval Academy Chapel depicts Farragut in the rigging of USS Hartford at Mobile Bay, illustrating his iconic moment. His likeness is also featured on the southern side of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Portland, Maine. In July 2021, the Tennessee State Capitol Commission and Historical Commission voted to move a bust of Admiral Farragut, along with busts of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Admiral Albert Gleaves, from the Tennessee Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum, with the move officially commencing on July 23, 2021.
Other forms of remembrance include the Farragut Field at the United States Naval Academy, the Farragut House bar-restaurant in South Boston, Massachusetts, a hotel in Menorca at Cala'n Forcat, and the Admiral Farragut condominium on the waterway in Coral Gables, Florida. Farragut Elementary School in Vallejo, California, is located just outside the Mare Island Gate, a testament to his significant role there.
5.4. Appearances in Popular Culture
Farragut's legacy extends into various forms of popular culture, often highlighting his heroic image and famous quote.
- A "Commodore Farragut," clearly based on David Farragut, appears in Jules Verne's 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
- In the 1943 film The More the Merrier, Charles Coburn's character views Farragut's famous quote on a statue and adopts it as a personal motto, driving the plot forward.
- Farragut is portrayed by actor Scott Brady in the 1952 feature film Yankee Buccaneer.
- Among his last acting roles, Ronald Reagan played Farragut in the 1965 episode "The Battle of San Francisco Bay" of the syndicated western television series, Death Valley Days, focusing on the 1856 San Francisco Vigilance Committee. June Dayton was cast as Farragut's second wife, Virginia, in the episode.
- Farragut is mentioned in The Wild Wild West episode "The Night of the Kraken," where villains attempt to destroy his ship with a naval mine at the climax, but are foiled by the series' heroes.
- In her 2010 spoken-word debut, Olivia Hedrick released a track titled "How I love thee Mister Farragut."
- In the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there is a location named Fort Farragut.
- Various spacecraft in Star Trek bear the name USS Farragut as background or secondary character vessels. This includes a starship and an entire starship class mentioned in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series as one of James T. Kirk's earliest assignment postings. Other USS Farragut ships include a Nebula-class starship that rescued the crew of the USS Enterprise-D at the end of Star Trek Generations (later mentioned as destroyed in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Nor the Battle to the Strong") and an Excelsior-class starship mentioned in the Deep Space Nine episode "Chrysalis". A USS Farragut was also mentioned in the 2009 Star Trek film as the initial assignment posting for then-cadet Nyota Uhura.
- The science fiction Venturer Twelve series features an Admiral Farragut in command of Earth's Space Navy in the far future.
His famous quote, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead," has also left a significant mark on popular culture:
- In season 4, episode 13 of M*A*S*H, entitled "Soldier of the Month," Hawkeye asks, "What famous Civil War hero said, 'Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!'?" Klinger humorously replies, "Tugarraf," which is Farragut spelled backward.
- The album Damn the Torpedoes by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is directly named after David Farragut's quote.
- The album MDFMK by MDFMK contains a song entitled "Damn the Torpedoes."
- In the comedy film Galaxy Quest, Tim Allen's character delivers a similar line: "Never give up! Never surrender! Damn the resonance cannons! Full speed ahead!"
6. Historical Assessment
David Glasgow Farragut stands as a pivotal figure in American history, largely because of his exceptional naval leadership during the American Civil War, which contributed significantly to the preservation of national unity. His strategic vision and audacious tactics were crucial in the Union's control of key waterways, effectively severing the Confederacy and thereby upholding democratic values against the forces of secession.
His achievements, particularly the capture of New Orleans and the victory at Mobile Bay, demonstrate his mastery of naval warfare under challenging conditions. Farragut's resolute loyalty to the Union, despite his Southern heritage, exemplifies his commitment to the principles of a unified nation. Historians, such as the Japanese naval historian Yamanashi Katsunoshin, have placed Farragut among the world's greatest naval commanders, alongside figures like Horatio Nelson and Tōgō Heihachirō, recognizing his profound impact on naval strategy and his contributions to the course of history. This perspective highlights Farragut not only as a military genius but also as a symbol of determination and commitment to the nation's integrity. While his aggressive style sometimes led to uncoordinated actions, as seen at Port Hudson, his overall legacy remains one of decisive leadership and unwavering dedication that played a critical role in the Union's ultimate triumph. Farragut's influence on national unity and the development of the U.S. Navy endures as a testament to his historical significance.