arragut　was　able　to　perform　his　great　feats　on　the　Gulf　coast　because；　when　the　Civil　War　broke　out；　we　had　a　navy　which；　though　too　small　in　point　of　numbers；　was　composed　of　ships　as　good　as　any　afloat。
  Another　lesson　to　be　learned　by　a　study　of　his　career　is　that　no　man　in　a　profession　so　highly　technical　as　that　of　the　navy　can　win　a　great　success　unless　he　has　been　brought　up　in　and　specially　trained　for　that　profession；　and　has　devoted　his　life　to　the　work。　This　fact　was　made　plainly　evident　in　the　desperate　hurly…burly　of　the　night　battle　with　the　Confederate　flotilla　below　New　Orleansthe　incidents　of　this　hurly…burly　being；　perhaps；　best　described　by　the　officer　who；　in　his　report　of　his　own　share　in　it；　remarked　that　〃all　sorts　of　things　happened。〃　Of　the　Confederate　rams　there　were　two；　commanded　by　trained　officers　formerly　in　the　United　States　navy；　Lieutenants　Kennon　and　Warley。　Both　of　these　men　handled　their　little　vessels　with　remarkable　courage；　skill；　and　success；　fighting　them　to　the　last；　and　inflicting　serious　and　heavy　damage　upon　the　Union　fleet。　The　other　vessels　of　the　flotilla　were　commanded　by　men　who　had　not　been　in　the　regular　navy；　who　were　merely　Mississippi　River　captains；　and　the　like。　These　men　were；　doubtless；　naturally　as　brave　as　any　of　the　regular　officers；　but；　with　one　or　two　exceptions；　they　failed　ignobly。　in　the　time　of　trial；　and　showed　a　fairly　startling　contrast　with　the　regular　naval　officers　beside　or　against　whom　they　fought。　This　is　a　fact　which　may　well　be　pondered　by　the　ignorant　or　unpatriotic　people　who　believe　that　the　United　States　does　not　need　a　navy；　or　that　it　can　improvise　one；　and　improvise　officers　to　handle　it；　whenever　the　moment　of　need　arises。
  When　a　boy；　Farragut　had　sailed　as　a　midshipman　on　the　Essex　in　her　famous　cruise　to　the　South　Pacific；　and　lived　through　the　murderous　fight　in　which；　after　losing　three　fifths　of　her　crew；　she　was　captured　by　two　British　vessels。　Step　by　step　he　rose　in　his　profession；　but　never　had　an　opportunity　of　distinguishing　himself　until；　when　he　was　sixty　years　old；　the　Civil　War　broke　out。　He　was　then　made　flag　officer　of　the　Gulf　squadron；　and　the　first　success　which　the　Union　forces　met　with　in　the　southwest　was　scored　by　him；　when　one　night　he　burst　the　iron　chains　which　the　Confederates　had　stretched　across　the　Mississippi；　and；　stemming　the　swollen　flood　with　his　splendidly…handled　steam…frigates；　swept　past　the　forts；　sank　the　rams　and　gunboats　that　sought　to　bar　his　path；　and　captured　the　city　of　New　Orleans。　After　further　exciting　service　on　the　Mississippi；　service　in　which　he　turned　a　new　chapter　in　the　history　of　naval　warfare　by　showing　the　possibilities　of　heavy　seagoing　vessels　when　used　on　great　rivers；　he　again　went　back　to　the　Gulf；　and；　in　the　last　year　of　the　war；　was　allotted　the　task　of　attempting　the　capture　of　Mobile；　the　only　important　port　still　left　open　to　the　Confederates。
  In　August；　1864；　Farragut　was　lying　with　his　fleet　off　Mobile　Bay。　For　months　he　had　been　eating　out　his　heart　while　undergoing　the　wearing　strain　of　the　blockade；　sympathizing；　too；　with　every　detail　of　the　doubtful　struggle　on　land。　〃I　get　right　sick；　every　now　and　then；　at　the　bad　news；〃　he　once　wrote　home；　and　then　again；　〃The　victory　of　the　Kearsarge　over　the　Alabama　raised　me　up；　I　would　sooner　have　fought　that　fight　than　any　ever　fought　on　the　ocean。〃　As　for　himself；　all　he　wished　was　a　chance　to　fight；　for　he　had　the　fighting　temperament；　and　he　knew　that；　in　the　long　run；　an　enemy　can　only　be　beaten　by　being　out…fought；　as　well　as　out…manoeuvered。　He　possessed　a　splendid　self…confidence；　and　scornfully　threw　aside　any　idea　that　he　would　be　defeated；　while　he　utterly　refused　to　be　daunted　by　the　rumors　of　the　formidable　nature　of　the　defenses　against　which　he　was　to　act。　〃I　mean　to　be　whipped　or　to　whip　my　enemy；　and　not　to　be　scared　to　death；〃　he　remarked　in　speaking　of　these　rumors。
  The　Confederates　who　held　Mobile　used　all　their　skill　in　preparing　for　defense；　and　all　their　courage　in　making　that　defense　good。　The　mouth　of　the　bay　was　protected　by　two　fine　forts；　heavily　armed；　Morgan　and　Gaines。　The　winding　channels　were　filled　with　torpedoes；　and；　in　addition；　there　was　a　flotilla　consisting　of　three　gunboats；　and；　above　all；　a　big　ironclad　ram；　the　Tennessee；　one　of　the　most　formidable　vessels　then　afloat。　She　was　not　fast；　but　she　carried　six　high…power　rifled　guns；　and　her　armor　was　very　powerful；　while；　being　of　light　draft；　she　could　take　a　position　where　Farragut's　deep…sea　ships　could　not　get　at　her。　Farragut　made　his　attack　with　four　monitors；two　of　them；　the　Tecumseh　and　Manhattan；　of　large　size；　carrying　15inch　guns；　and　the　other　two；　the　Winnebago　and　Chickasaw；　smaller　and　lighter；　with　11…inch　guns；and　the　wooden　vessels；　fourteen　in　number。　Seven　of　these　were　big　sloops…of…war；　of　the　general　type　of　Farragut's　own　flagship；　the　Hartford。　She　was　a　screw　steamer；　but　was　a　full…rigged　ship　likewise；　with　twenty…two　9…inch　shell　guns；　arranged　in　broadside；　and　carrying　a　crew　of　three　hundred　men。　The　other　seven　were　light　gunboats。　When　Farragut　prepared　for　the　assault；　he　arranged　to　make　the　attack　with　his　wooden　ships　in　double　column。　The　seven　most　powerful　were　formed　on　the　right；　in　line　ahead；　to　engage　Fort　Morgan；　the　heaviest　of　the　two　forts；　which　had　to　be　passed　close　inshore　to　the　right。　The　light　vessels　were　lashed　each　to　the　left　of　one　of　the　heavier　ones。　By　this　arrangement　each　pair　of　ships　was　given　a　double　chance　to　escape；　if　rendered　helpless　by　a　shot　in　the　boiler　or　other　vital　part　of　the　machinery。　The　heaviest　ships　led　in　the　fighting　column；　the　first　place　being　taken　by　the　Brooklyn　and　her　gunboat　consort；　while　the　second　position　was　held　by　Farragut　himself　in　the　Hartford；　with　the　little　Metacomet　lashed　alongside。　He　waited　to　deliver　the　attack　until　the　tide　and　the　wind　should　be　favorable；　and　made　all　his　preparations　with　the　utmost　care　and　thoughtfulness。　Preeminently　a　man　who　could　inspire　affection　in　others；　both　the　officers　and　men　of　the　fleet　regarded　him　with　fervent　loyalty　and　absolute　trust。
  The　attack　was　made　early　on　the　morning　of　August　5。　Soon　after　midnight　the　weather　became　hot　and　calm；　and　at　three　the　Admiral　learned　that　a　light　breeze　had　sprung　up　from　the　quarter　he　wished；　and　he　at　once　announced；　〃Then　we　will　go　in　this　morning。〃　At　daybreak　he　was　at　breakfast　when　the　word　was　brought　that　the　ships　were　all　lashed　in　couples。　Turning　quietly　to　his　captain；　he　said；　〃Well；　Drayton；　we　might　as　well　get　under　way；〃　and　at　half…past　six　the　monitors　stood　down　to　their　stations；　while　the　column　of　wooden　ships　was　formed；　all　with　the　United　States　flag　hoisted；　not　only　at　the　peak；　but　also　at　every　masthead。　The　four　monitors；　trusting　in　their　iron　sides；　steamed　in　between　the　wooden　ships　and　the　fort。　Every　man　in　every　craft　was　thrilling　with　the　fierce　excitement　of　battle；　but　in　the　minds　of　most　there　lurked　a　vague　feeling　of　unrest　over　one　danger。　For　their　foes　who　fought　in　sight；　for　the　forts；　the　gunboats；　and；　the　great　ironclad　ram；　they　cared　nothing；　but　all；　save　the　very　boldest；　were　at　times　awed；　and　rendered　uneasy　by　the　fear　of　the　hidden　and　the　unknown。　Danger　which　is　great　and　real；　but　which　is　shrouded　in　mystery；　is　always　very　awful；　and　the　ocean　veterans　dreaded　the　torpedoesthe　mines　of　deathwhich　lay；　they　knew　not　where；　thickly　scattered　through　the　channels　along　which　they　were　to　thread　their　way。
  The　tall　ships　were　in　fighting　trim；　with　spars　housed；　and　canvas　furled。　The　decks　were　strewn　with　sawdust；　every　man　was　in　his　place；　the　guns　were　ready；　and　except　for　the　song　of　the　sounding…lead　there　was　silence　in　the　ships　as　they　moved　forward　through　the　glorious　morning。　It　was　seven　o'clock　when　the　battle　began；　as　the　Tecumseh；　the　leading　monitor；　fired　two　shots　at　the　fort。　In　a　few　minutes　Fort　Morgan　was　ablaze　with　the　flash　of　her　guns；　and　the　leading　wooden　vessels　were　sending　back　broadside　after　broadside。　Farragut　stood　in　the　port　main…rigging；　and　as　the　smoke　increased　he　gradually　climbed　higher；　until　he　was　close　by　the　maintop；　where　the　pilot　was　stationed　for　the　sake　of　clearer　vision。　The　captain；　fearing　lest　by　one　of　the　accidents　of　battle　the　great　admiral　should　lose　his　footing；　sent　aloft　a　man　with　a　lasher；　and　had　a　turn　or　two　taken　around　his　body　in　the　shrouds；　so　that　he。　might　not　fall　if　wounded；　for　the　shots　were　flying　thick。
  At　first　the　ships　used　only　their　bow　guns；　and　the　Confederate　ram；　with　her　great　steel　rifles；　and　her　three　consorts；　taking　station　where　they　could　rake　the　advancing　fleet；　caused　much　loss。　In　twenty　minutes　after　the　opening　of　the　fight　the　ships　of　the　van　were　fairly　abreast　of　the　fort；　their　guns　leaping　and　thundering；　and　under　the　weight　of　their　terrific　fire　that　of　the　fort　visibly　slackened。　All　was　now　uproar　and　slaughter；　the　smoke　drifting　off　in　clouds。　The　decks　were　reddened　and　ghastly　with　blood；　and　the　wreck　of　flying　splinters　drove　across　them　at　each　discharge。　The　monitor　Tecumseh　alone　was　silent。　After　firing　the　first　two　shots；　her