Episode Details

David Farragut was born James Glasgow Farragut in Tennessee in 1801, son of Jorge Farragut, a Menorcan who fought in the American Revolution. After his mother died of yellow fever in New Orleans, he was taken in by naval officer David Porter, adopted the name David, became a midshipman at nine, and at 11 served as prize master of a captured ship in the War of 1812. He fought in the Marquesas and was wounded and captured at Valparaiso.

This episode follows his long middle career hunting pirates in the West Indies, blockading Mexico, founding the Mare Island Navy Yard in California, and testing guns in Virginia, along with his 11 years caring for his ill first wife. When Virginia seceded he moved his family north, took command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron, and ran past Forts Jackson and St. Philip to capture New Orleans, earning the new rank of rear admiral. The episode also covers his costly impatience at Port Hudson in 1863 and his choice at Mobile Bay in 1864 to drive on through the mines.

• Congress created the rank of rear admiral for him after New Orleans, having avoided the title as too aristocratic.
• At Port Hudson he moved his attack up by nearly 12 hours, and only his flagship and one other ship got past the batteries.
• At Mobile Bay a quartermaster tied him to the rigging of the Hartford to keep him from falling.
• In 1866 he became the first full admiral in U.S. history and commanded the European Squadron.
• Jules Verne named a character in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea after him.