to take any one from his station. During the progress of the action, he comforted his suffering comrades by assuring them that "Victory is ours!" Whenever the guns' crews cheered at the successful effect of their shot, Gowin waved his hat over his head and joined in the shout. When brought at length to the surgeon, he appeared with a smile on his face, though suffering acutely from his injury. He said, "It is all right, and I am satisfied, for we are whipping the Alabama. I willingly will lose my leg or life, if it is necessary." In the hospital, he was calmly resigned to his fate, repeating again and again his willingness to die, since his ship had won a glorious victory.

The following conversation with one of the crew of the Alabama, as given in the London "Cornhill Magazine," furnishes some interesting memorabilia concerning this remarkable encounter:

"But I thought you had been in the confederate navy."

"I was," said Aleck. "I was with Semmes everywhere he went. I was in the naval brigade and blockade-running, and on the Alabama all the while he commanded her."

"But not when she sank, I suppose." "Well, I was, and was picked up with him by the Deerhound."

"It was a pretty sharp fight, wasn't

it?"

"It was that!"

"I suppose it was the eleven-inch shells that did her business?"

"Oh, no; we never had any chance.

Kearsarge's. Our gunners fired by routine, and when they had the gun loaded, fired it off blind. They never changed the elevation of their guns all through the fight, and the Kearsarge was working up to us all the while, taking advantage of every time she was hid by smoke to work a little nearer, and then her gunners took aim for every shot."

"Then it isn't true that the Alabama tried to board the Kearsarge?"

"No, sir! She did her best to get away from her from the time the fight commenced. We knew well that if we got in range of her Dahlgren howitzers she would sink us in ten minutes."

"But don't you believe that Semmes supposed he would whip the Kearsarge when he went out to fight her?"

"No; he was bullied into it, and took. good care to leave all his valuables on shore, and had a life preserver on through the fight. I saw him put it on, and I thought if it was wise in him it wouldn't be foolish in me, and I put on one too. When Semmes saw that the ship was going down, he told us all to swim who could, and was one of the first to jump into the water, and we all made for the Deerhound. I was a long way ahead of Semmes, and, when I came up to the Deerhound's boat, they asked me if I was Semmes, before they would take me in. I said I wasn't, and then they asked me what I was on the Alabama. Said I, No matter what I was on the Alabama, I shall be a dead man soon if you don't take me in."

alty was more than his nature could endure, | and, with a sudden and sailor-like burst of indignation, he replied, as he pointed to the emblem of the republic, which floated near him,—

"Gentlemen, your efforts are useless. I tell you I would see every man of you before I would raise my arm against that flag!"

That flag he nobly upheld in more than one fierce conflict, during the ensuing four years, conferring the brightest and widest luster on his country's renown, and sharing, with his eminent colleagues, Porter, Foote, Dupont, Gillmore, Goldsborough, Bailey, Boggs, Worden, Winslow, and others, the honors of a grateful country.

Before presenting the narrative of his superb achievements in Mobile harbor, in 1864, some account of the brilliant and terrible operations on the Mississippi, in the spring of 1862, will be interesting. Knowing the qualifications of Farragut, the government put him at the head of the great naval expedition which, in conjunction with General Butler's army, was to undertake the capture of New Orleans. This task he prosecuted in a manner which fully justified the confidence reposed in his indomitable heroism and splendid executive abilities, and the prize obtained was one of the richest and most important ever presented by a victorious chieftain to a grateful and admiring country.

It was on the 17th of April, 1862, that the mortar fleet of Commodore Porterone of the bravest captains that ever trod a man-of-war's deck-began the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and, on the 24th, Commodore Farragut, with his entire fleet, ran past the forts, encountering a fire almost unparalleled in severity, a fleet of gun-boats, including several iron-clads, fire-rafts, obstructions and torpedoes innumerable. The mortar fleet rained down shells on Fort Jackson, to try and keep the men from the guns, whilst the steamers of the mortar fleet poured in shrapnel upon the water-battery commanding the approach, at a short dis

tance, keeping them comparatively quiet. The squadron was formed in three lines to pass the forts, the divisions being led, respectively, by Farragut, Bailey, and Bell.

Perfect success attended the flag-officer's boldly executed plan of battle. Fort Jackson became a perfect wreck; everything in the shape of a building in and about it was burned up by the mortar shells, and over eighteen hundred shells fell in the work proper, to say nothing of those which burst over and went around. It was an exciting scene when, on the morning of the 24th, that signal "to advance" was thrown out from the flag-ship. The Cayuga led on the column. They were discovered at the boom, and a little beyond both forts opened fire. When close up with St. Philip, Bailey opened with grape and canister, still steering on; and after passing this line of fire, he encountered the "Montgomery flotilla," consisting of eighteen gun-boats, including the ram Manassas, and iron-battery Louisiana. This was a moment of anxiety, as no supporting ship was in sight. By skillful steering, however, their attempts to butt and board were avoided, and after forcing three of them to surrender, aid came very oppor tunely from the Varuna, Captain Boggs, and the Oneida, Captain Lee.

The Cayuga received most of the first fire, but was not severely damaged. On her falling back, the flag-ship Hartford took her place. The latter had only two guns-which were placed on the top-gallant forecastle-that could bear on the enemy until within half a mile. The Hartford now sheered off, and gave forth a most terrible fire. The Pensacola ran up after a while, and dealt with the starboard battery, and in a few minutes the Brooklyn ranged up and did gallant service. The passing of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Farragut describes as one of the most awful sights and events he ever witnessed. The smoke was so dense that it was only now and then anything could be seen but the flash of the cannon and the fire-ships or rafts, one of which

was pushed down upon the Hartford by the ram Manassas. In his effort to avoid this, Farragut ran his ship on shore, and then the fire-raft was pushed alongside,the ship in a moment being one blaze all along the port side, half-way up to the main and mizzen tops. But, by adroit management, the flames were extinguished, and the Hartford backed off and got clear of the raft. But all this time she was pouring shells into the forts, and they into her. At length the fire slackened, the

then sent on board of her, but she was riddled and deserted, and after a while she drifted down the stream, full of water,the last of eleven that the union army had destroyed. The larger ram, at Fort Jackson, was subsequently blown up. On the 28th, General Butler landed above Fort St. Philip, under the guns of the Mississippi and the Kineo.

So desperate was the proposed attempt to run past Forts Jackson and St. Philip regarded at the time, that some French

A blunt and sailor-like demand for the unconditional surrender of the city was made upon Mayor Monroe,-a demand which, of course, he was in no condition to resist; and it was not long before the venerable national flag was floating over the city hall, the mint, and the customhouse, and, at the same time, all flags emblematic of any other sovereignty than that of the United States were instantly removed, and never reappeared.

It was in the early part of August, 1864, however, that the country was electrified by that signal achievement by Farragut, în Mobile Bay, which placed him in the very foremost rank among the naval heroes of modern times. Guarded at its entrance by two imposing fortifications, of immense strength, the bay also floated at this time a formidable naval fleet, under the command of Admiral Buchanan, one of the ablest officers in the confederate service. For a long time, Farragut watched for his opportunity, and it came at last, under circumstances the most favorable, as the result proved, for union success.

From the official reports, and the various accounts furnished by the reporters for the press, the following sketch of this celebrated achievement is prepared. For some months, Farragut-now holding the rank of Rear-Admiral-had commanded the United States blockading fleet off Mobile, and it was with some impatience that he awaited the means necessary to justify him in moving up and attacking the defenses of the city. Knowing the disadvantage of attacking iron-cased vessels

with wooden ones, and that, too, in the face and under the guns of heavy fortresses, without a co-operating land force, he deferred the movement until those essential helps were provided, though holding himself in readiness to meet, at any time, the fleet of Buchanan, should it venture out.

In the summer, Farragut found himself in command of four iron-clads and fourteen wooden ships-of-war, aided by a small land force under Gen. Gordon Granger. On the morning of August 5th, therefore, all things being ready, he went up the bay, passing between Forts Morgan and Gaines, and encountering the formidable. confederate ram Tennessee, and also the gun-boats of the enemy, Selma, Morgan, and Gaines. The attacking fleet was under way by quarter before six in the morning, in the following order: The Brooklyn, with the Octorara on her port side; Hartford, with the Metacomet; Richmond, with the Port Royal; Lackawanna, with the Seminole; Monongahela, with the Tecumseh ; Ossipee, with the Itasco; and the Oneida, with the Galena. On the starboard of the fleet was the proper position of the monitors or iron-clads. The wind was light from the south-west, and the sky cloudy, with very little sun. Fort Morgan opened upon them at ten minutes past seven, and soon after this the action became lively. As they steamed up the main ship channel, there was some difficulty ahead, and the Hartford passed on ahead of the Brooklyn. At twenty minutes before eight, the Tecumseh was struck by a torpedo and sunk, going down very rapidly, and carrying down with her all the officers and crew, with the exception of the pilot and eight or ten men, who were saved by a boat sent from the Metacomet.

The Hartford had passed the forts before eight o'clock, and, finding himself raked by the confederate gun-boats, Farragut ordered the Metacomet to cast off and go in pursuit of them, one of which, the Selma, she succeeded in capturing. All the vessels had passed the forts by halfpast eight, but the confederate

ram