"Damn The Torpedoes! Full Speed Ahead!"

Today is the birthday, in 1801, of David Glasgow Farragut, commander of the Union Navy during the Civil War. Not too long ago, I reviewed West Wind, Flood Tide by Jack Friend, which tells in great detail the story of Farragut's famous victory at Mobile Bay in August, 1864, during which he uttered the phrase for which he is now mostly remembered. However, his earlier victory at New Orleans and his repeated running of the Mississippi beneath the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg also amply demonstrated his courage, dash and aggressive style.

Here's a bit of Farragut trivia for you Patrick O'Brian fans: Farragut was a midshipman in the Navy during the War of 1812. In 1814, he was serving aboard the U.S.S. Essex when she was caught and defeated by H.M.S. Phoebe off the coast of Chile. Farragut was wounded and captured in the battle. O'Brian used the Phoebe's chase of the Essex as the (very loose) basis for his story of Jack Aubrey's H.M.S. Surprise hunting the U.S.S. Norfolk in The Far Side of the World.

UPDATE: Basil Seal throws me pixilated catnip with this comment:

And pray tell, how did the Norfolk suddenly become French in the questionable film?

Ha! Two reasons, one major and one minor. Firstest, Hollywood had enough sense to realize that the public would never go for a film in which the Brits, in the end, kick the crap out of the Americans. (And it's much easier to heap villainy on the French. If I recall correctly, the Frogs were not simply a rival naval force, but a pack of sneaky Jacobin dogs not much better than common pirates.) Plus, by transmogrifying the enemy, the film doesn't need to get into the causes and issues of the War of 1812, which would just confuse people because how can Jack be the hero if he's fighting for the wrong side?

Seconder, it gave the writers the opportunity to have Jack Aubrey rouse his crew with a line about the Frogs setting up a guillotine in Piccadilly, something the real Aubrey never said. (I have seen the line somewhere, however, and although I haven't yet looked it up, I'm almost sure it's out of one of the Hornblower novels.)

Questionable, indeed.

UPDATE DEUX: Just so that this post doesn't degenerate into another anti-M&C-TFSOTW screed, here's a lithograph of Farragut's successful attack on the defenses of New Orleans, April 24, 1862:

(Image lifted from the Navy.)

UPDATE TROIS:

And here is a Currier & Ives print of the Union fleet running the shore batteries at Vicksburg:

(Image courtesy of this site.)

Farragut's ability and willingness to move troops, supplies and ships through this gauntlet was critical to Grant's eventual capture of the city (which occured July 3, 1863, the same day as the Union victory at Gettysburg), to say nothing of the overall Union plan in the west to chop the Confederacy into pieces by taking complete control of the river.